Her Ex-husband

Chapter 5

Angelo licked his dry lips as he chuckled sinfully. 

"Yeah that's my name, just don't overuse it," he teases. Joy's eyes narrowed on the younger Maretti sibling who merely grinned back at her. Angelo could easily be described in a few words: charming, ladies' man, even handsome, but one word describes him best: unpredictable. He could be a charming and charismatic man or a ticking time bomb that could go off in mere seconds and right now, Joy couldn't tell where he stood. If he was angry or happy to see her, either way, he was hiding behind a mask, a frisky and impish one. He took a deep breath, got up, and walked around Joy, staring at her like a hawk while holding Milana in his arms. He circled her, slowly. Joy dropped her shoulders and tilted her head, staring forward. 

"Give me back my daughter," Joy demands. 

Angelo chuckles in response to her demand. "I'm hurt, Bambola, I really am." A pout appeared on his lips as he continued to circle her with predatory eyes before a grin appeared on his lips and a mocking laugh rang out into the quiet atmosphere.

He paused in front of her and glared at her with coldness in his eyes, coldness that would make anyone else shiver but Joy stood her ground. "We used to be family and now it feels like I'm talking to a stranger again," said Angelo with an icy tone. Joy watched him carefully as he approached her and stopped within a few feet from her. "Yeah, we were," Joy replies. Angelo stayed silent as he slowly nodded. The pair stared at each other, neither wanting to submit to the other, fighting for dominance. The clicks of shoes against the wooden floor grew louder before coming to a halt.

 "Dio! You two haven't changed at all. Snap out of it!" 

Both Joy and Angelo turned around to face Vito, who stuffed his hands in his pockets with a cheerful smirk on his face. "What the hell, I was winning," Angelo whined. "Sure you were." Vito took Milana out of his younger brother's arms. Milana cooed in response as she reached to grab her father's face. "I need you to talk to a business associate, he's been quiet and I don't like it," Vito orders. "Is it who I think it is?" Vito nodded, confirming his brother's suspension. "I'm taking Jay with me. He always knew how to..." Angelo pauses for a bit before a smile appears on his face as his eyes travel over to Joy's form," Get the job done without disturbing a lady's pearls." Joy's eyes trailed Angelo as he left the room, whistling as he did. Milana blew a few raspberries, drawing the attention of her parents. 

Instantly, Joy tried to take Milana out of Vito's arms but he held her closer to him. Joy refused to look at the man in front of her as she tried again. "Look at me," Vito tells her, softly. Joy huffed in response and tried again. 

"Please," he pleads, "Please just look at me." 

Joy huffs again as she gazes into his eyes. Vito recognized that fire in her eyes, that same fire from that night. The first time he ever met her that night in the alley. "You still have your fighting spirit inside of you, so full of disobedience and rebellion. Dio! I believe that's what made me fall in love with you." Vito stepped closer to her till he towered over her. He reached out to touch her with his unoccupied hand but withdrew when she pulled away from him. She glares with an icy tone. 

"Why the glare, my love?" Vito tilts his head, innocently as he pouts ever so slightly.

 "You know exactly why, Vittorio," Joy growled. Vito bites his lip as his eyes scanned her face as she scowled back up at him. He hummed slightly before licking his lips; "You, of all people, should know that I love seeing you like this. So angry yet so protective." Vito covers Milana's eyes as he leans in closer to Joy's ear, "Hm! Makes me wanna," Joy shuttered as she felt his tongue run along the side of her neck and pressed a few gentle kisses, "Take you here and now." 

Joy didn't even realize that he had gently placed Milana into her arms. "But our daughter is here with us and it wouldn't be appropriate for her." Vito's finger traced her jaw, caressing it, leaning back in close to her face, covering Milana's eyes once again. Their lips were merely inches apart from each other.

 "Meet me in my office, I wanna discuss something with you after dinner," he murmurs. Vito pulled away and walked off, he could hear her shaky breathing behind her. A smirk showed across his lips before leaving. Joy sighs. "I have to get us out of here," she says, "But why does he still have this effect on me?"