Page 9 of My Italian Stepbrother

I slow down the treadmill and hop off after I cool down. The clock on the wall says it’s only 1:30. I mull the idea of going to Perry’s over in my head again and decide I’m just going to go. What’s one drink going to hurt? I shower and change in the gym locker room and head out.

Perry’s has been my favorite bar since before I was even allowed to drink. I’ve spent countless nights there getting wasted with the friends I used to have. I’ve also gotten into more bar fights than I can even remember. It’s surprising Perry even lets me in the door anymore.

It has been four years since I last pulled into the parking lot. I open the door to the dingy hole in the wall, and absolutely nothing has changed. Not surprisingly, there are several patrons inside already even at this hour. Behind the bar is the man himself, Perry.

I take a seat in front of him, and he stares at me for a moment and smiles. His hair is longer and whiter than it was the last time I was here, but he still has the same grizzled face he always has.

“I was wondering when you would decide to stop by,” he finally says to me while he grabs a glass and pours my usual drink, whiskey.

“I’ve only been out a day, Perry,” I say back, swirling the amber liquid in the glass.

“I just thought I meant more to you is all,” he jokes.

I laugh at him and down all of the whiskey in one gulp. It burns, more than it ever has before. My alcohol tolerance has gone down a lot since prison.

“What’s new?” I ask, leaning back on my novelty barstool.

Perry refills my glass. “Well, since you got yourself locked up, Jimmy has been my guy and he’s a pain in the ass.”

Jimmy is another one of my father’s men. Jimmy has always been a “go-getter” according to my father, and I know if things went Jimmy’s way, he’d be taking over instead of me. The thing is, he’s not the best guy. Jimmy will do anything to get ahead and help himself, doesn’t matter who he hurts or takes advantage of to get there.

“What’s he been doing?” My brows pull together, frustration showing.

Perry has been doing business with my family for years. Our family has been established in the area for gambling for generations, and for a small fee, we let Perry run his own business from his bar. I like Perry, so when I work with him, I tend to be more lenient with the fees. From the sound of it, Jimmy has been taking advantage of my friend while I was locked up.

That’s not how I operate.

“I don’t want to complain about him, Benny. I’m just glad you’re back,” he answers, brushing off the comments he brought up.

I nod my head and let it go, but I make a mental note to discuss it with Jimmy when I see him.

Perry excuses himself to handle another customer, and I down the whiskey he put in front of me. I just need something to take the edge off. I can’t go around acting so impulsive like I did with Carlo and Brie anymore. That’s what landed me behind bars to begin with.

Brie... she’s going to cause me a lot of trouble.

The kiss we shared is still at the forefront of my mind. How she looked when I told her to leave is carved into my brain. I obviously offended her, but if I didn’t send her away right then, I could have lost all my control.

As much as I want her, she’s my stepsister, and starting something with her is bound to get messy. No matter how badly I want to feel her soft, supple skin in my hands again, I need to focus my attention elsewhere. The business is what’s most important right now.

I finish my drink and wave to Perry while I take the money out of my wallet to leave on the counter. I ought to be heading home. I know Angela wanted to make something special for me for dinner again tonight, and I want to get cleaned up beforehand.

When I get back to the house, I head straight upstairs. Angela’s car is still missing from the driveway, so I know I have time to get ready before dinner. I reach the top of the stairs and pause. Brie is sneaking out of my father’s office as quietly as she can. I clear my throat, and she looks up at me, startled and obviously guilty. She stays rooted to the spot, and her mouth hangs open while she fumbles with an excuse.

“I was just looking for some,” she pauses and thinks over what logical answer she can come up with. “Some tape. I needed tape but he didn’t have any.”

Brie turns around to walk back to her room, but I catch up to her and grab her. My eyes drift down to her legs in the short dress she’s wearing, curious if there’s still a mark on her from earlier today. I tug on her arm, and she turns around, pulling it away from me.

“Don’t lie to me.” My voice sounds dangerous, but I’m equally relieved and amused that she’s not a good liar. “What were you doing in there?”

Her eyes dart from left to right, and I can immediately tell she’s thinking of another lie. Huffing in exasperation, I grab her arm again and pull her into my room. As soon as the door closes, I pin her against it with my body, staring down directly into her beautiful eyes.

“Tell me the truth or I’ll have to punish you again,” I growl at her.

She bites her lip and shifts uncomfortably on her feet. Does she want me to punish her?

“I was really looking for tape. I broke–” she starts saying before I yank her to my bed and bend her over my knee.

Her breath catches in her throat, and she looks back at me with a scared expression.

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