Beautiful Lies

Chapter Seventeen

Dante

Lorena wrote me that she landed an hour ago. Since that message, I've been standing in front of the window like a nervous teenager on a first date.

She was away for three days and in those three days Vittelo couldn't find out much. Someone wants to keep the data on Matteo a secret and that has increased my curiosity.

Who is this guy? Why is he so important to Lorena that she has to fly to him once a month?

I will find out the answers.

I hear the front door open, so I quickly sit down on the sofa and pretend to write a message on my phone.

„Oh, mio Dio. Stai bene?" I hear my housekeeper say.

I jump up and run towards the entrance door. When I see Lorena's face, I am startled for a moment. She has a cut on her forhead and her eyes are red, as if she had been crying for days.

"Who did this to you?" I growl.

Tiredly she looks at me and says, "My mother said you picked up my things and had them delivered here. Where can I change?" I indicate with my gaze to my housekeeper that she should leave now.

"My patience is wearing thin. You look like you've been crying for three days. Then you come home and have a laceration on your forehead and won't even tell me what happened? Principessa, parlami". I take her face in my hand and look at it more closely. The rage that arises in me is indescribable.

"Dante, I'm sorry I just took off, but I had things to do. I'm tired and dirty from the flight. Please tell me where I can change.", sighing, I take her by the hand and lead her to our bedroom.

"Your things are here in the wardrobe. You can arrange it however you like. The left door leads to the bathroom. If you need anything, I'll be in my office."

Without waiting for her answer, I turn around and walk out of the room.

—-

After a few hours I hear a knock at my door. "Come in," I call. The door opens slowly and I see Lorena's red mane. "Do you have a minute?" "Of course, you never have to ask for my time." I say.

My eyes get big when I see what she is wearing. She has short shorts and a tank top that doesn't leave much for my imagination.

"My eyes are up here," she says laughing. I shake my head and indicate with my hand that she can sit on the chair in front of me.

"What is it, principessa?" "We didn't really have much time to talk." "No, you just took off," I hiss.

I see her wince. Well, I'm pissed that she didn't stay longer in Italy, but at the end of the day we only have a deal and nothing more.

„I'm sorry." I say.

"That's all right. I just wanted to talk to you about what your schedule looks like. I have to keep my end of the bargain too."

I feel it tighten around my heart. I violated my part of the bargain the very first second. The only thing she wanted was for me to let her do her thing, but being a sick control freak, I couldn't let her.

"So the first thing you have to do is dress properly when you are in the house. I don't want my men to get the wrong idea." Indignantly, she opens her mouth, but I hold up my hand: "There's no arguing about that!"

"Of course, no problem at all," she says with a smile. I look at her confused, I hadn't expected that.

I nod and say, "We're flying to Chicago at the end of this week. I need to see how the Chicago Outfit is doing and I'll take you with me so they can meet you."

"Okay, but I can't on Thursday just that you know."

„Why?"

„Tommy has a performance and I promised to watch it."

I clench my fists and say annoyed, "Another one of your male friends? How many of them are there?" She smiles at me and stands up. She walks over to me and puts her hands on my cheek.

"Jealousy doesn't suit you, Gattino. Especially not when you're jealous of an eight-year-old." She pats my cheeks and walks out of my office.

"Everything suits me," I mutter to myself.

—-

I hear giggling. No one ever giggles in my house. Who should giggle? I get up and look out the window. My jaw drops to the floor. I can't believe my eyes. I take my gun and storm out of my office into the garden.

"Tell me I ate something bad and I'm hallucinating," I shout.

"What's your problem?", Mauro asks me.

"You ask me what my problem is. You're in MY pool with MY wife and you're wearing almost nothing."

"Oh, Dante, I don't know where you learned to swim, but in a pool you wear swimwear and it's usually without much fabric," he says with a grin.

"Okay, I've had enough, get out of the pool or I'll shoot," I say and load my gun.

He looks at me, waiting.

"Uno, due, tre you didn't want it any other way." I aim at the can behind him and shoot.

"Dante, stop that right now," Lorena says, giving me a stern look. "Mauro get out." She points her head towards the house. He pulls himself out of the pool and walks towards me.

I swing back with my arm and hit him in the face. He falls to the ground and holds his nose, groaning.

"Next time you come near my wife, I'll break all your bones. One more disrespectful behaviour like that and you'll see what happens to you. Friends or not, I am your Don first and foremost." I hiss.

Lorena

I try to suppress my grin. I think Dante is so hot when he's jealous. I had to teach him a lesson. I can't stand it at all when someone tells me what to do or what not to do.

"Why the hell are you half-naked in the pool with Mauro?"

I push my sunglasses down slightly and look at him innocently. "Darling, you told me to dress properly in the house, you didn't say anything about outside. And Mauro just came along, that wasn't planned."

I lean on the edge of the pool and smile up at him. He squats down and grabs my hair, pulling it. "You must think you have the upper hand here." I feel everything inside me tighten and lust overtake me.

"If you make me look that bad again, you'll see what happens!" He pulls hard on my hair again and then lets me go. He gets up and disappears into the house.

Yeah, I need to get him laid or he needs to get me laid.