Page 118 of His Dark Demands
“Precisely why I did as Isla wished. I value my life, cugino.” He only spoke Italian during tense moments but calling me cousin wouldn’t defuse the fury I felt.
I did trust Paolo to take care of my most precious possessions, but it felt like he failed me.
Nevertheless, I knew exactly what Isla was doing. She washurt and trying to cut me out of hers and my daughter’s life like I was a deadly cancer. She wouldn’t be wrong about the deadly part.
If what she saw and heard had been me cheating, she’d have every right to do what she felt was needed to protect herself and Pippa. But she wouldn’t hear my side and that wasn’t okay with me. She should demand the truth and collect evidence before convicting me of a crime I didn’t commit.
“What do you want me to do?” Paolo’s voice pulled me back to the call.
“My investors arrive tomorrow afternoon, and I’m dealing with Courtney.”
“Dealing with her how?”
I sighed when I heard the irritation in his voice. “I’m taking her to Los Angeles for rehab.”
“That’s it?”
“Yes, that’s it. I’ll be back in San Francisco Friday afternoon.” The next few days would give Isla time to cool down and hopefully come to her senses. See? I could be reasonable when something meant everything to me. I waited for a reply, but Paolo said nothing. “Did you hear me, cugino?”
“Yes, I heard you,” he grumbled.
“And you have nothing to say? No questions?”
“I’m just surprised you’re not flying back tonight. Why wait days before fixing the mess you created?” He was crossing the line.
“I didn’t create this mess!”
“Isla and the baby should be your priorities. Not Courtney.”
“They are my priorities.” What in the hell was he doing?Trying to get a rise out of me? “Roman and I bumped into Courtney at my steakhouse. She was drunk off her ass and high as a kite. We helped her. What else was I supposed to do? She’s my friend.”
He snorted. “And former fuck buddy.”
“That was years ago and before Isla,” I said through gritted teeth. Why in the hell was I defending myself?
“You could’ve let Roman deal with everything, then Isla wouldn’t have heard Courtney and fled the hotel.”
Fuck, he wasn’t wrong. Isla never entered my mind at the restaurant. All I thought about was getting Courtney out of the building. She’d caused a scene for Christ’s sake. Every pair of eyes had been on her. I was embarrassed for her.
“You need to come and secure your family before you lose them.”
“I won’t lose them,” I barked at him.
“Cugino, you already have.”
“I will only say this once.” I rolled my free hand into a fist. “Do not speak to me this way again. Isla is my business.”
“Just trying to protect you from fucking up the best thing that has ever happened to you,” he replied, sounding more confident than I could recall ever hearing before.
“I didn’t ask for your advice.” This outspoken side of Paolo rubbed me wrong.
“No, I suppose you didn’t.”
“Don’t forget who you work for,” I told him, because it sounded like he needed to be reminded.
“How can I when you won’t let me. If there’s nothing else, I need to do a sweep of the building.”
“Do you want me to send back up?”
