He stops me at the bottom of the stairs. “Yes, all that.” He looks toward the arched doorway that Tommaso had disappeared down earlier, looking nervous.
“Is this because Tommaso is here?”
“Don Santoro,” he corrects me with disapproval. “And yes. But not only that…”
“Why?” I press.
Davide glances around again before he speaks. “Your father is under a lot of stress lately. Don’t anger him. The other reason is that it’s not only Don Santoro here with his consigliere and his second-in-command; Don Pisani and his son, Vincenzo, are here as well.”
“What?” I choke.
What thehellis the Don of the founding family of the ‘Ndrangheta and his heir doing here?
Davide walks us toward where the wolves are gathering. Dread settles in my stomach like cement, threatening to drag me down.
My father has become an ambitious and conniving man, a stranger from theBabboI used to know and love. But what the hell is he up to?
Chapter 5
Tommaso
Theairisstolenfrom my lungs the minute Gina walks into the room.
She’s beautiful, but it isn’t the clothes, how her hair is styled, or the make-up she’s put on. It’s her entire being, her light. She radiates, even when she showed up tired and travel-weary in her sweatpants and ponytail. But right now, with her quiet confidence and the spine of steel I suspect she has, she gracefully walks into the room and greets her parents’ guests.
Davide’s eyes are on her from the doorway, and I stiffen, not liking the look of desire on his face. I may just end up killing him after all. He notices me looking at him, orglaringat him, and he acknowledges me with a quick nod, then takes his leave.
“What’s going on with you, brother?” Silvio asks me quietly. Then he tracks where I’m looking—at Vincenzo kissing Gina’s hand—and can likely feel the possessive anger that is rapidly turning to fury as I keep my features unreadable. “Oh, damn. Is this going to get interesting, Tommaso?”
“Do you know the Caruso girl?” Marco asks from my other side.
“She’s not a girl.”
“No, she definitely is not.” Silvio whistles quietly through his teeth. “That one is all woman. Isn’t that right, T?”
I know that he’s taunting and testing me, pushing me to see what I’ll do, but dammit, it’s hard not to punch him in the face.
Guila talks to Emanuele and Vincenzo while Caruso grips Gina’s elbow and walks her toward us. I make sure the skin on her arm isn’t pressed in, indicating he’s gripping it too hard. Luckily for him, he isn’t.
He smiles, trying to hide his unease and fear of me. “Let’s finish introductions, then we’ll eat.” He laughs to break the tension.
I remain stoic and cold as I look at him, but as soon as my gaze turns to Gina, everything inside me eases.
Without a thought, I lift my hand and gently run it over her cheek where Caruso had struck her. “How is your cheek?”
Her face flushes, and the heat spreads down the long, graceful column of her neck and toward the gentle swell of her breasts under the fitted bodice of her dress.
Fascinating.
“Fine.” Her throat moves as she swallows, and I fight the overwhelming urge to sink my teeth into her flesh and mark her.
A throat clears beside me; it’s Marco reminding me where we are and that I’m acting inappropriately. Especially since I’m soon to be married to another woman.
Dropping my hand, I make introductions. “Gina, I’d like to introduce you to my brother, Marco, and Silvio Romani.”
“Tommaso’s right-hand man, of course.” Silvio takes her hand and kisses it like Vincenzo had, making me grind my teeth. “He can’t wipe his ass without me, you know.”
Marco makes a sound of disapproval, and Caruso’s eyes bug out, never having heard Silvio joke before.
