“Yeah, I did,” I reply as my glare shifts to Carlo. “This part you’re not going to like so much.”
“What?” he asks.
“The name he gave me. Joey Marciano,” I say.
“Fucking hell.” Carlo slams the lid down on the platter with a loudclank. “Thank you,” he says. “But I’ll handle it from here.”
“You think she knows?” I nod towards the door Antonia disappeared through.
“Not in the slightest. She’d tell me,” Carlo insists with a confidence he probably shouldn’t have.
“How sure are you about that?” I press him.
“She just had lunch with him, came home, and immediately told me the fucker ordered her to steal something from me,” he says.
“What he want?” Louie chimes in.
“This,” Carlo picks up a flash drive and holds it in front of the camera. “It has enough evidence to earn the fucker five life sentences.”
“Youturning rat?” I ask.
“Fuck no,” Carlo hisses. “I wanted his daughter, and I was going to get her how ever I could.”
I had a feeling there was more to their relationship than a quick arranged marriage between strangers. They are way too close, too in sync with each other to have just met.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Sitting in the car next to Emmanuel as he drives is starting to become one of my favorite things to do. There’s something sexy about the way he drives, or maybe the vibrations of his fancy car are what’s turning me on. I look at Emmanuel’s hand on the steering wheel. His other one is on the gear stick. Nope, it’s definitely him. Those dark, tattooed hands are hot.
Then again, it could be the memoriesof how those hands work their magic on my body. I’m not sure it matters at this point. I’m almost ready to tell him to pull the car over and let me jump on his dick for a while.
Before I can make the suggestion, he turns onto the circular driveway and stops out front of Charlotte’s casino. “Thanks for the ride,” I tell him.
Emmanuel looks at me, really looks at me. Then he draws out a card and flicks it in my direction. “Room 666. Go straight there,” he says.
“Why?” I ask, looking at the card.
“Because you are mine, and right now, you need something that only I can give you. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I let you go… unsatisfied?” he asks.
“Still not my boyfriend. And I’m more than capable of satisfying myself. Pretty sure you’ve seen proof of that.” My cheeks heat, but I fake the bravado I don’t feel.
“Go to the room, Evie,” Emmanuel says.
“Go to hell, Emmanuel,” I counter. I don’t know how many times I have to tell him I’m not a dog.
“I’m already on my way there, but before I arrive, I’m going to enjoy heaven as much as I possibly can.” He winks. “Just in case that wasn’t clear, heaven is your pussy.”
“Yeah, I got that.” I roll my eyes and get out ofthe car. I take the card. Because as much as I like to give him shit and want to stand my ground, he’s right. I am horny, and I know if I meet up with him, I will be leaving one very satisfied woman.
As soon as I walk through the front doors of the casino, any plans of meeting up with Emmanuel go out the window when I’m jumped by an overexcited Charlotte. “Oh my gosh, I’ve been waiting forever for you,” she says. “I can’t believe you’re finally back.”
“I only just left.” I laugh. Honestly, if it weren’t for the store burning to the ground, I wouldn’t be back here. The thought of everything I’ve lost hits me, and I hold on to my friend a little tighter.
“Are you okay? I’m so sorry about the shop. I know it was your dream, but we can rebuild, right?” Charlotte asks. “And you are safe. I mean, you weren’t in the store—thank God.”
“It’s going to be okay,” I say while wiping a stray tear from my cheek.
“Oh, Evie, shit. Okay, we’re going to work through this together. We’re going to find you a new location, and I’ll even help you go through catalogues for more stock,” Charlotte offers.
