LEO
I’ve only been on the island for four days when the call comes through that Haven got hurt.
After losing my shit with Edoardo, I walk to the living room where Massimo is watching TV.
“Why were you shouting?” he asks when he sees me.
“Haven fell on the rocks.”
He lifts an eyebrow. “Did she try to escape?”
“No,” I mutter. “She dropped her phone and went on a reckless mission to get it back.” I gesture in the direction of the bedrooms. “Pack. We’re going home.”
Massimo shakes his head. “No, we’re not going anywhere until you talk to me.”
“Gesù Cristo,” I snap. “We can talk on the flight home.”
He keeps shaking his head. “You agreed we would talk when we got to the island, and that didn’t happen. If you want to go home, you better start spilling your guts.”
I drop down on the couch and glare at Massimo.
I’ve been holed up in my house and only greeted Dominik and Santiago when I arrived on the island. I haven’t made any effort to interact with the men. Besides, they’re busy with their families.
And I’m not one to talk about my feelings.
Massimo returns my glare, and it makes me want to punch him. “We’ve been gone from home for two weeks, Leo. I miss my wife and kids.”
“Then let’s go home,” I mutter.
His glare darkens, and I know he’s a second away from losing his temper with me. “Talk.”
I glance through the windows on my right and stare at the tropical gardens.
The words taste bitter as I finally admit out loud, “I feel guilty for what I’ve done to Haven.”
“Why did you do it?”
I shake my head and suck in a deep breath, then admit, “The instant I saw Haven, I wanted her.”
“So you decided just to take her? Ever heard of dating?”
My gaze snaps to his.
He lets out a sigh. “Are you going to let her go?”
I know I have to, but I find myself shaking my head. “No. We’re married.”
“You’ve only been married a couple of weeks, and you’re practically strangers. Let Haven go.”
Anger bubbles in my chest, and I look through the windows again. “No.”
“Then what are you going to do?”
For the hundredth time, I think about how I should handle the situation with Haven, and once again, I come up with the same idea. “I’m going to make her fall in love with me.”
Massimo lets out a bark of laughter, which has me glaring at him. He shakes his head as his laughter fades. “Good luck with that.” His expression turns serious. “Are you in love with her? Is that why you lost your mind?”
I’m still not ready to inspect my feelings for Haven and climb to my feet. “I’m going home, with or without you.”
“You’re so fucking difficult it’s going to take a miracle for Haven to fall in love with you,” he taunts me as I walk to my bedroom. “What are you going to do if she keeps hating you?”
“I’ll fucking grow on her like a bad habit,” I snap.
I hear my right-hand man chuckling as I begin to pack my bag.
The two weeks away from Haven, while we searched for Sabastiano and came to the island, have done nothing to give me clarity.
I’m just going to have to suck it up and fix the damage I’ve done to Haven.
When Massimo drives the SUV through the gates of my property, my eyes lock on the mansion.
Here goes nothing.
He stops the vehicle and looks at me. “Take a week off to get to know Haven. I’ll make sure the business runs smoothly.”
After all the shit I’ve given him the past two weeks, I meet his stare and say, “Thank you for putting up with me and not telling me to go fuck myself.”
He places his hand on my shoulder. “I’ve been at your side for twenty-four years, Leo. You’re stuck with me for life.”
I give him a grateful look before I shove the door open and climb out of the SUV. I grab my bag from the trunk, then stop at the open window. “Give my regards to Franca and tell her I’m sorry for keeping you away from home.”
Massimo nods, then he tips his head in the direction of the mansion. “Good luck.”
“I’m going to need it,” I mutter as I walk to the front door where Edoardo is standing guard.
I hear Massimo drive away as I lock eyes with my head of security. “How’s my wife?”
As the words leave my mouth, my chest fills with a burst of possessiveness.
“I haven’t seen Mrs. Toscano since I gave her the new phone yesterday. Dr. Caprino will be here at five to check her hand.”
Nodding, I push the front door open and step into the mansion that’s warmer than usual.
I glance at the living room before I head up the staircase. When I get to my bedroom, I put my bag by the laundry basket so Sofia can wash the clothes.
As I walk to Haven’s room, my heartbeat speeds up. I stop outside her door, and for the millionth time since I took her, I think about what I should do with her.
Lifting my hand I knock.
“Who is it?” she calls from the other side.
“Leo.”
I hear her unlock the door, then she yanks it open.
Holy shit, she’s even more beautiful than I remember.
Shock tightens her features for a few seconds as she stares at me, then her face crumbles and she lunges at me.
I bring my arms up to block whatever blows she throws my way, but instead of trying to hit me, her arms wrap around my waist, and she bursts out in tears.
It takes a moment to realize Haven’s hugging me, then my arms shoot around her, and I squash her body to mine.
Hell. Fucking. No.
I’m never letting her go.
Nothing has ever felt so perfect as getting to hold this woman who’s woven some kind of magical spell over me.
“Please,” she whimpers, her voice sounding broken. “I’ll do anything you want. Just let me see my mother. I’m losing my mind.”
A frown forms on my forehead. “Haven’t you seen her?”
Haven pulls back, the distraught look on her face causing my heart to clench painfully in my chest.
“I last saw her at the church.”
What?
My frown darkens even more. “Why didn’t you visit her?”
Another blow of shock ripples over her face, then her eyes widen. “I was allowed to visit her?”
“Yes. I never said you weren’t allowed to. I only said I didn’t want her living here.”
She goes completely still for a long moment, and just as I start to get worried, she lunges at me again. This time, it’s not for a hug, and her fists connect with my chest and neck.
“You never said I could!” she screams before it’s followed by a whimper. “Ow!”
I grab hold of her left arm and quickly look at the bandage wrapped around her hand. There’s purple bruising on her wrist, the sight making me unreasonably angry.
“Next time you do something so stupid and hurt yourself, I’m putting you over my knee and spanking you.”
Haven glares at me as she pulls her arm out of my hold. “I want to see my mother right now.”
I gesture for her to walk. “Your wish is my command, my wife.”
“Don’t call me that,” she snaps as she hurries toward the stairs.
As we cross the foyer, I hear Haven sob, and it makes me walk faster to catch up with her. I wrap my arm around her shoulders, and when she doesn’t pull away but instead begins to cry again, I tighten my hold on her.
Cazzo, giving her space was the worst thing I could’ve done.
“I’m sorry I didn’t make it clear that you could visit your mother,” I apologize. I lead her through the kitchen and into the garage. “Did you ask Edoardo to take you anywhere?”
As I open the passenger door, she shakes her head while climbing into the Porsche.
The blood chills in my veins. “So you never left the mansion while I was gone?”
Haven nods, her face unnaturally pale.
“Gesù Cristo,” I mutter as I slam the door shut. I walk around the front of the car and get in behind the steering wheel. As I reverse out of the garage, my gaze locks on her, and I notice the dark circles beneath her eyes.
I put the car in drive, and while I steer us toward the gates, I say, “You’re not a prisoner, Haven. You can go out as long as you’re home for dinner. Just don’t disappear on me every day. I’ll be home for the next week, and I’d like to get to know you better.”
“Is my mom still not allowed to visit me at the mansion?”
I think for a moment, and knowing I’ll never see Haven during the day, I have no choice but to relent. “She can visit, but I want you all to myself after five, and I don’t want her here every day. That would be too much for me. I like my space quiet.”
She processes what I say, then she whispers with a hoarse tone, “So, you’re not going to let me go.”
“No.” I take a deep breath before I add, “I’ll do my best to make you happy.”
“Yeah, that’s not a possibility,” she mutters under her breath.
I glance at Haven, and now that I’m sitting beside her, after being away from her for two weeks, it’s difficult to ignore the emotions she evokes in me.
As I drive to the Romano mansion, I have no choice but to acknowledge I fell head over fucking heels for Haven the second I laid eyes on her.
Admitting my true feelings to myself makes panic bleed through me.
What if I can never win Haven over? What if she hates me forever?
Cazzo!
My grip on the steering wheel tightens, and my mind begins to race, trying to come up with ideas of how I can make her fall in love with me.
When I turn up the driveway of Nicolo’s place, the guards recognize me and open the gates. I drive to the mansion, and as I stop the Porsche, Haven throws her door open.
I have to move fast to switch off the car and climb out. Setting after my wife, I catch up to her as she shoves the front door open.
“Mom!” she shouts as she runs toward the stairs.
Nicolo comes rushing out of a room to my right, looking surprised as fuck.
“Mom!” Haven hurries up to the second floor, and I set after her with Nicolo following us.
“You should’ve let me know you were coming,” he says.
When I reach the second floor, it’s to see Haven yanking on a door handle.
Realising Haven’s mother is locked in the room, my head snaps to Nicolo, and I snap, “Unlock the fucking door.”
He hurries past me to do as he’s told.
Haven looks like she’s a second away from having a complete breakdown while she impatiently waits. The instant Nicolo shoves the door open, she pushes past him.
“Haven,” her mother cries, and listening to the women crying makes me feel like absolute shit.
I level Nicolo with a glare. “You kept her locked in the fucking room?”
“I had no choice. She kept trying to escape.”
Cristo, I fucked up.
I walk into the room and say, “Pack your belongings, Dakota.”
“What?” she gasps, clinging to Haven as if she would die if she was forced to let go of her.
“I’m taking you to my mother’s place, where you’ll stay until I can arrange a house for you.”
“You’re going to get a house for my mother?” Haven gasps, looking shocked out of her mind.
“Yes. Pack so we can leave.”
The women rush to the closet, and I watch as they throw Dakota’s belongings into the bags, not bothering to fold a thing.
It takes them less than fifteen minutes, and as they leave the bedroom, Dakota pauses to glare at Nicolo. Her face is tight with rage. “Santo did the right thing to write you all off. I now understand why he hated you so much. You’re an asshole.”
Nicolo lifts his chin and looks at her with hatred. “You’ll regret saying that.”
“Is that a threat?” I ask as I come up behind the women.
He visibly struggles to school his face before he looks at me. “No. Of course not.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” I mutter as I place my hand on Haven’s lower back, giving her a nudge so she’ll walk. “Hopefully, we won’t see each other again, anytime soon, Nicolo.”
I take the bags from Haven and Dakota. “Go to the car.”
I don’t have to tell the women twice. I walk fucking fast to get out of the mansion, and only when they reach the Porsche do they stop to hug again.
“I’ve missed you so much,” I hear Haven whisper.
I load the luggage into the trunk, then as I shut it, I say, “Get in the car, ladies.”
Dakota gives me one hell of a hate-filled glare before she climbs into the backseat. Haven gets in beside her mother, and knowing I’ve put her through hell, I don’t argue.
I let out a sigh before I open the driver’s door, then slide in behind the steering wheel.
I’m so thankful I slept on the plane because I can already tell I’m in for one hell of a long afternoon.
