Sold To the Grizzly Don (Alcee and Bruno) novel Chapter 163

Chapter 163

Alcee walked into the closed–up deli and followed her brother into the back room, rubbing her nose at the smell of pastrami and strong cheese. She considered grabbing a handful of meat from behind the counter, but her brother was rushing her.

She made a face as she looked around the room and saw her brothers and her mother sitting with Michelo’s father–in–law, the man who owned the deli, and then two men she didn’t know and their bodyguards.

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“This is Karolos Pavlidis.”

“Should I know the name?” she asked smartly at Mercurio’s introduction.

“He’s here to conduct business with our family. Be polite,” Michelo grunted from his place where he leaned against a wall, his foot pressed up against it with his knee bent.

“Fuck you, Michelo. I haven’t seen you in six years. You don’t get to tell me to be polite.” She looked around the room, “that goes for any of you,” her eyes landed on her mother. She tried not to react to the sight of her mother sitting in a wheelchair, near a table with an oxygen tank hooked to the back of it, tubes connected to her nose.

“At least say hello to your mother,” Falco hissed at her.

“My mother disowned me six years ago.” She didn’t flinch as her mother’s startled gaze flicked to hers. “In fact, she stood right at side,” she looked back to Falco, “tucked her arm into his elbow and told me to get out and not come back.”

“She threw herself in front of his weapon to protect you.”

your

father’s

“Yes, I guess I owe you a debt of gratitude for saving me from taking a bullet from your abusive

husband. Thanks,”

she said dryly.

“Why are you being so fucking antagonistic?” Michelo asked boldly.

“Alfio, try to make any deals to force my best friends to marry you lately?”

Mercurio moved and pulled a chair, “Alcee, please take a seat.”

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“I’d rather stand. The way when my husband comes through the door with guns blazing, he knows where I am.

“You are mouthy,” the Greek man at the table said with a laugh.

“It’s why my father hated me. Well, this and apparently he thought my mother was a cheating whore and I wasn’t his.”

“Alcee!” her mother rasped out. “Enough.”

“Look, he brought me here at gunpoint and threatened to shoot my guards,” she waved at Mercurio. “I don’t want to be here.”

“Alcee,” Karolos gave a laugh, “I beg of you to sit. Please.”

“I’d rather not.”

“And yet, I insist.”

“And yet I refuse,” she wasn’t backing down. “Mr. Pavlidis, I’m sure you’re a big fish in this ocean but my husband is the biggest, literally and figuratively.”

“You’ve called him your husband a couple of times now, yet I know you are not legally married.”

I live in his house. I sleep in his bed. I gave birth to his son. In many states, it is the definition of common–law spouse. In my heart, he is my husband.”

“You care for him?” Karolos frowned at her and then looked at Mercurio, “you said she was being forced.”

“I know he threatened her to bring his son to him. I watched in his office as he forced her to sit on his knee. I watched from a distance when he

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Chapter 163

moved his mother in and forced his family upon her. He’s forcing her to duck our calls and keeping her from her family. I know he is monitoring your equipment. I saw the way he treated you at the so–called family dinner the other night,” Mercurio ground out his words.

“Oh, fuck you, Mercurio,” cut him off again. “We just went over this in the car. He’s a powerful man who likes things a certain way. I’m a confident woman who doesn’t like to budge. We’re going to butt heads, but he adores me. He absolutely adores me. He adores our son. He bought him a dog on a whim just to make him smile. He lays on the floor and plays blocks with him. He gives me space when I ask for it Mercurio. Honestly, I bet there isn’t a man in this room who treats his partner as reverently as he does me.”

“Are you sure?” Karolos gave a laugh. “I am known to be very affectionate with my lovers.”

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