Yep, I definitely shouldn’t have asked, but at least now I knew my desires were normal. Well, compared to a man who painted his body gold, strapped a unicorn horn on his head, and biked around Seattle naked every year.
“I see what you’re doing here,” Jayson said, grinning.
Did he know about me and Link? Had I been that transparent. “You do?” I asked.
“Yes. Now, quit trying to change the subject. If you don’t take me to this lunch, I’ll march out there right now and tell Bull who you’re meeting.”
“Fine,” I conceded, relieved he hadn’t called me out about my sudden interest in bondage. “Grab your coat.”
That’s how I ended up at Il Porto with not one, but two boy wonders.
The restaurant was immaculate, from its sparkling clean windows to its freshly polished wooden floors. Il Porto was Abrianna’s pride and joy, the project her husband had given her to salvage, and she had turned it into a booming success.
Abrianna met me right inside the door. From her long dark curls to her red carpet worthy floor-length, shimmering gown, the mafia princess could only be described as lavish. She had to be in her fifties, but the beauty and power that radiated from her was timeless. If she’d held out her hand to me, I probably would have kissed her ring.
Instead, Abrianna embraced me.
I introduced her to the guys, and then the three of us followed her deeper inside the restaurant.
“Emily, dear, you weren’t very forthcoming about the danger level of this particular situation, so I took it upon myself to put safety precautions into place.” She led us to a table and added, “This is where you’ll sit. Will Bull and Jayson be joining you at the table?”
“No,” I said, at the same time they both said, “Yes.”
Poor Bull looked stressed and confused as he stepped closer to me. “Safety precautions? Emily, what’s going on?” he asked.
An amused smile played over Abrianna’s lips. “I’ll give you a moment,” she said, stepping away.
“It’s nothing to be concerned about, really.” I patted Bull’s arm reassuringly. “As a criminal defense attorney, I sometimes have to meet with less than savory characters. When that happens, I schedule the meeting here because Abrianna is a friend and she enforces the peace in her establishment.”
“Will you be in danger?” he asked, his phone already in hand.
“No. Not here. Nobody in their right mind would ever insult Abrianna’s hospitality by causing trouble. Anyone stupid enough to do that would be in real danger.”
“True,” the mafia princess said, rejoining us and continuing her rundown. “You and your guest will sit here, Emily, and your associates can have this table. I’ll have family positioned here and here.” She pointed out tables with reserved signs. “Of course, every member of my staff is trained and ready to handle any situation that might arise.”
Of which, I had no doubt. I thanked her, and she drifted off once again, leaving me to the glare of Bull. His phone vibrated in his hand and he read the screen.
“Who are you meeting with?” he asked.
The question I’d been dreading. I wasn’t about to lie to the kid. This wasn’t Bull’s fault—he was only taking orders—but those boundaries I’d told Jayson about desperately needed to be drawn. No time like the present.
“Tell your boss I said it’s none of his damn business who I’m meeting with.”
Bull’s expression struggled between frustration and respect. I couldn’t tell if he wanted to pick me up and carry me out of there or pat me on the back for standing my ground.
“I’ll tell him,” Bull said, his thumbs flying over his phone. “He’s not gonna like it, but I’ll tell him.”
Seconds after Bull sent the text, my cell phone started vibrating in my pocket. I turned the ringer all the way off and sat at the table Abrianna had directed me to. The mayor wasn’t scheduled to meet with me for another ten minutes, so I started answering emails on my cell phone, occasionally swiping left to reject Link’s incoming calls.
Five times he’d tried to reach me. He was going to be pissed.
No matter. Boundaries were healthy, and I didn’t need a dictator in my life.
Besides, the idea of the blowback I’d face set my girly parts a tingling. Maybe he’d tie me up again. Why was I even thinking about that?
A waiter brought me water, and two sets of hulking men wearing suits filed in from the back, nodded at me, and sat at the tables Abrianna had reserved for them. She’d called them family—which I’m sure they were—but if they showed up on my doorstep, I’d hide and call the cops.
Thankfully, they were there for my protection.
