Page 27 of Only For Your Touch
Chapter Nine
“Fucking vultures,” Marco snapped from beside Corrine as their town car slowed in front of Pemberton Square, where the Suffolk County Superior Court sat. Before the vehicle even rolled to a full stop, reporters and cameramen swarmed the car like angry bees. Some even beat on the trunk and tinted back windows.
“Language, Marco,” Anna Salvaggi admonished her youngest son.
Though her voice was cool and calm, Corrine noted the strain around her mother’s eyes and the paleness of the knuckles that clutched her purse. Though beautiful, the drama and media storm surrounding her husband’s arrest had taken its toll. She seemed to have aged about ten years; lines that had not been on her face two weeks ago now creased the corners of the green eyes she’d given her children. More lines bracketed her mouth and cheeks. But true to form, she was as stalwart as she’d been since the morning the FBI had pounded on her door, and the press had camped outside her house.
It’d been another dagger to Corrine’s heart knowing that her mother had been aware of who and what her husband was all along, but had also chosen to keep the truth from her. As if Corrine alone hadn’t been strong enough to handle the truth in the Salvaggi family. But witnessing the toll it was taking on her mom to be without the man she’d spent over twenty years with, and hearing her sobs at night in her bedroom when she believed no one could hear, had washed away most of Corrine’s anger. Now, she just wanted to shield her mother, protect her.
“Yeah, cool it,” Gianni ordered his brother from the other side of their mother. “And for godsakes, don’t say anything to them when we get out of the car. Nothing. Understand?” Though he addressed the question to Marco, he incorporated all of them in his gaze. Corrine met it, gave him an abrupt nod, then returned her attention to the window and the wall of bodies beyond it.
She got it, but she still wasn’t talking to her brothers yet. Not only had they betrayed her trust by using her name to go behind her back and approach Sasha, but they’d tried to threaten him. Oh, she’d dragged the full story from them. And while Gianni, who’d always been the cooler, wiser of her older brothers, realized they’d made a mistake in trying to strong-arm Sasha, Marco was a hothead. And she feared what he would do in defense of his wounded pride. Which was why she’d visited their father in jail. A place she’d sworn she’d never step foot in. But to protect Sasha and the life he’d built because of his love for his mother and friends, she’d seen her father. Made him promise to tell her brothers, and any other family members, to leave Lick and its owners alone. Or face retribution from him.
It was the least she could do for Sasha, considering she’d brought him to her family’s attention.
Hell, even everymentalmention of his name was like a laceration across her heart. At some point she should stop hurting and pining after something that hadn’t even been a relationship. Fuck buddies. Sexual partners. That’s all they’d been. That’s all Sasha had ever seen her as, otherwise he couldn’t have discarded her so easily.
If only her heart would get on the We Don’t Fucking Need Him Train, so she could start the process of forgetting him.
Still…if it hadn’t been for him, she wouldn’t have had the guts to “out” herself on her column. Her editor had practically shit rainbows when she’d told him she wanted to use her real name instead of continuing as C. Dunn. The daughter of an infamousallegedmobster writing for his online paper? It was an editor’s dream. And he’d been right. The hits and comments to the site had tripled since her column went live on Tuesday. Some of the comments had been derisive and spiteful, but others had continued on as if talking to C. Dunn. She’d take it. She’d also take the freedom of beingher. Of no longer hiding from the public, from her family, from herself.
“I’ll go first,” Gianni said, his hand on the door handle. Their security had already exited the car and stood at the rear door, waiting on them. Security. She smothered a scoff. Sure. She didn’t ask, and frankly didn’t want to know, in what other capacity they worked for her family.
He opened the door and stepped out. Immediately, the barrage of shouted questions and camera clicks and flashes filtered into the car. Her mother exited, then Corrine, with Marco behind them.
A feeling not unlike panic and claustrophobia scratched at the back of her throat as they moved forward through the throng inch by inch. God, she wanted to swing her fists, kick, scream at them to leave her and her family alone—
A firm hand grasped her forearm as a solid arm slid around her back.
Her heart jolted.No. Not possible. No way…
“Keep moving,lisichka,” a low, dark voice with a hint of an accent murmured in her ear. “I have you.”
Sasha.Oh Jesus. The deafening roar of her heartbeat in her ears drowned out the reporters. For a moment, her knees weakened, shock leeching her of strength. But true to his word, he had her. His arm locked around her, steadied her, while still propelling her forward, his big body creating a barrier between her and the avaricious press.
What was he doing here?Whywas he here? He’d been adamant about not having him or his business associated with her family. Showing up outside the county courthouse and aligning himself with Carmine Salvaggi’s daughter in full focus of the local and national media wasnotdisassociating himself.
Just as the thought swept through her head, she caught another line of questions from the reporters.
“Sir, who are you, and what’s your relationship with Ms. Salvaggi?”
“Can we have your name? Are you and Corrine involved?”
And then… “Aren’t you Sasha Merchant? Is your club connected to the Salvaggi family?”
Her stomach bottomed out. Damn it. Sasha didn’t answer any of their queries, and since she kept her head down, she couldn’t gauge his reaction. She’d walked away like he wanted; why had he thrown himself into this shitstorm by showing up?
Finally, they reached the courthouse steps, and a barrier of police prohibited the reporters from trailing them up the stairs and inside. After the thunderous din, the relative silence of the building seemed like an assault on her ears. Blinking, she paused inside the doors, inhaling several breaths. But each one brought Sasha’s scent with it, teasing her, reminding her of his shocking presence.
Tilting her head back, she met his blue-gray wolf gaze for the first time since his appearance. And whatever breath she’d managed to gulp in propelled out of her on a gust of pure lust and that emotion she still wasn’t ready to name. Especially given how they’d parted. Labeling that traitorous feeling would only cement her status as Fool Walking.
“Thank you for your help, Mr.…” Her mother extended her hand toward Sasha, an auburn eyebrow raised as she shifted her regard between him and Corrine. Her speculation lingered on the arm he’d yet to remove from around her back.
“Merchant. Sasha Merchant. I’m a friend of your daughter’s,” he said, shaking her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Salvaggi. I wish it were under better circumstances.”
“Considering you showed up to support Corrine, I won’t complain about the circumstances,” she objected, smiling.
With a nod at Sasha, her brother led their mother toward the metal detectors, and she and Sasha followed. Minutes later they were escorted to a private room. Before she entered behind her mother and brothers, Sasha’s hand tightened on her arm.
