Accardi (Genevieve and Matteo) by Allison Franklin novel Chapter 65

Gen thanked the new driver as he dropped her off in front of Accardi Industries. Leo would be on leave for another week or two until he

could stand for more than a few minutes at a time and hold a gun again. The new guy, Thomas, was friendly enough but clearly nervous

about fucking up the new gig. He’d barely spoken a word and made several unnecessary maneuvers on the way to work, as if they were

being followed by a fleet of secret agents.

She stared up at the building, trying to convince her legs to move. Her week off had flown by. Especially after Frankie and Leo’s visit. She

still didn’t know what she was going to do. It sucked that she had no one to talk to about it. Gen shook her head, shoved down the

butterflies fighting for space in her stomach and walked into the building. She stood at the elevators alone. She had made the conscious

decision to come in later in the day so that she wouldn’t have to run into more people than necessary. She sighed, the butterflies rising

again. She just didn’t want to run into him. She’d hoped her late entrance would mean he was already sequestered in his office for the day

with the windows tinted so she could get a bit of work done.

The elevator dinged and her nerves heightened as she stepped on, about to eliminate the remaining four floors of space between her and

Matteo. She pushed the button for the fourth floor when a hand snaked in between the doors, stopping them. Genevieve groaned when

none other than Paul stepped inside.

“Genevieve! What a surprise!” he said, his smile beaming. Flashes of him in the hotel room with his tongue half–way down those two

women’s throats raced through her mind.

“I work here,” she reminded him.

“As do I,” he said with a tilt of his eyebrow. “How have you been? I’ve called.”

“I saw.”

“Is that… are those bruises on your face, Gen?” he asked, stepping closer and cupping her cheek where the worst of the bruising had yet

to fade. She winced at the pain that sliced across her face. He tsked. “Oh, Baby, who did this to you?”

“Don’t call me baby,” she warned him.

“Why are you being like this? You canceled on me, remember?” he asked, settling his other hand on her waist.

“Let go of me.”

“Gen, I just want you to give me a second chance. I’ve changed.”

Gen barked out a laugh.

“It’s Accardi, isn’t it?” he asked, his grip on her tightening in a possessive way that made her wince again. He backed her up into the wall.

The hand bars of the elevator dug into her middle back. “Is he threatening you to stay away from me? Did he do this to you?”

“Let go of me,” she hissed.

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Chapter Sixty–Five

…

The elevator door dinged, letting them know they’d reached their floor.

“I just want to be with you. My life fell apart after you left me. I had my injury, lost my scholarship. I made so many mistakes with you but I want to make them right. Let me take you to dinner. I’ll make you forget all about him, I promise.” Paul’s lips were far too close to her own. She could smell the sweet minty scent of the gum he liked to chew. His lips moved an inch closer.

“You were right about one thing. It is Accardi but there is no way you would ever be able to make me forget about him. We are done. We’ve been done for a decade. Now back off now or I’ll show you exactly what happened to the last guy who tried to kiss me without

permission,” Gen warned.

Paul pulled back slightly, shocked at the threatening way she spoke. “Gen, I…”

Someone cleared their throat in the elevator doorway. Paul and Gen glanced over at the noise. Gen’s eyes widened at the sight of Matteo standing there watching them. A pleasurable blush crept over her cheeks. It had been nearly two weeks since she’d seen him in a suit tailor–made for his form. She found herself admiring the harsh angles of his body, the way the smooth fabric of his sleeve gave way to the

rough, calloused skin of his hand and knuckles. His expression, however, remained completely neutral. His golden, brown eyes slowly

moved from Paul to Gen and back as if he could care less he’d found them in such an intimate position. Paul immediately released

Genevieve, but she still couldn’t move.

“Mr. Brooks, you’re late for our meeting,” Matteo said, his voice bored and steady.

“Right, I apologize, Mr. Accardi,” Paul said, adjusting his belt. Matteo’s right eye twitched, the only hint toward his true emotions. “Got a

bit carried away with the old fling, you know.”

“Hmm,” Matteo hummed, his eyes sliding back to Gen. She was speechless. Of all the interactions she’d played out in her mind upon

seeing him again, having Matteo catch her with another man’s hands on her had not made the list. “Shall we?” he asked, turning on his

heel without a word to spare for Gen.

Paul gave her one last lingering look. “This isn’t over, Baby,” he promised her before hurrying after Matteo’s retreating figure. Gen

followed soon after. She walked into the executive offices in a daze. Once in the main hallway, Kaitlin caught sight of her and sent out a

loud squeal that caught the attention of everyone on the floor.

“Miss Sinclair! I’m so glad you’re back! How are you feeling?” Kaitlin asked in a rush.

“I’m feeling fine, thank you. Eager to get back to work,” Genevieve said while casually glancing down the hall toward Matteo’s office.

As Kaitlin handed her the most recent work orders, they walked toward her own office. Gen couldn’t hear a word Kaitlin had to say. Her focus was singular. She could see Matteo at his desk: his hands steepled and his expression stern as Paul prattled on about whatever they were discussing. As she got closer to her office door, she found her feet slowing, hoping to see him for as long as she could in order to get

a read on him.

Matteo’s eyes flicked up and their gazes locked. Even separated by two offices, she could feel the anger radiating out of his gaze. She swallowed. His right hand dropped to something on his desk and a moment later the tint in his windows went up, obscuring her view. She looked down at the papers in her hand and sighed.

“Also, there’s one more thing,” Kaitlin said, practically bouncing from excitement.

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Chapter Sixty–Five

“What’s that?”

“A surprise! You have a visitor!”

Gen’s brow scrunched together as she glanced in her office. Her guest stood up and sent her a nervous wave. “Hey, Gen.”

“Jada. What are you doing here?”

92

Gen ignored Jada as she walked into her office. She wondered what Paul and Matteo could be meeting about. Did Matteo want to hire him for another job? Why would he cut off Brian’s hand but offer the man who took her virginity more money? It didn’t make sense.

“You look good,” Jada said nervously. “Louis told me you went home for a week. I guess that famous Boston chowder worked wonders. You’ll have to bring me some next time you’re in town.”

“Mhmm,” Gen responded, sitting at her desk and flipping through her ever–growing to–do list.

“I like the office. I think it’s smart to face the window. Why should the guest get the better view, right?” Jada asked with a shy laugh.

Gen put her list down and crossed her arms. “What are you doing here, Jada?”

“You haven’t been returning my calls. Look, I understand what happened was…”

“You understand what happened? How could you possibly understand what I had just been through?”

Jada stood up and walked to the window. She crossed her arms in front of herself. When she turned around she looked just as she did when she was fifteen and had broken a locket that had belonged to Gen’s mom.

“I know what you’ve been through, Genevieve…” Jada whispered. “Because I’ve been through it too.”

“What are you talking about?”

Jada sighed. She returned to the seat across the desk and sat delicately in it as if she were a small breeze from crumbling to pieces. “I’ve signed a million papers and been told not to talk about it.”

“Alright then, leave,” Gen hissed, frustrated.

“Gen…”

“Everyone in New York is keeping secrets from me and I’m sick of it!” Gen snapped. “Either you spit it out or leave. I’m not in the mood for twenty guesses and half–hidden meanings.”

Gen started typing furiously away, responding to a curt email from HR that she should probably hold off on sending until she was in a

better mood.

Chapter Sixty–Five

“His name was Dane,” Jada began.

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