Filed to story: Submitting to My Bestie’s Daddy Read Online >>???
“I… well, what can I say? I’d be honored to,” I told him.
Alessandro patted my shoulder and smiled. We both took a tentative sip from our glasses as though we had given a silent toast of sorts. It was one thing to be officially appointed as Alessandro’s counterpart here in the States, but to think that the man was insisting upon me taking ‘his’ official place over in Italy… I felt like I’d slipped into a daze.
“But, what about Cat?”
She’d proven on numerous occasions that she was ready and willing to be a part of this sort of life. Granted, the matter left me in a never-ending cycle of frustration and defeat. Every time something potentially dangerous arose, I made it my job to make sure that the threat never touched her.
But then there was Caterina, who constantly claimed that she needed to be involved. She refused to remain on the sidelines when things got hairy and by God, at times it took years off my life.
Alessandro finished the remainder of his drink and nodded his head in understanding.
“I adore her tenacity,” he started. “And her willingness to be involved in every aspect of your life is nothing short of admirable.”
I recalled hearing stories from both my dad and a few other relatives about struggles that came when trying to find the right woman. And the older I got, the more I came to understand what they were all telling me. This life was a lot to take on.
Cat truly had no idea how much it meant when I said that I was lucky to have her. Most women wouldn’t have given me or my family’s background a second thought. She had proven herself to be part of the rare breed capable of embracing both the good and the bad when it was necessary.
I honestly couldn’t imagine myself to be with anyone else… ever.
Caterina Leone was it for me.
For a brief moment, I truly thought that Alessandro and I were on the same page when it came to her. Unfortunately, his demeanor shifted, making my muscles tense.
“It’s true, I think she’s a perfect match for you and this kind of life. However, it’s imperative to not let her become too involved,” he noted, “at least from this point onward.”
My mouth fell open and a humorless laugh nearly escaped.
Fucking what?
Did he seriously think that there was some internal switch in my head that was going to make me purposely push her aside?
I’d lost count of the number of times Cat had verbally ripped me in half because she discovered that I had kept things from her. She did not, by any means, appreciate being kept in the dark.
I gave Alessandro a wavering glance.
“I don’t think that’s going to be possible,” I commented.
“You’re going to have to make it possible then,” he countered. “I know she’s one for being hands-on in certain matters, but you need to make her realize that things are different now.”
I tilted my head down.
“Al—”
“This isn’t just a revenge tour anymore. This is a business.”
Alessandro understood and even commended Cat’s need for involvement. But maybe that was because the business immediately pertained to her. It was her father who’d been killed by Antonio, after all. So, of course there wasn’t this sudden need to keep her at a distance.
“Going forward, this position means a hell of a lot more than just protecting her from potential enemies. Keeping her separated from this would save her from ever getting caught up with the law. Understand?”
I silently nodded my head as he went on.
“The less you tell her, the less likely she is to end up in jail should something go wrong.”
God, my stomach knotted at the thought of Cat being dragged off in handcuffs all because of her stubbornness to stay firmly by my side at all times. Though nothing would have pleased me more than to have a legitimate reason to finally keep her away from the business side of things, the very thought felt impossible to achieve.
Al must have noticed the strained look on my face. He reached out to rest his hand on my shoulder to snag my attention.
“Hey, look. I’m not expecting you to lie to her. Just slowly move her out of the active role she put herself in,” he said.
All I could do was nod my head. Honestly, I agreed with everything he was saying. I never wanted this part of my life to touch Cat. But something in the pit of my stomach told me that this sort of endeavor was not going to end well.
I threw back whatever liquid was left in my glass and savored the bitter burn that lingered on the back of my throat.
I felt a desperate need to change the topic at hand. I’d find a way to deal with Cat, but what Al needed to know was where my father stood on all of this.
“I got a call from Dad earlier,” I told him. “Needless to say, he’s far from happy about my choice to be the Don here.”
Alessandro cast his gaze toward the far side of the room. “Yeah, I wasn’t going to mention it at first, but Gio gave me a call as well,” he admitted. “It’s no surprise why he’s so against this setup. After all that happened when he was Don, I’m sure he’s just thinking of your wellbeing.”
I scoffed while tightening my hold around my glass.
“Yeah, well, it doesn’t like the man’s been trying to keep my best interests in mind,” I said dryly.
Al offered a small smile. “Then allow me to leave you with this bit of thought, yeah? When it comes to business like this, the only person you really need to listen to is yourself.”
Without so much as another word, Alessandro nodded his head and slipped out of the office. I should’ve followed after him, if not to speak more to him then to at least find Cat again.
‘Oh, God.’ My thoughts were crashing through my head. ‘What am I going to do about her?’
I wandered over to the antique bar cart and poured myself another drink. With slow, meaningful sips, I recounted all that was told to me. Al made a number of good points, but the million-dollar question still remained at the forefront of my mind.
How on earth was I going to do this to Cat?
‘Just slowly move her out of the active role she put herself in.’
Caterina was so strong-willed and smart, there was no way she wasn’t going to catch on to what would be happening around her. But Alessandro was right. At the end of it all, it was about keeping her safe. And there was nothing that I was going to allow to jeopardize that.
I hastily finished up my drink and made it out of my office, where I immediately stumbled into Cat, her eyes were filled with curiosity as she spoke.
“What was all that about?” she asked.
*Caterina*
There was a price that came whenever I flirted with Elio. As much as I enjoyed riling him up and feeling his tense up under my hands, it always left me antsy and wanting more as well.
I entered the house and tried to act as though I wasn’t deeply aroused and practically itching to get out of my clothes. I took several deep breaths and ignored the wetness that slicked between my thighs as I walked.
My curiosity about what Alessandro needed to speak to Elio about was fading to the back of my mind with every passing second. I had complete faith in him that he would tell me whatever was being discussed later. But in the meantime, I was focused on something else, something far more frustrating and difficult to ignore….
From the looks of things, it seemed that most of the people that were gathered around were saying their goodbyes and making their way out.
‘Thank God,’ I thought shamelessly.
I wasn’t sure how much more socializing I could take at the moment. I nonchalantly slipped into the kitchen, where I poured myself a fresh glass of wine and tried to find some semblance of self-control.