Love Him Free (On the Market #1) - E.M. Lindsey Page 0,10

he got there.

Rocco scoffed again. ‘Why bother.’

Pietro, like so many others, wanted to think his hearing aids made a damn difference beyond making babies crying in planes a little sharper, and the occasional ability to pick up some of the harder consonants. Mostly, he knew, Pietro wanted this to be easier on him, and Rocco was in no fucking mood to hold his hand through communication.

‘What are you going to do after this?’

At that, Rocco felt a little bit of the blood drain from his face, because he didn’t know. He’d just wrapped up a three week shoot that was set to come out of post in June, and he knew there were two other films on the books he’d given a verbal promise, but nothing signed.

Mostly, Xander had been up his ass about branching out. “People want new content, and you’re stagnating. Do something unexpected.”

At the time, Rocco had almost considered it for the hungry look on Eric’s face as he interpreted.

“Bottom, fuck a virgin, play boy to Daddy. Do you know how fucking much money any of those would earn you?”

Rocco didn’t need to worry about money. He wasn’t just rich, he was smart. He had expensive designer taste, but he also had an eye for numbers, and it was easy to start investing when he realized he was raking in the cash because he was commodity. He could sell both houses, buy something new, and live off his interest if he really wanted to. He’d never have to work again, and wouldn’t that be a slap in the face to the people who had been profiting off his work?

But he wasn’t quite ready to retire. Yes, he was ready to shake things up, but to walk away from his life entirely?

The vibration on the table under his hand made him look up, and he saw Pietro’s frown as he pointed to Rocco’s phone. The screen was lit up with messages, but he’d forgotten he’d turned the vibrate off just to get a little peace from people still trying to drag the real story out of him.

Anthony: Need you to come to my office. Please bring someone to interpret. This is an emergency.

Anthony: I’m going to be here until two, and then I’m coming to find you.

Anthony: I just got the call from Blaylock Inc’s representation.

Rocco’s hands shook as he tapped out a quick message about being on his way. He wasn’t quite sure why people like his lawyer thought he kept trained interpreters in his back fucking pocket, but he’d make do.

‘Is Lorenzo in the city?’

Lorenzo was the second to youngest—the last planned baby before the whoops that was Rocco—and he was more free spirited than any of the other siblings. He had a small condo near the beach, but he was rarely there when the weather was nice.

‘I’ll call him,’ Pietro said. He stood when Rocco did, then laid a hand on his arm. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘I don’t know,’ was the only answer Rocco could give. Whatever it was—it wasn’t good. The stress and fury bled through Anthony’s simple words on the screen. ‘Anthony needs me, and I need a better interpreter than you.’

Pietro had the grace not to look offended, but at least a little ashamed as he put his phone to his ear. Rocco didn’t stick around for the conversation. He’d use notepad and pen if he had to, which he’d done before. It took ten times longer, but it was better than nothing, and nothing was just shy of worse than a bad interpreter.

He hurried into the house, giving his niece a small pat on the head before he rushed to his room. James was at his heels, likely yipping for attention, but he ignored the dog as he grabbed a fresh shirt and then moved to wash his face.

He was sweaty from his morning in the sun, but he spritzed cologne and changed into new jeans, doing up the button as he moved for his loafers tucked in the corner of the closet. The room was in total disarray—as it often was when he had to live out of suitcases. Most of his things were still in Malibu but they all felt so fucking unimportant now that they were tainted with what Eric and Xander had done.

With a sigh, he looked at himself in the mirror and tried not to grimace. He was the same man as before, just haggard and exhausted. He hated that Eric had this much power over him. True,