don’t do scared.”
Shaking my head, I press my lips together, tasting my salty tears. I open my mouth to speak, but Renzo beats me to it.
“Girl, he’ll come around. Just be that steadfast woman for him. Be the wife that you are supposed to be.”
Continuing to shake my head, my eyes meet his. “My only other option is to be one of Arlo’s girls,” I whisper. “Massimo saved me from that life, he took me for himself to keep me and now he’s throwing me away. Why would he do that?”
Renzo wraps one of his hands around the back of my head and shoves my face in his neck. I cry. He doesn’t say a single thing to me. Not a word. He just lets me cry. And I do. The tears, the trembling, none of it stops and he doesn’t try to make it either. He just lets me be.
Without a word, he carries me upstairs and tucks me into bed. What feels like minutes later, as I’m staring at the window, alone in my bed, I hear the doorbell ring. Inhaling a deep breath, I know who is on the other side of that door.
Salvatore.
Throwing the comforter back, I climb out of the bed. I need to face him myself, I need to hear the words. I need to know exactly what Massimo wants from me. What he’s denying me. Exactly what kind of fucking asshole he is.
“Pippa, go back to bed,” Renzo murmurs as soon as I appear.
Salvatore turns around from his place in the chair. My eyes find his, and I shake my head once. “No, I need to know exactly what Massimo’s wishes are,” I say, my voice firm, but my entire body trembling.
Salvatore jerks his chin and I nod my head once as I walk over to the other chair. I can’t sit on the sofa next to Renzo, I need to be alone. Lifting my legs, I wrap my arms around my shins and rest my chin against my bent knees.
“Tell me,” I softly demand.
Salvatore nods his head. “You have access to an account that he had me set up for you. All you need to do is sign the signature card, which I have with me. There will be fifteen thousand dollars deposited each month. That’s yours to do with as you see fit. Gavino and the famiglia will be taking care of the rest of the expenses. The car is paid for and yours to use as you see fit. The house is paid off. Gavino will be taking over the household bills. Massimo has also added a once a year, one-hundred-thousand-dollar deposit for you.”
“It’s too much,” I say, interrupting him.
Salvatore shakes his head. “He has it, take it, Pippa. You’re his wife, you are owed fifty percent of his assets, and this isn’t even close to that,” he explains.
Pressing my lips together, I look down, inhaling a deep breath. Lifting my eyes back to meet Salvatore’s I ask him the question that I definitely do not want an answer to, but I need it.
“He wants a divorce, right?”
Renzo growls, but Salvatore lifts his hand. “On paper, for now. It doesn’t take away your protection, or the assets that he’s giving you. He wants you to have your freedom though, Pippa. He knows that’s important to you and he doesn’t want to force you into a life of solitude because he’s in prison.”
“That’s a bullshit cop-out,” I snap. Renzo chuckles, but I narrow my eyes on him. “You can tell him that I refuse to sign that shit until he asks me in person.”
“Pippa, he wants this, he won’t like that message.”
Standing, I lift my hand and extend my finger toward him. “Fuck you, Sal. Fuck him, too. You can tell him I said that shit. He can ask me himself, in fucking person if he wants a goddamn fucking divorce,” I shout before I turn and stomp away, heading upstairs.
“That’s a lot of fucks for a wife,” Salvatore mumbles as I walk away.
“Stick around, I’m good and pissed off, Sal. I may say fuck about fifteen more fucking times,” I scream before I continue to stomp up the stairs, ignoring their low laughter.
Chapter Twenty-Three
MASSIMO
“Fuck,” I hiss.
Sal chuckles. “That about sums it up, your moglie is good and pissed the fuck off, cugino.”
Closing my eyes, I let my forehead rest against the wall and let out a sigh. She can be good and pissed off all she wants. It doesn’t change