Mafia Wife (Mafia Series Book #2)

Part 7

His head turned to the left from the power behind the slap, leaving a sting behind in her palm. Ouch. He was not even fazed, so she kept a poker face, swallowing the pain to retain a neutral expression.

"I don't buy it."

"Buy what?" he asked, his head crooked to the side.

"Nothing gets to you. No matter what other people do, what you do, you act like you don't give a shit."

"I don't give a shit."

She knew her threshold was not the same as his. She wasn't brought up the same way, she didn't have the same values as him. Even if her worldview had modified over time, they could never be the same. Still, he couldn't dismiss and brush aside everything as he did.

"You're allowed to care."

"Thanks for the permission princess."

She rolled her eyes. "Can you drop the fucking macho act? It's not a weakness."

"Really? Why do you think I have to keep an eye on your family? Because it is a fucking weakness. I have to watch them because he can use them to hurt you. My old man died because he couldn't get his shit straight. If you've got something to lose, you will lose."

He ran his fingers through his hair, a sigh rattling his chest. "I don't hurt kids. Why do you think that fucker used one to lure me out? Why do you think he stalked you, took you, huh?"

Wait.

Was Niccolo trying to say she was a weakness? That was funny. He had shown plenty of time that he would keep a distance between them and he didn't care if he hurt her feelings.

"You care about me? You have a funny way to show it."

Lies, betrayal, that little show for Sebastien. She didn't say he didn't give a shit if she lived or died, but she didn't buy that she was enough of a bargaining chip for the Devil to use her to bring down Niccolo.

He scoffed, throwing his head back.

"I almost died to save you. I've got your lunatic family planning ways to kill me in case. Everywhere I go is a fucking landmine and you are busy being pissed at me because your little lover boy couldn't stop jacking off while someone else fucked you."

He did what?

"Yeah. That part was left out, right? I didn't notice him until it was too late, and I sure as fuck wasn't gonna stop. I thought he'd have the decency to walk away. He didn't. Instead, he got busy and he got off. Maybe you should hate him not me."

She did. She fucking hated Sebastien and she hated herself for ever thinking he was a worthy option. He was scum, and he was spineless. He thought she needed saving, that hiding the truth from her was the best option.

That didn't excuse the fact that Niccolo kept it from her. He also decided to omit information, thinking he knew what was best. She didn't know what he thought he gained from it, or if he had done it for the sake of his ego...

"The way I fucking see it - I've stuck my neck out for you enough time to deserve a fucking break. If you keep letting the dumb shit cloud your mind, you're gonna miss the big picture. I don't have time to waste on bullshit."

The word infuriating wasn't strong enough to describe Niccolo.

He was a walking contradiction. She refused to believe he was calling her a weakness. Niccolo only had his ego as a weakness, nothing else. He protected her the same way he protected everyone under his supervision. It came with the title. Nothing more.