She rolled her eyes. “You call this a date?”
When I placed my hand on my chest as I’d done before in mock surprise, she snagged a bite of the decadent dessert, swirling it like a helicopter.
With my fingers wrapped around her wrist, I brought the fork to my lips. Her smile fell, turning into something more carnal. What I wanted to do was to rake the dishes off the table, toss her on the surface, and feast on her pussy right here in front of all the guests.
I only hesitated because I would embarrass Emmeline. Something I didn’t want to do. “You’re free to go if you’d like, my angel. You’re right in that I can’t keep you all to myself. Please. If you’d like, I’ll call you a cab.”
Her sigh was heavier than I expected. “That’s not what I want.”
“Mmm… Good to know. But just be advised I will likely not ask you again.”
“Duly noted. Who did kill your father? I know you have thoughts.”
“What people likely want me to think is Vitelli Russo.”
She cocked her head, her eyes opening wide. “But you don’t think so.”
“Let’s just say if I found a reason to believe he had, you’d be hearing about his murder on the local news. I take revenge seriously, Catherine. If I don’t, people I do care about die. That’s the way of my business.”
“That’s very disturbing.”
“Not if you’re used to how the games are played.”
“An eye for an eye,” she offered.
I brushed my finger under her chin. “Exactly.”
If my words frightened or troubled her, she showed no signs of it. “Did they deserve to die?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Does anyone? In my mind, yes, they did. I value loyalty and honor more than anything.”
“Which is why you warned me about betraying you.”
“Yes.”
“I’m curious. How could I do that? By doing my job? By using evidence to convict you?”
“I would expect no less, but I need to ask. Was there much evidence? Is that not my right to know the reason for the charges placed against me?”
“This isn’t a court of law.”
Chuckling, I reached for my drink. “But you’ve already tried and convicted me, assuming my guilt.”
“That was before.”
“Before what? As you said, you don’t know me.”
“But I know your character. You’re a killer. I have no doubt about that, but when you say you didn’t do something, you didn’t because you don’t mind confessing and owning up to your sins. You might not believe me, but beneath that thick armor and surly demeanor you do have a heart. You simply had it broken with the death of your brother.”
“As I said, you might not enjoy learning what’s beneath the armor.”
I thought about the clear insight she had, surprised she’d managed to weed through the bullshit with so much ease. I lifted my drink in honor of the beautiful woman. “I feel honored you figured that out. I am a man of integrity. Whether most choose to believe it or not.”
She allowed her wineglass to touch mine, taking a careful sip while her eyes darted back and forth. While I wasn’t pleading for my life, I sensed she had a better understanding of me. Did that make her more comfortable being in my presence? Of that I wasn’t certain.
“Then what could I do to anger you, Alexander? You are so certain I’m going to betray you. You don’t even know me just as I’ve said I don’t know you.”
Was she really challenging me? Was she daring me to open that can of worms? Once I did, I feared what I would do. “Then tell me about you, Catherine, about how far you’d go to protect the ones you love.”
