Grimly, I stalk back to Isla, holding out the pinot. “Drink this.”
This time, she doesn’t give me shit and ask if I roofied it. She just takes it from me.
“Thanks.”
I don’t like the vulnerability in her face or the fear. But she’s not mine to protect. Not mine to fix. I’m here because Priest asked me to step in, and I’m his second-in-command. Nothing more.
“Remember what I said,” I tell her. “Just follow the rules, and everything will go smoothly.”
Then I go back to my brothers at the table, leaving her alone.
Chapter 11
ISLA
The penthouse is mind-bogglingly massive.
It takes up an entire floor of a skyscraper.
I’ve been here for two days, and I’m still discovering rooms I hadn’t realized existed. I’m also going stir-crazy. On any other day, I’m content to be a hermit, hiding away from everyone and everything in my apartment. But since Alessio dropped me off here with a repeated warning about not leaving the penthouse without him as an escort, all I’ve wanted to do is leave.
“Not because you’re not an absolute darling,” I reassure Cid, who just meowed at me as if to ask what he’s done wrong.
He makes a purring trill at me, which I’ve already come to learn is his way of sayingpet me, bitch.
I cross the floor in my borrowed slippers—thankfully, Luna and I have the same size feet because these marble floors are cold—and bend down to give him a few scratches on his head and some caresses under his soft, white chin. He rubs his face on my hand and then gives me an adoring look with his big, seafoam eyes.
“You’re lucky you’re so cute,” I tell him, “because you sure are demanding.”
He purrs and headbutts me in the ankle. Headbutts are Cid’s love language. We’ve been getting along great. He was wary of me for about three minutes until I offered him some of the crunchy treats that are his favorite as a bribe. We’ve been besties ever since. He’s an amazing lap cuddler while I’m reading, and he follows me everywhere, often winding himself around my ankles and almost tripping me in the process.
Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I snap a pic of him. It’s blurry because he was in motion, so I take another two in quick succession. Finding one that satisfies me, I text it to Luna. She told me she likes regular Cid updates, and I’m happy to oblige. What else do I have to do here other than binge-read and catch up on Netflix? In all, it’s not a bad gig.
Except for the part where I’m living in a mobster’s penthouse, complete with armed guards at the door and the threat hovering over me that the number two in charge criminal kingpin could show up at any second, unannounced and uninvited.
And did I mention I’m going stir-crazy?
Cid meows at me.
“Let’s get you some delicious breakfast, kid. And then I think I’m going to get out of here for a few minutes.”
Just to grab a tea, if nothing else. And contrary to what Alessio claimed, I’m not going to cause any trouble. Besides, the coffee shop I spied when he dropped me off here isn’t around the corner. It’s across the street.
With Cid weaving around my ankles, I get him set up with breakfast. He promptly digs in, forgetting I exist. I don’t take his lack of interest in me personally—he’s a huge fan of salmon. And besides, now I can get to my shoes and purse and slip out the door without him unintentionally tripping me.
My phone dings with a heart emoji from Luna on the picture, followed by three little dots. I wait for her text to come through.
My baby. Give him an extra kiss from me. Thank you for being there with him.
I send her a kissy-face emoji in response, because I’m really trying not to interrupt her honeymoon, go back to Cid for an obligatory kiss on his soft, furry head, and then make my way back to the door. The second I’m over the threshold, a guard greets me.
He’s tall and huge, with a face that looks like it’s incapable of gentleness or smiling, a wicked scar running across one cheek.
“Good morning,” he says, devoid of any expression. “What can we do for you?”
“I’m heading out to get a cup of tea across the street,” I tell him. “I’ll be back in about twenty minutes.”
“Did Mr. Andriani approve of this?”
