Never mind that I only knew Goldie was in trouble because I’ve been staring at her and thinking about fucking her all night.
“Yes, that’s how Gianna described it,” he says, his face relaxing a little.“You’re not from here.What’s your name?”
“I’m Matteo Rovina,” I say.“Of the West Coast Rovinas.”
It’s what they used to call us and once upon a time, especially when Las Vegas was still under mob control, it used to mean something.These days, it’s a very cringe thing to say and that’s exactly what the guy does.He tries to hide it, but not well enough.
“Eddo’s great-grandson?”he asks.
“That’s right,” I say.“And you’re Victor Codelli… you’re the capo of the Codelli family.”
Given the circumstances it’s better to guess his identity and be wrong than to ask him straight out who he is.
I know I guessed right even before he nods curtly.
“You’re on the run from Moretti,” he says.“Word about that has reached me.You staying put with the guy was the terms under which he let you and your sister live.”
I didn’t imagine he’d know all about this.But then again, my cousin Nico’s father is his consigliere—one of his closest advisors.
“Is that why you saved my daughters?”he says.“To ingratiate yourself with me so we don’t send you back?”
I shift my stance, always a sign of weakness, but what the hell, I’m not exactly in a very strong position here.
“I had no idea they were your daughters,” I say.“And Dante Moretti broke the pact first by going after my sister.All deals are off.I owe him nothing except long overdue revenge.”
Something lights up in the guy’s eyes, like a rogue ray of sunshine glinting off a wet spot on the rocks that are his eyes.It’s gone again in a flash.I delivered all that much too hot-headedly.With too much passion and truth behind my words.Guys like Codelli here, they didn’t get to where they are by wearing their emotions on their sleeves and they have no respect for anyone who does.But fuck it, if he knows who I am, he probably knows why I’m here too.
“And you’re looking for support from your family here?”he asks, leaning back in his high back leather chair.
I shrug and shift my stance again.“Yes.I don’t have any family left in the West.Except my sister, that is.She’s fine now.”
Not that any of them cares how what little is left of my family is doing.This guy’s grandfather was close to Eddo, my great-grandfather.As close as blood, they were.But that didn’t help my family any.I should be keeping my cool, not getting all hot-blooded, but fuck it.There’s a good chance this guy still plans to kill me, or worse, deliver me back to Dante, so I might as well live a little first.
“Very well,” Codelli says and for a split second I think he’s just given me his support.But then he follows it up with, “I’ll let you live tonight, because my daughters are safe thanks to you.”
I nod, wondering if it’d be tacky to say thank you.“I appreciate that,” I say instead, and that’s probably worse.At least going by the glint in his eyes which shines again.
“Get cleaned up,” he says.“I want you back here at seven o’clock sharp.”
“Why?”I ask, speaking before I think again, which is something of a problem for me.
He stands up, the glint of sunlight on stone firing again.“You’ll join my security team.”
He leaves the room by a side door, and I thankfully manage not to stop him with any more impertinent questions.
This is better than I hoped for just a few short minutes ago.Much better given that I thought I was facing death.
But starting at the bottom again, doing grunt work for a boss… I’d hoped to have left all that behind when I left LA.He’s not my capo, yet this isn’t something I can refuse and hope to live.But damn it, I want to refuse him with every last nerve in my body.
Chapter7
GIANNA
Dad was standingin the doorway of his and mom’s penthouse when the elevator door opened.Bruno tried to stop me, tried to herd me into my apartment, saying my father will speak to me later, but I rushed at Dad anyway.There would be no talking later after he killed Matteo, which I was certain would be happening.I was not at all certain it wasn’t happening already.
He retreated to his study and I followed on wobbly legs, yelling at him all about how Matteo saved me, how I’d be dead if he wasn’t there… Chiara too.He didn’t say anything.
Except, “You should’ve thought about all this before you got yourself into trouble.”
