With These Four Rings - Book Five: Wedding Bonus (Billionaire Brides of Granite Falls 5) (29 page)

“And what if I don’t agree? What if I refuse to sign your contract?”

“You get nothing.”

Mass could almost hear Galen’s teeth grinding inside his jaws, and his knuckles cracking as he clenched his fists.

“I’m not making it that easy for you, Massimo. I hired an attorney. He thinks I have a good case, especially because you waited so long to fulfill the requirements of your inheritance in our father’s will. My parents were in love, and it would have been mine if your mother hadn’t chased mine out of the country.”

Rage bubbled inside Massimo. He needed to bring this charade of a relationship to an end and get on with his life. Galen was his half-brother, and despite Mass’ feelings about him, he wanted to see him succeed. Andretti’s weren’t failures. He understood Galen’s anger and frustrations, because he’d been misinformed about his mother’s relationship with their father, and blind to the fact that their father would not have sent Judith away and neglected her son if he’d truly loved her. Luciano was an Andretti. They were never manipulated, especially not by women they had no feelings for.

Shaina could make Mass do anything she wanted.
Anything
. Luciano’s problem was that the
anything
he was willing to do for his wife had come too late. And he’d spent the rest of his life regretting it.

Mass would so love to throw the tape of Judith’s ugliness into Galen’s face, but every boy needed to think that his mother was a kindhearted goddess even if she were a conniving, gold-digging bitch. He was done listening to his shit and his whining. When Galen was ready to be a man, Mass would be a brother to him. But in the meantime…

Mass got into Galen’s face, forcing him to look into his eyes. “Galen, you don’t deserve any part of Andretti Industries because you’ve never contributed anything to it. It’s that simple. I’ve been contributing to the success of that company since I was two feet high, and when it teetered on the brink of destruction eight years ago, I brought it back to life, singlehandedly. If you want to be pissed at someone for not having a role in Andretti Industries, be pissed at our father and your mother.
He
broke his vows to my mother and to me.
She
wrecked my mother’s home, and killed her and my unborn sister—your sister. They robbed me of the chance of growing up with them in my life. You’re not the only victim here. I suffered too. Luciano and Judith are the only guilty parties in this entire affair.”

Massimo took a breather—a deep slow one. He was tired. He was done. “One more thing,” he added as he turned and walked to the door, “if you plan to remain in Granite Falls, find another place to live. I’m selling this villa.” He didn’t ever again wish to darken the door of this pleasure house his father had bought him on his eighteenth birthday.

Massimo stepped out onto the porch and headed for his car. He didn’t flinch a muscle as Galen slammed the door behind him, so hard that the glass shattered.

Watch where you step, brother or you might get hurt
.

Mass smiled as the engine of his Lamborghini roared to life. He supposed he’d have to ask Steven to be his Best Man now.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Ristorante Andreas – Sunday Afternoon…

The first to return from a bathroom break, and from switching from suits into casual attire, Massimo made himself busy at the cappuccino machine. His spirits were up in spite of the morning he’d had. He could credit his good mood to the fact that he and his best friends had been held up in a private barroom in Ristorante Andreas all afternoon. They’d indulged in a never ending supply of sweets and post-lunch delicacies and had played pool and darts, and enjoyed a college baseball game on the mounted TV screen in between reminiscing on old times, sharing recent events—some unpleasant, some celebratory—like his and Shaina’s pregnancy, the trials and triumphs in each of their lives, and the wedding and honeymoon.

Each of their families had had to let go of something or someone in their lives this past week. The LaCrosses said goodbye to Sarah. The Fontaines faced past hurts and moved beyond anger. The Andreases dealt with the horrors of Tashi’s mother’s death, and saw justice prevail. Mass said goodbye to his beloved Jabari, the oldest and most valuable friend he’d ever had, and he’d solved the mystery of the person who’d called his mother.

The rain had stopped hours ago; the clouds had rolled back, and the sun had appeared, bringing hope that the worst was behind them.

After leaving Galen, he’d walked into the private dining room across the hall to find three generations of LaCrosses, Fontaines, Andreases, and two generations of Andrettis bumping and rocking to R. Kelly’s “Joyful People.” Even Alex and Fiona—the youngest ones in the family—had been rocking in their walkers. It had been the boost Mass needed after the morning he’d had—the week he’d had. He’d never been more confident about his future, more content with his life as when he’d picked up his daughter from the floor and danced with her and her mother.

Today was the first day of a new chapter in all their lives, and they’d started it off with an eight-course lunch with their entire families, including the grandparents, Steven, Libby, and their daughter, Jenna, and Pastor Kelly and his family. The guests, the grandmothers, the wives, and the kids had left shortly after lunch to give the men some time together since their bachelors’ party had been canceled yesterday, due to Sarah’s funeral and Mass’ absence. The grandfathers had left after the game, giving their sons time alone before the wives rejoined them for a sunset dinner cruise on the Andreas yacht around Crystal Lake. They’d also hired a live band for some dancing.

Their hectic schedules, and travels abroad, made it impossible for them to get together often as a whole group, so they cherished moments like these—Sunday afternoons when they were all home and could just kick back and relax after church. These Sunday dinners were for their children as much as they were for the adults. It was important that their children saw them socializing as one big extended family. They wanted them to love and trust each other, to never feel that they were alone in the world.

Bryce and Kaya stepping in to take care of Michael and Lauren’s children had made them all realize how imperative it was that they remain in close contact with each other, so that their children could grow up together, and hopefully love and care for each other like their parents did. They’d pledged to be there for each other’s children if, God forbid, any became orphans.

Mass placed the four mugs on a tray and took it over to where they’d been sitting near a window overlooking the lake. And not a moment too soon, he thought as his friends returned, poking and wrestling each other, and racing like little boys to grab the chair nearest the wall.

Anyone watching them cavort would think they were drunk, but they weren’t—well, not from alcohol. They’d made a rule never to drink on Sundays since it was the families’ get-together day. They were high on love and happiness.

“So what’s this I hear about Jason and Precious kissing?” Mass set the cups on the serving tables near each chair and took his seat among his friends. “Shaina gave me a snapshot version, but I’d love to hear more.”

Erik’s humor dwindled at Mass’ question. They’d discussed every topic but that all afternoon. He wasn’t thrilled about revisiting that subject, but it was only fair that Mass was brought up to date. They shared everything, and besides, he should know in case Precious and Jason tried to pull one over on him during a visit to Andretti estate. “Apparently my daughter and Jason shared their first kiss,” he said, picking up his cup of cappuccino, and raising the scalding liquid to his lips.

“A real kiss?” Massimo asked with raised eyebrows.

Bryce sent Erik a rueful glance. He gave him a lot of credit, because if it were his daughter, he would have demanded Jason stay away from her until she was older. He figured that Erik’s experience of no premarital sex with Cassie played a big role in his decision to let Precious date.
His daughter
.
His decision
.

He, Erik, Michelle, and Kaya had sat down with Jason and Precious after the funeral yesterday and set some ground rules for them to follow. They hadn’t been happy, since all they were allowed to do was hold hands and kiss on the cheeks for no more than five seconds, tops. They were not to fondle each other nor swap any kind of bodily fluids, or else… “As real as a kiss can get,” he told Massimo when he realized that Erik had deliberately tuned out.

Massimo whistled. “Wow. Jason is starting early. Those hormones have kicked in, huh?”

“No earlier than you,” Adam reminded his cousin. “You had your first French kiss at twelve, and God knows what else you had at that age.” Adam had his suspicions about Massimo and Dafne, but Mass would never deny or admit to having sex with her. If Paul and Dafne ever became a couple, Massimo would have to come clean. Paul would have a right to know. “The rest of us were much older,” he added. “Even Bryce, the second runner-up in the group, didn’t have his first real kiss until he was sixteen.”

“More power to Jason, then.” Mass raised his cup in toast.

“Hey!” Erik sent Mass a warning flash of his eyes. “It’s my daughter you’re talking about. Be a little sensitive.”

Mass set his cup on the table and leaned forward in his chair. “I’m sorry, Erik, but you knew that day was coming. They’re just growing. Discovering their sexuality. It’s harmless. They’re both good, sensible kids. I doubt they’ll do anything they shouldn’t. They were raised well. They have stellar role models as fathers.” He nodded perfunctorily at both Erik and Bryce. “And mothers.”

“Well, thanks for the flattery,” Erik said with a hint of sarcasm. “Let’s see if you’re still singing the same tune, in say…ten and a half years when some horny fourteen-year-old sticks his tongue down your twelve-year-old daughter’s throat.”

“That will never happen. As soon as Aria starts showing signs of puberty, I’m confining her to the estate and hiring a governess. She will have no interactions with boys until she’s twenty-five.”

“Yep. Spoken like a reformed man-whore turned Daddy. You’ll hide her because you know boys that age think of one thing, and one thing only.” Bryce gloated with satisfaction.

“Precisely!” Mass slapped his hands against his thighs.

“Good luck with that,” Bryce said, as they all burst into laughter.

When they settled into their chairs again, Bryce turned to Erik. “By the way what did you say to Jason when you took him aside yesterday? The poor kid looked so petrified when he rejoined us. He wouldn’t even look at Precious. When we got home, he went straight to his room.”

The amber specks in Erik’s gray eyes flickered. “I told him that if he laid a hand on my daughter, I would break all his fingers and reset them crookedly, then castrate him so he’d never be able to obtain pleasure from another girl ever again.”

“Aww, Erik.” Adam’s hand flew protectively to his crotch. He was certain that when he had daughters, he’d also lock them up when they reached Precious’ age. Tashi had been sheltered, and she’d turned out fine—real fine, he thought with a grin.

“Oh man.” Bryce wiped his hand across his forehead. “You probably turned my son off sex for life. I threatened to send him off to boarding school if he violated the rules we set for them, but promising bodily harm—”

“I love Jason, Bryce, but I love my daughter more. Of course I won’t physically hurt him, but I had to put the fear of Dr. Erik in him, nonetheless. He can have all the sex his young body can handle, just not with my daughter.”

“I’ll remember that if and when Little Erik—JP—” he rolled his eyes at the name change, “ever becomes interested in Anastasia or Elyse.”

“Not Alyssa?” Adam asked.

“Brrr,” Bryce snickered. “JP wouldn’t be able to handle Alyssa.
I
can’t handle Alyssa. I feel sorry for any boy who’s brave enough to show an interest in that girl when she reaches the appropriate age. He would be on his hands and knees and crawling on his stomach for the rest of his life.”

“That’s not a bad place to be,” Erik drawled. “We’ve all been on our knees and crawling on our stomachs since we met our wives, sometimes with our hands tied together, like in my case.”

They rocked with the laughter of revelers, then Bryce asked, “Anyone else have been making love to love songs lately, or is it just me? Since I got back from my conference, every time we get into the groove, Kaya stops to put on some sultry song.”

“So does Michelle. It started Thursday morning when I returned from South America.”

“Shaina, too. She was adamant about making love to songs last night and this morning.”

“I guess my wife didn’t get the memo,” Adam said. “We’ve been making love without songs.”

“She’s been preoccupied with her mother’s trial and the verdict. But I’m sure she’s in with them. You might get your songs tonight, Adam, and you will enjoy every moment,” Erik assured him with a secretive smile bubbling in his heart. “Something’s going on with our women. And whatever it is, I’m not complaining.”

“Hear, hear.” They raised their cappuccino cups in another toast.

“Who would have guessed twenty plus years ago when we were fighting pimples and body odor, hiding the evidence of wet dreams from the maids, and learning how to put on a condom, that we’d still be together, still best friends and all married to sexy, intelligent women?” Massimo asked.

“Don’t forget kickass,” Adam said with a proud lilt in his voice. Tashi had been practicing martial arts at a second-rate school during the year and a half she’d been hiding out in Granite Falls. Once they were married, she’d enrolled in Granite Falls Studio of Self Defense—the best martial arts school in the area. She had continued her training, with limitation, up until the middle of her second trimester when she was forced to take a break until after Alex was born. She was back at it and practicing hard for the regional Karate Purple Belt tournament next month. Even though she was under the protection of the Andreas name and her FBI Special agent father, Tashi was determined never to become a victim ever again, and had even coerced Paul to teach her how to shoot a gun with precision. Not that Paul needed any coercion. He was as determined as Tashi that she learned how to defend herself.