Monza: Book 2 (2 page)

Andrés momentarily paused, eyeing me with curiosity as he considered me. “You’re one of the best out there, but you choose to be reckless with your life, instead. Have you realized how frustrating it is for us to watch you spiral out of control? The worst part about it is, we don’t have a fucking clue why you’re acting the way you are. It’s just not you, Luca. I don’t understand any of this.” He shook his head, appearing as bewildered as he claimed.

I get that they were getting frustrated with me, as well as the rest of the world apparently. Regardless, how could I explain myself without sounding like a mad person? I knew my reckless actions stemmed from the moment I was blindsided by Kimberly getting married out of the blue. Her hasty decision had cemented the lunacy in me. How could a man explain that? Was it pride? Was it my dented ego? Or was it something else entirely?

The more time I pondered about the past, the more confused I became. No one knew about these perplexing thoughts I had, and it seemed that my choices had greatly affected my friendships with my friends. They were the closest thing I had to siblings. We were comrades through the competition, but most of all, we were brothers.

Harboring these negative thoughts were clouding my mind, my judgment, and maybe it was high time I let someone in on what was going on. No one really knew since I hadn’t mentioned
her
to anyone because two weeks was too short a time to think of it seriously. Then again, she didn’t really give me a choice, did she? The moment I realized things could move forwards with her, she was already walking down the aisle to be another man’s wife. So, yes, could anyone blame me for being bitter about it?

Expelling a heavy breath, I looked away from his knowing, curious gaze, eyeing the barely touched food before me.

“
Someone claimed I fathered her baby.” I delivered it with a detached tone since that was how I had trained myself to deal with such things—to be always on guard, for people took advantage once they saw someone in a weakened, vulnerable state.

“
Well, this wouldn’t be a first, would it?” he quipped, unsurprised by my statement. “Did you not wear protection?”

Good question. I did, didn’t I?

Upon recollection of my short time with Kimberly, I was sure I was always donning protection, but then again, my memory was hazy, so I couldn’t be sure. However, was it possible that I could have missed one?

“
I believe I was always safe, but…” I trailed off, trying my damnedest to remember which particular moment was at fault. “I think I did—well, except for that one time.”

Damn.

“
It only takes as much.” He raised his brow at me, even more incredulous. “But the real question here, Luca, is do you believe her? Do you think it’s really yours?”

“
I don’t know.” It was the truth. I shouldn’t believe her, because she was a pregnant woman who happened to be married now. At the same time, what if she was right? What if the baby was really mine? Then, if so, what did I intend to do about it?

My mind raced as the possibilities weaved through it before Andrés broke into my thoughts as he voiced his own opinion.

“
It might be a ploy to get you back. Women tend to do that a lot these days.”

Women had done it since the beginning of time for all sorts of reasons—to get a loved one back, to make a fortune, forge dynasties, wreak havoc, to scorn someone—but was Kimberly after something? I just couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact that she would confess something this monumental when I was weighing in my options about my life. If it wasn’t about money, maybe she was looking after the baby’s best interest, and that was to have its real father know of it, to be a part of its life.

Kimberly … I would never know what was going on in that beautiful head of hers. She remained an enigma, persistently guarding the real woman behind all the shy, gorgeous smiles.

“
So which is it? Do you think she’s trying to get you back? Maybe to trick you into marrying her since she’s carrying the heir to your father’s billion dollar empire?” he probed, making me flinch inwardly because he couldn’t be farther from the truth.

“
I might’ve thought it, too, if the woman in question wasn’t already married.”

He threw me a condescending look.
“You slept with a married woman?”
he asked with derision. “Since when did you start lowering your standards, Luca?”

Grounding my teeth together, I held my tongue from responding to his acerbic tone. Instead, I resorted to calming myself and enlightening him about how ignorant I was about what I had gotten myself into. “She wasn’t married until two weeks later—unbeknownst to me.”

Openly admitting it wasn’t all that bad, but still, my insides felt raw and irrevocably damaged by her selfishness. Did she know what she had done to me by cruelly cutting me out of her life then stabbing me with the revelation that she was pregnant and married to Anton?

She made me into this shell of a man who was unbelievably angry at life, so much so that I toyed with it with little care about what would happen if I died or not. She had started this, and she wasn’t done obliterating me to smithereens. What did I ever do to her to deserve such sadistic treatment?

“
Was she causal or something more?” Andrés cautiously inquired, his eyes trained on me, scrutinizing my facial expression, though I was giving him none.

“
She’s…” I breathed in, having a difficult time pinning the perfect word to describe her at the moment,
“married,
so she shouldn’t be anything to me.”

“
But she does regardless of her marital status.”

There was no point in denying it, so I kept my mouth shut.

I loved her. Of course I did. However, her betrayal … and now this went far and beyond any sane man could comprehend. I still sought revenge even though she was possibly carrying my baby, but this time, revenge was by far a softer word to describe what I intended to seek.

“
Nevertheless, baby or not, you should get this operation sorted out as soon as you can so you can prepare and be ready for next year’s circuit.” And just like that, Andrés was back to business.

Knowing how our friendship worked, if this visit didn’t pan out to anything, Jacques would be out to see me next, basically to give me the same lecture until I gave in. If I didn’t, they would eventually drive me insane. It was what we did with Andrés him when he went MIA for a month and we found him in Brazil, out of his bloody fucking mind. We never really found out what that was all about, either, but we assumed it was due to his familial and title obligations. The method was the same. Never relent.

“
We shall see.”

“
Luca.” he immediately reprimanded, but I had already made up my mind, for the time being.

“
I want to get to the bottom of this. Then, once I do, I will finally make a decision. I will personally inform you about any progress if you feel so inclined.”

“
You mean, until you can prove that the child she’s carrying is yours?” the Spaniard pressed on. “And if it is”—he kept going, engaging me further—“will you get the damn, bloody operation then?”

If it is, then I must do what every man should do to protect their family, my own child. “Of course. There’s not even a question of what lengths I’d go to be a part of this baby’s life.”

“
That settles it, then.” Andrés stood up and went swiftly towards the brandy decanter, pouring himself a hefty drink before tipping his head back to down the entirety. “There. Now let’s pray to God this baby is yours, because it’s the only thing that can save you from your mad stupidity.”

I smirked, almost agreeing with him.

Tre

The moment Andrés left for the airport, I called Gino into my study. Instead of confronting him about his interference with my life by informing my friends regarding my current health status, I had another more pertinent task for him.

Sending him a steady glance, I cleared my throat, ready to take the next step. “I need you to call my lawyers for an immediate meeting, preferably before sundown today.”

“
Sí, of course, signore,” he said before appearing hesitant, as if he had something to get off his chest.

Raising my brow, I sent him a patient yet curious look. “Is there something you want to add, Gino?” I kindly asked, wondering what was going on to make him seem uncomfortable.

He made a short nod, still seeming apprehensive. “Someone’s here to see you, Signore Luca.”

Well, that didn’t take long
, I noted. “Don’t tell me it’s Jacques? I can’t take any more nagging for the remainder of the day.”

“
No, it’s not Signor Bertrand, but uh … it’s Signora Gallo.”

“
Che?”
I blurted, tensing at the sight of the figure that entered the doorway.

My eyes trained on her like a metal to a magnet. Even though she looked beautifully inviting, I knew better whenever she was concerned. Yes, I was beyond enticed upon seeing her, allured even, and at the same time, watchful.

“
It’s me,” the familiar figure softly whispered, announcing her unwanted presence. “Kimberly
Gallo
, in case you have forgotten my married name.”

Like I would ever forget it! How dare she even pour more gas into the already burning furnace?

Gritting my teeth, I sent her an infuriating glare without taking my eyes off her.

“
Leave us,” I barked out loudly as I swiftly got up from my chair. My heedless move wasn’t the brightest of ideas since my head immediately spun, so I gripped the ends of the table to balance my stance, stabilizing myself.

Her eyes dropped towards my hands, making note that I wasn’t myself. Instead of remarking about it, however, she attempted to come towards me with glistening eyes.

I could have been moved by her distress, but I was far gone into my miserable state. Therefore, I didn’t greet her nor did I bother with the niceties of asking her to take a seat. She was far from being a guest in my home.

“
What are you doing here?”

She looked perplexed at my question, as if she hadn’t expected my blunt treatment towards her.

“
I wanted to see how you are. I…” She took a lungful of air before her lip wobbled again, clearly dismayed. “I went to the hospital, and they told me you had checked out last night…” Her luscious bottom lip quivered, drawing my acute attention towards it. “How could you be so casual about all of this?”

I made a dark, cruel smirk, masking the intense, crippling urge to plunk a kiss on those delicious lips of hers. “What I do or don’t do is none of your business. You made it as such, Kimberly. The only problem I see here is you pestering me like you’re my wife.”

She ignored my insult. “I know it isn’t, but I’m making it mine,” she said, unrelenting. “Don’t you want to see the baby?”

Seriously, she really wanted to go there already? All right. Fine. So be it.

Sending her an infuriated glare, I didn’t hesitate dishing the truth. “A baby that isn’t confirmed as mine yet, so don’t get too ahead of yourself, Kim,” I declared, squashing the odd sensation that was making my chest tighten at the very thought of her carrying my child.

“
It’s yours. We made this together. I didn’t do this on my own.”

Hmmm. “Well, the jury is still out on that one.”

Ignoring the excruciating throb in my head, I rounded the table to fully face her less composed form, standing mere inches from her face. The impact of this closeness was too acute to put words to, but it was something I reveled in. Maybe it was her scent that I needed a reminder of or the fact that I couldn’t seem to help myself getting close to her. Regardless, I knew I needed to have a little of her. It was sad and pathetic, but it was the absurd truth. Her scent was the aphrodisiac to my starved senses, and it couldn’t be helped. It was in my human nature.

“
You must understand, Luca, had I known things would’ve turned out this way, I would’ve avoided getting together with you altogether.”

Ah! There it was. The partial truth and confession.

Incensed that she seemed so casual regarding throwing about such hideous facts towards me—the rotten mistake—I barely had my bearings together as I voiced out my anger and frustration. “Are you implying that I was your greatest mistake, then? Is that it,
cara mia
?”