Sold! To the Grizzly Don
Chapter 145
“You are going to far. You’re my brother.”
“Yes. I am your brother, yet you act like I owe you something because we are brothers. Do you feel I am indebted to you?”
“What? No.”
“Are you sure?” Torq questioned Raniero bluntly.
“Where is this coming from? Is this because of her,” he shot an annoyed look at Alcee.
“Be careful how you speak to my wife.”
“You aren’t married to her. She’s not your wife.” The condescending sneer he shot in Alcee’s direction was overt and bold.
“Careful, Raniero.” This time the rebuke came from Bastiano.
“Oh, come on. Do you expect me to actually believe her story? She’s a fucking hacker, Torq. She targeted you back then. You cannot convince me otherwise. If she was clever enough to find her way to the dark web, create an online auction, sell her fucking body like a cheap whore, and then disappear again, she was clever enough to backtrace to whom it was she was selling herself off. She’s working with her family for sure to get to you. She plotted to get pregnant. This was her end goal all along.”
“Fuck you.” Alcee growled angrily.
“Oh, come on. What are the fucking chances you managed to hook up with your betrothed online and then get kicked out only to work in a company he owns? Slim to none, mostly on the side of none. You’re thinking with your dick and not your head. She’s a whore and you’re falling into her game. I bet her brothers are already counting their money. Isn’t it convenient they offed their old man right when she’s moved into your house?”
“Exactly,” Cianna spoke up.
“Not everyone is like you, Cianna,” Alcee cut her down quickly. “That’s the rub of it too, isn’t it. It’s why you’re both so angry. Your plans were ruined, right Cianna and now you’ve convinced your son I’m the reason his little fantasies aren’t coming true.”
Cianna’s eyes narrowed and Raniero hissed.
“Watch how you talk to my mother.”
“You forget who I am in this family Raniero and whether you like it or not, whether you agree or not, I outrank her, and my son outranks you and this is what it all boils down to. You don’t give a fuck about Torq or his heart or how he feels. You don’t care how from the first time we met there was a deep connection, not only physically but mentally and emotionally because we’re very much alike. We’re both blunt to a fault. We both face things head on. We’re not cowards and we’re not afraid of going our own way. It’s no surprise to me our son has the diagnosis he has with the two parents he has and maybe it’s why it works for us, why we gravitate to one another. We simply get one another and yes we’re going to fight and argue and some of them are going to be spectacular with the fireworks and all like the last twenty–four hours, but in my gut I know he’s where I’m supposed to be. We’re learning but we both love to learn. We’re not shy. We’re not quiet. It’s why we work. You on the other hand haven’t been able to connect with Torq like this.”
“He’s my brother. Of course I connect with him.”
“Do you?” she didn’t look away from Raniero’s glare, “or were you been using him all along to get the recognition you think you deserve as the son of Corrado? Your mother has been feeding you the story for so long how you should be part of the family and accepted by the Lozano family because she wants the glory which comes with the name. Which brings us to the truth. You’re not mad about me being in Torq’s life, but you’re mad he has a son. You’re furious he has a son to take over his legacy. You’re no longer the little boy getting all of his attention. You can’t worm your way up. Tell me Raniero, did your plan to take over Torq’s position include killing him someday or only convincing him to let you try your hand at being the boss.”
“You’re sick.” Raniero accused.
“Not denying it I see.”
“I love my brother. I’d never want to hurt him or take his place.”
“Yeah, I don’t believe you.” She leaned back and kicked her feet out crossing them at the ankles. “I think you’ve spent so much time with your mom she has
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Chapter 145
you believing her shit.” She looked at Cianns, “I was a single mom for the last five years, six if you include the ten months I was pregnant, its hard. All you want, all you ever want, is for your son to be loved, respected, healthy and part of his community. You want him to fit in and be accepted. I get all of it bo you know what I don’t get? Trading his love and affection for cash.”
“Yes you did. You got money for him.” Cianna said bluntly.
“Did 1? From whom?”
“Torq gave you ten million.”
Alcee looked at Torq who looked over his shoulder at Bastiano. Bastiano was glaring at Raniero.
“Are you kidding me?”
Raniero looked away.
“I told you something and you twisted it to your mother?”
“I didn’t.” Raniero defended himself.
Bastiano reached out and put his hand on Alcee’s shoulder, “I apologize Alcee. He took information I shared with him as my lover, not as a business conversation and shared it with his mother. My words were clearly taken out of context by the pair of them.”
“What did you say?” Torq growled furiously.
“I simply said I was impressed how you managed to convince Alcee to take the dowry which was always meant for her. The three of us,” he waved between himself, Torq and Tito, “discussed at length how we all thought she’d refuse to take the money allocated for her dowry because she was so against the arranged marriage and by offering it to Antero directly as protection money, it left her no room but to accept. I never once said you were asking for money or insinuated you were taking money, Alcee. I’m sorry he took information which spoke to how clever Torq was to manage to sidestep your pride as he did and twist it.”
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