“We’ll find out,” Stefano said. “We’ve got ears and eyes on the tabloids. They sold the pictures anonymously, but there’s always a money trail.”
Sasha shook her head. “I never thought about what you all go through on a daily basis. My life is much simpler.” She made a small move as if she might separate herself from Giovanni.
He didn’t like that she had referred to her life as being simpler. She was in his life now, which meant their life was hers. He slipped one hand around her upper arm very lightly. He didn’t want her to notice, but he wasn’t letting her leave the building. She couldn’t possibly conceive of the firestorm waiting for her outside the hotel. Their engagement had been announced, and the paparazzi would be out in droves. No one and no amount of money was going to stop them from trying to get her picture. She might think it was fake, but he was going to do his best to make their engagement real.
“We need to double the guard at the Center to keep her brother safe. In fact,” Giovanni said, “we’ll have to make certain only those we trust are looking after him.”
Sasha stiffened. “What do you mean by that?”
“The tabloids will want his photograph and any information they can get on him. They’ll bribe the staff to cooperate. The woman who gave the interview was named Harriet. She’s Goodman’s trusted secretary. She was the one who announced our engagement. In order to speak for you and Sandlin’s care, I had to be a family member.”
Sasha put the heel of her hand to her forehead. “Giovanni, I’m really, really sorry. I seem to always be apologizing to you. You’re so deep in my mess, I’m not certain how to get you out of it.”
“Giovanni will have to go to Europe. We’ll send you to Sicily …” Eloisa began.
“Baby.” Giovanni ignored his mother. “I told you I was in love with you. As far as I’m concerned, the engagement stands. I hope we’re past that.”
He waited a heartbeat. Two. She didn’t pull away, nor did she respond, but he took her silence as a response. He wasn’t going to allow her to pull away from him, not with his heart pounding, roaring in his ears, and desperate chaos threatening his mind.
He took a chance that she wouldn’t argue in front of his mother. “I’m grateful we are. It gives us the opportunity to focus on what’s important here, which is the safety of your brother as well as your own.”
“I can take care of myself. You don’t have to worry about me,” Sasha assured.
“I know you can. You’re strong, Sasha, but the paparazzi are relentless. Let me protect you just a little. Give this to me. I need you to trust me. Trust my family. We’ve been doing this a very long time.”
Sasha’s sapphire eyes searched his face for what seemed an eternity to him. He felt the tension fade from her body before she nodded. “That makes sense. Thanks, Giovanni. I’m not exactly certain how to handle a picture like that on every counter of every grocery store in America. It’s the first time I’m grateful my parents aren’t around to see it. Or maybe not. I’d rather have them and be embarrassed than not have them.”
She moved into Giovanni and he put his arm around her. “I know you have to be hungry. Come have some breakfast.”
“I really do need to make certain Pietro can find a substitute today.”
Giovanni shared a look with Stefano. Stefano had already made the call, waking Pietro as soon as the tabloid was delivered to the penthouse by one of the bodyguards. No way could Sasha go to work at the deli. The family had already been through that nightmare with Francesca and they didn’t want Sasha to have to go through it as well.
“And I have to go to work tonight at the club.”
“She still works at the club?” Eloisa’s voice nearly squeaked with outrage. “Seriously, Giovanni? A waitress? Can you set your standards any lower? At the very least, she should have been fired.”
He all but pushed Sasha into Stefano as he whipped around to face his mother. “That’s it. I’ve had it with you. You barged in here and as usual are spewing crap you don’t know a damn thing about just to stir up trouble. You aren’t breaking us up. I’m in love with her. I’ll always be in love with her. She isn’t beneath us, if anything she’s way too good for me.”
“Really? You don’t think she’s after your money?” Eloisa turned to Sasha. “I’ll give you five million dollars right now, under the table, tax free, to walk out of our lives.”
Francesca gasped. “Eloisa, stop. I mean it. You’ve done nothing but insult Sasha since you walked into my home. It’s one thing for you to insult me, but not a guest in my home. I understand you love your children and are trying in your own very abrasive and rude way to protect them, but you’re going too far and I’d like you to leave my home.”
Eloisa glared at her. “The little mouse thinks she can throw me out of my son’s home. This hotel, this penthouse, it belongs to Stefano and my sons and Emme, not you. Never you.” Her furious gaze slashed at Sasha. “Well? I mean what I say. My word is good. Will you accept the money?”
Stefano put his hand on his mother’s arm while Sasha simply stared at her. Eloisa shook him off. “Ten million then. Ten million right now to leave my son alone.”
Sasha sighed. “You won’t be able to understand this because clearly you were raised to believe money is some kind of measure of worth. I wasn’t. I might need it in order to give my brother the best care possible, but I’m willing to work for it.”
“Would you stoop so low as to prostitute yourself for money?” Eloisa sneered.
“For my family? My brother? In order for him to have the chance to live better, regain his abilities? Give him the best care?” Sasha leaned forward and stared Eloisa straight in the eye. “Damn straight I would. Fortunately, I have a job that allows me to make a good deal and I don’t need to prostitute myself or take money from someone like you. I have no problems with working for what Sandlin and I need.”
“Stefano, I would like you to remove your mother from our home,” Francesca said.
“You’re done,” Stefano said immediately, when his mother opened her mouth. “You’ve insulted Giovanni’s fiancée and my wife for the last time in our home. This is Francesca’s home. If you’re too blind to see that, it’s on you, not us.” As he spoke, he walked his mother toward the elevators. “Francesca was nothing but nice to you, Eloisa. She tried hard to get us to accept you into our lives, but this is the last straw. You should have known better than to insult her in front of me. She might keep your poisonous barbs to herself, but I protect what’s mine, and Francesca is definitely mine.”
“Ours,” Giovanni corrected. He strode across the room to pace along with Stefano. “Francesca is the center of our family. She holds that place you should have had but were too busy to bother to take, Eloisa. Sasha is my choice. She’s forever my choice. You didn’t bother to get to know her before you accused her of being a gold digger.”
Eloisa shrugged off Stefano’s hand and stomped to the elevator. “The two of you are absolutely ridiculous. At least Francesca has the right blood, and if she’d just get pregnant and do her duty, I’d be happier. That one”—she waved her hand toward Sasha—“she waits tables. Why would we want children from her? She isn’t even of our blood.” Clearly, she hadn’t noticed Sasha’s shadow, although the lights were dim in the early morning hours.