I’m so entranced by the unfamiliar woman that I don’t see Ben until he is a few feet away, holding a chair out at the table right alongside ours. A painful pressure sits on my chest as a gorgeous brunette slides onto the chair, beaming up at him like he hung the moon. My claws come out, and I want to gouge her eyes from her eye sockets so she can’t look at him like that and slice her lips from her face so she can’t smile adoringly at him.
I know her face. I recognize it from some of the photos of Ben on the internet. “Who is she?” I ask under my breath.
Alesso shoots me a strained look. “I probably shouldn’t say.”
My eyes bore into his. “I didn’t ask you to tell me who she is to him. I merely asked for her name. Are you that afraid of your boss you won’t tell me?”
He runs a finger along the collar of his shirt. “Her name is Chantel LaCroix.”
My brows climb to my hairline. “Any relation to Judge LaCroix?” Judge LaCroix is the chief judge of the New York State Court of Appeals. The judge is on my radar because he has a name for being particularly lenient in granting appeals tied to sex trafficking cases and rumored mob hits.
He scrubs a hand over his chin, and I roll my eyes. “For God’s sake, stop being a pussy and tell me. If the asshole gives you a hard time, I’ll tell him I googled it.”
“She’s his daughter,” he replies just as Ben’s gaze finds mine. His smug smile is in place, like he wore it especially for me.
“Bennett Mazzone. I couldn’t believe it when Daddy said you would be in attendance,” Saskia says, materializing in front of my baby daddy, acting like she didn’t run into him in Glencoe six weeks ago. Her gaze leisurely roams his body. “My, my. Haven’t you grown up.”
Chantel clears her throat, but Saskia ignores her, placing her hand on Ben’s arm. Blood boils in my veins, and I grip the sides of my chair, digging my nails into the velvet padding.
“Saskia, darling,” Ben says, taking her hand and raising it to his mouth. “It’s always a pleasure, and I could say the same to you. You look amazing.” He tilts his head ever so slightly, his eyes meeting mine and holding as he presses his lips against my sister’s knuckles.
Red-hot fury washes over me, and it’s a struggle to remain in my seat, but I won’t give that asshole the satisfaction of knowing he is getting to me.
Instead, I smile sweetly at him as I stretch my arm along the back of Alesso’s chair, leaning into his side and pressing my mouth to his ear. “Drink up, Alesso. I have a feeling you might need a little liquid courage.”
A muscle ticks in Ben’s jaw as he slowly lowers Saskia’s hand, keeping his gaze trained on me even as Saskia babbles away in his ear.
Alesso flinches when my lips brush against his cheek. “Relax,” I whisper. “You’re my date. We need to make it look real.” I sweep my fingers along the curve of his defined jawline while I maintain eye contact with Ben.
His hands clench at his sides, and his look screams a warning.
Well, guess what, asshole? You started this by parading your fuck buddy on your arm and then blatantly flirting with my sister. Don’t issue a challenge if you don’t want me to rise to the bait.
Two can play this game.
Suddenly, I don’t think this ball is going to be quite as tiresome as I imagined.
26
BEN
“You promised this would be fun,” Chantel whines for the umpteenth time, and if she doesn’t put a sock in it, I will shove her annoying ass in a car and send her on a plane back to New York. I thought bringing her would be a good idea. That it would help me to keep my hands and my thoughts off Sierra, but it has backfired in a major way.
“I promised no such thing,” I reply, sipping from my glass of Perrier. “You know how these events go. Don’t pretend otherwise.”
She gulps a large mouthful of red wine before turning to face me. “I thought after months of you giving me the cold shoulder this would be as much about pleasure as business, but you’re ignoring me, and no one ignores Chantel LaCroix,” she snipes.
Leo coughs to smother his snort of hilarity, and I grit my teeth. Chantel is getting on my very last nerve. Add Sierra’s blatant flirtation with Alessandro to the mix, and I am wound tight at a time when I need to remain focused.
The recent Vegas situation has everyone on edge, and we’re wondering what the Russians have planned for their next move. Having all five New York bosses plus their consiglieres and underbosses here, along with strong representation from The Outfit, is risky. We all know this presents the Russians with the perfect opportunity to strike, so everyone is on high alert.
We considered pulling out of the gala, but we can’t afford to insult The Outfit when negotiations are at such a delicate stage. So, we arrived with a large entourage and a plan to get in and out of Chicago without giving the Russians an opening to attack. The ballroom and the hotel are heavily protected withsoldati, and we are all armed, but no one can afford to drop their guard.
Especially me.
So, I need female drama like a hole in the head. “I’m not keeping you here, Chantel. Feel free to leave any time you want.”
“Father won’t be happy to hear how you’re mistreating me.”
