Page 38 of The Don's Secret Heir

Rocco wrinkled his nose when he walked into my office.“When’s the last time you showered? Jesus, Dario.”

“Dunno,” I mumbled, already on my fourth drink of the day even though it was barely noon.

“Don, you have to leave this house,” Giovanni said, lifting me up by one arm while Rocco snatched the drink from my hand.

I almost swung at him, but gritted my teeth instead, letting Giovanni haul me up into a standing position.

“This is all my fault,” Giovanni muttered.“I should have never told him that I saw her.”

“You’re right. You shouldn’t have,” Rocco snapped. They glared at each other. But I couldn’t bring myself to care.

I walked over to the bar and Rocco let out a long sigh as I lifted the half-empty scotch bottle.

“Look, if you’re going to get wasted every day, we might as well all go out and day drink,” he suggested.

“That’s a terrible idea,” Giovanni hissed, but I raised an eyebrow.

“Is it?”

Two hours later, I was a lot more drunk but less miserable with a woman hanging off my arm. I was pretty sure I’d called her“Li” while we were making out in the hallway, but she didn’t seem to mind.

I wake up with a start, a heavy feeling in my chest. I hate that being around Liana brings me back there, back to that time when I was weak and pathetic. Back when all I could think about was someone else touching her, kissing her,impregnatingher.

It drove me crazy. And if I’m totally honest with myself, it still does. That’s why I flipped out when she went out with someone else.

It’s going to be a change, cutting off all women, but I can do a few months of celibacy so that Liana doesn’t look elsewhere.

I’ve always loved women, and they love me back, but when I was with Liana... I didn’t want anyone else. I didn’t crave anyone’s touch but hers.

Is it the same now?

I swallow hard, rubbing a hand across my face. My head hurts since I’m slightly hungover, but I’m more concerned with the three missed calls I have from Giovanni.

I sleep like the dead. The alcohol didn’t help matters. I’m lucky Beth’s place is only a couple miles from my place or I might have wrapped myself around a tree last night. Or worse.

Beth was right to call me an idiot.

I call him back right away and he answers on the first ring.

“Boss, where have youbeen? It’s nearly noon.”

I blink, looking down at my watch. Shit, he’s right. I hadn’t realized I’d slept in, but it was nearing daylight when I finally crashed.

“Rough night,” I mutter, and Giovanni lets out a breath.

“I knew Liana moving in was a bad idea.”

“Save it,” I snap. Giovanni goes silent only for a moment before speaking again.

“We’ve got bigger problems to worry about, anyway. I don’t know how to say this so I’ll just say it—we've got a rat.”

“What?” I hiss. “How do you know?”

“The shipment from Vasquez?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s gone.”