Savage Legacy - S.R. Jones Page 0,1
I turn to look at my brother, Marcello. “What? You have some more life advice?” I ask him.
“You never should have taken her to the club,” he says. “I know you needed to show our friends in the clans that you’d made good on your promise to Charles Marshall and that you’re as ruthless as they are, but in doing so, you put her on the radar of anyone who might wish to do you harm.”
“She’s safe here. I can protect her,” I tell him.
“Yes, but she’s a prisoner now, isn’t she? She can’t leave.”
I bite back my smile because that’s exactly where I want her until she loves me again. And she will. I’ll make her see what she means to me. It’s unfortunate that she overheard my conversation with those two Russian dickheads. I was hoping they’d relay what I'd said to Maximo, who they’re tight with, and so I had made it sound like Amelia meant nothing to me.
“She’s under my protection,” I state calmly. Then I turn to him and take him in properly. His normally tan skin is wan. He looks tired and not himself. Marcello is handsome, and the women love him, but today he looks almost sick.
“Listen,” I say, grabbing his shoulder and squeezing. I lower my voice. “We’ve done way worse than this. What gives?”
Jesus, we’ve killed men. We’ve made people disappear. When did he become so squeamish?
“The people we do worse to deserve it. She doesn’t.” He shrugs as his blue eyes slide away from my direct gaze.
“I’m not hurting her,” I tell him.
He laughs, but it’s not a happy sound. “Yeah, you are, Gio. She’s heartbroken.”
“She’d be heartbroken in Maine, wouldn’t she?”
He lifts his gaze to meet mine. Blond hair, blue eyes, tan skin. So different to me. “I suppose so,” he concurs.
“Except there, she’d have her vicious grandmother to deal with. Sharks circling who all want to marry her purely for her name, and depending on how far the reach of the Polish gang who fucked us over goes, possibly she’d still be in danger even there. I doubt it, but we don’t know. Do we?”
“No.”
“No. It’s unfortunate, it has come to this, but this is where we are. Now, the best thing for Amelia would be to accept she needs to stay here a few months until things are safe, and we’ve put all this shit to bed. So with that in mind, I’m taking her to the beach.”
“You’re what? Are you fucking insane? She’ll create a scene most likely, and then I’ll have my friends in the force wanting to know why we have an American hostage.”
I laugh. “I’m taking her to the private beach.”
We own a small property, part of the estate. It’s a small, one level beach house. Old, it’s made of stone and situated on a curving bay. The beach is completely private and belongs to the house. The place is a ten minute drive down the mountain from here.
“I’ll take Amelia, some food, some champagne, and some guards. If I have two men at the top of the cliff leading to the bay, then no one can get to us from the land. The approach from the sea could be seen by us on the beach well before anyone reached us. It’s safe.”
“It’s safe, so far as the Poles go. For you?” He shakes his head. “She might try to drown you.”
“She can try. I’m a good swimmer.” I pat him on the back and carry on toward my destination. My precious jewel all tucked up in her tower.
Chapter Two
Amelia
My stomach rumbles, and I stare at the plate of cakes Sylvia left. No, I won’t give in. I won’t eat anything until Giovanni lets me go. Hunger striking isn’t easy, though. I don’t know how prisoners do it for months on end. I’ve only been refusing food for two days, and I feel as weak as a kitten.
If I give in and eat, though, I’m giving in to him. The damn devil himself. He came to try to talk to me, and I flew at him. All the rage I’ve been harboring for years came out. Rage against my mother for leaving me so young. Rage against my grandmother for being cold as ice. Rage against my father for being weak and giving in to Grandmother and her demands about the house and the family legacy.
Giovanni Bianchi isn’t the only one I’m angry at, but he’s the catalyst and the worst of them