“Bennett. What a wonderful surprise.” Anais leans seductively against the doorway, her gaze skating over Ben from head to toe, her eyes filled with unconcealed want. I cringe a little for the boss.
“Anais.” Ben’s tone is clipped, and he avoids looking at her, purposely looking over her head. “Where is your father?”
“I’m here.” Salerno materializes behind his daughter, wearing a black suit with matching dress shirt and shoes. He’s standing tall, all trace of his serious injuries now a thing of the past. “Cover yourself up.” He slaps his daughter on the ass and shoos her out of the way. “Show Don Mazzone some respect,principessa.”
“Of course, Daddy,” she coos while ogling Ben. She wiggles her fingers at him before skipping up the stairs, and I swear I feel the relief oozing from the boss.
Salerno chuckles as he watches her departing back, enjoying her antics. “She’s a live wire. She gets that from her mother, and her half-sister is a fully-fledged bona-fide bitch,” he adds, stepping aside to let us enter. “Thank fuck I married her off and washed my hands of her a long time ago.”
I have no clue who he’s talking about, and I don’t care either. We are here to discuss the plan to reclaim Vegas. As far as I’m concerned, the quicker we get Salerno and his mob out of our territory, the better.
We trail Salerno into his office, taking the high-backed leather chairs in front of the roaring fire. I accept a scotch although I have zero intention of drinking it. We’re made men. We drink a lot, and drinking during meetings is not uncommon. But come on. It’s eight a.m. That’s early, even formafioso. Still, to refuse would be insulting to Don Salerno, and he’s known for his short fuse. I have a role to play, and I’ll play it.
“I don’t believe we’ve met.” Salerno eyes me over the rim of his glass, and though I want to punch him in the face for the slight, I give him a tight smile instead. I’ll let Ben handle this because I’m sure he intends for me to observe and not intervene, unless asked. He has made it clear no one is to know I’m training to potentially become his futureconsigliere. I won’t jeopardize my future
“Come now, Saverio.” Ben drills him with a sharp look. “You know who Alessandro is.”
A smirk curves the corners of Salerno’s twisted mouth. “I’ll rephrase. Why is your wife’s bodyguard here?”
“Who I bring to our meetings is none of your concern,” Ben coolly replies. “Unless you no longer want my help?”
Saverio chuckles, crossing an ankle over his knee. “Touchy this morning, aren’t we?”
“Ben has a full schedule today,” Leo says. “I suggest we get down to business.”
“I see you got out of bed on the wrong side too,” Salerno says, because the man’s clearly an idiot. “Drink up.” He jerks his head at Leo’s untouched scotch. “It might help to loosen you up.”
“So would my foot up your ass.” Shrugging, Leo puts his drink down on the side table. “I enjoy my scotch but not for breakfast.”
Ben’s mouth twitches, and I set my drink down when he does. Salerno is now the only one drinking, and I can tell he’s pissed, but his hands are tied. He needs Ben and The Commission, so he’s got to bite his tongue. I bet it’s the first time in his life he’s had to do it, and it grates on him.
We spend the morning going over the plans Ben and The Commission have drawn up. I play devil’s advocate, as requested, challenging and questioning the strategy, and we make changes until everyone is satisfied.
By the time we are leaving, several hours later, Salerno’s mood has vastly improved. “Stay for lunch. I insist.” He slaps Ben on the shoulder, grinning like a maniac. The scar on his face pulls tight, and he’s like a walking nightmare. It doesn’t seem to hamper his ability to get women though. Go figure. Ben would have probably accepted the lunch invitation except Anais chooses that exact moment to saunter down the stairs in a minuscule, tight black dress and heels that wouldn’t look out of place in a nightclub.
“I thought we’d go out for lunch, Daddy.”
“Great idea.” Salerno pulls her in close, smacking a loud kiss off her cheek. “You look ravishing, and I should show you off.”
“We’ve got plans,” Ben says. “Maybe some other time.”
Anais steps forward, placing her hand on Ben’s chest and tilting her head up. “You could change your plans,” she purrs, and I’m sure she thinks she’s seductive. But it’s like Kim Kardashian attempting to impersonate Marilyn Monroe—all kinds of wrong and nothing remotely sexy about it.
“I can’t.” Ben pries her hand off him like it’s poisonous. Leo chuckles under his breath. Ben can barely hide his intolerance for her.
“Anais.” Salerno’s tone holds warning, along with his expression, and it’s good to see he doesn’t always give her free rein to do whatever she pleases. “Stop disrespecting Don Mazzone. You can’t go around touching made men.”
“Bennett and I have a special relationship.” Her words are loaded with innuendo, and Leo’s not laughing anymore.
“Control your daughter,” Ben says, glaring at Salerno. “And ensure she’s locked in her room the next time I call or you and I are going to have a falling out.”
A muscle clenches in Salerno’s jaw, but he’s smart enough not to go there. “My apologies. She means no harm.”
“I very much doubt that,” Leo supplies, folding his arms and slanting a stern look in her direction. “That mouth is going to get you in big trouble one day.”
“We need to leave,” Ben says, subtly shaking his head at Leo. “We’ll be in touch,” he tells Salerno before we exit the house.
“You shouldn’t have stopped me,” Leo says as we walk toward the car, and Ciro starts up the engine. “Someone needs to tell that girl to button her mouth and shut her legs.”
