Page 19 of Mob Princess

6

Bonnie

I saton the edge of the bed and stared out the window. I never thought I’d grow tired of seeing the Chicago skyline sprawled out before me, but it happened. I was tired of staring out those windows. I was tired of keeping the bed beside Israel warm without him ever touching me, or even going to bed when I slipped in myself.

I felt like I was living alone in some ivory prison where nothing but tortures unseen beat down against me. I had plans to stay up here this entire time, if that’s what it took to get Giovanni off my back. If I needed to lock myself away until that slimy asshole left, then so be it. But, I needed to speak with Israel, and it needed to happen quickly.

Because the compromising position he caught me in with Giovanni earlier still hadn’t been resolved.

Israel’s voice echoed down the hallway. “Bonnie!”

I sighed, my head falling back. “Yes, Israel!?”

“Dinner’s here. Come on down.”

Not a chance. “I’ll be down there in a second.”

“I said, dinner’s—”

I shot up from the bed and poked my head out the door. “I’m either down there in a second, or I’m not at all. Take your pick.”

The second I heard his footsteps coming up the stairs, I grinned. I knew that would get him up here, and I needed him away from that slimy little brother of his. Now that cooler heads had prevailed—especially after hearing him and Giovanni laugh their asses off downstairs for the past three hours—we needed to talk. And the last thing I needed was his brother listening in on things. There weren’t many things that were sacred to men like Israel’s brother. But, the sanctity of a bedroom was rarely violated. And if kicking up an attitude got Israel up here, then I knew it was necessary.

Because this bedroom was the only safe place we had right now.

Giovanni’s voice wafted up the stairs. “Everything okay, Iz?”

I wanted to grab Israel’s bedside gun as his footsteps padded down the hallway.

“Yep,” Israel said. “Just fine. Bonnie and I will be down in a second.”

“Anything I can do? Maybe I can talk some sense into her,” Giovanni said.

I marched to the door and swung it open, yelling down the hallway. “You aren’t stepping anywhere near this bedroom. Understood?”

Israel glared at me. “Bathroom. Now.”

I heard Giovanni chuckle. “Whatever you guys need. Just thought I’d help, is all.”

I felt my heart rate already skyrocketing. “What I need is for you to stop trying to get me to cheat on my husband.”

Israel bent over, pressing his lips to my ear. “We’re not technically married, so cut the act.”

As I peered around his body, glancing down the hallway, I watched as Giovanni grinned at me from the top of the staircase. I felt Israel grab my arm and yank me away from the door as if I were some rag doll he could toss around. But, not before I got the chance to slam the bedroom door right in his brother’s fucking face. I stumbled along behind Israel as he tugged me toward the bathroom, forcing myself to choke back tears as his grip tightened against my skin. He didn’t keep a grip on me for long, though. Because the second he slammed the bathroom door behind us I wrenched away from him and pointed up at his face.

Keep your cool, Bonnie. “I don’t care how you view us right now, but you will not drag me around like some kept woman. You put your hands on me like that again, and I’m leaving. Understood?”

He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. “What do you want?”

I blinked, feeling my whole body freeze. “What?”

“You obviously pressed every single button you could have to get me up here. So, talk. What is it you want to say?”

I paused. “Well, since you’re here, I’d like to talk about the fact that I’ve been up here for four hours—”

“You could’ve come down at any point in time.”

“Says the man who told me to come here and stay here.”

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