He followed my gaze to the woman I couldn't stop staring at. "I heard she was payment for a gambling debt that was owed to him," he told me. Veda looked at the woman with new interest, and I could tell she was disturbed by his answer. That didn't surprise me. She wasn't from our world, and she was still soft.
However, these types of things happened all the time. It never bothered me before. It wasn't my business. So why was it, with this woman, I suddenly wanted tomakeit my business?
"Tris? What is it?"
Tearing my eyes away from the woman's smooth, bare legs—that I could now clearly see across the room as the crowd parted, along with the four-inch black heels she wore with her red dress—I turned back to Luca. "I just feel like I know her from somewhere." Not exactly the truth, but not quite a lie, and it was a reason Luca would readily accept.
From the corner of my eye, I saw him glance her way again before his attention came back to me. "She does look familiar." He glanced at her again and frowned. Then shook his head slightly. "It doesn't matter. I would forget about her if I were you," Luca warned. "She's Gino's property now. And you know how he gets. I don't want to rock the boat with him right now."
As I watched Gino slide his hand over her ass and squeeze it, my skin crawled, and I nodded in agreement. I didn't want to rock the boat either.
I wanted to fucking sink it.
Luca took that opportunity to change the subject. "But speaking of Gino, I need to discuss a few things with him about his son, Salvatore. If he can't get that boy under control, he's going to start a fucking war."
"Still going after the Irish?" Salvatore had shot one of them in a club not too long ago. Luckily, Salvatore's brother, Gildo, had been there and knocked the gun away so the bullet only grazed the other man. The club owner, however, was the victim's older brother and the leader of their gang, and Gino had had to dish out a lot of money and a few favors to calm him down. Last I'd heard, the matter had been settled.
"Just one Irishman in particular, it appears. And I'm about to find out why." He turned to Veda, and I watched as his eyes devoured her face like he wanted to memorize every feature. I didn't understand their connection, yet I couldn't tear my eyes away. Taking both of her hands in his, he lifted them to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. "Will you be okay until I get back, amore?"
She smiled at him. "I'll be fine. I'm gonna go congratulate the bride and groom." She raised her face to his and gave him a lingering kiss, then smiled at me in the timid way she always did and walked away. I made her uncomfortable, but it didn't bother me. Most people gave off that vibe when I was around them. However, there was no need for her to feel that way. I would never do anything to harm her, no matter the circumstances, because I knew if I did, Luca wouldn't like it. Perhaps I should talk to her sometime and explain this to her. It might help her to relax around me. This was her home now, after all. And I was a permanent fixture in it, as was Enzo.
I followed Luca to the bar where Gino was handing the dark-haired woman a drink in a martini glass. She had removed the cream-colored fur from her shoulders and tucked it beneath one arm, showing off the short sleeves of her dress and her upper arms. There were two freckles on her left bicep just above her elbow, one slightly larger than the other, but otherwise, her skin was unmarred as far as I could see. Her face and arms were unmarked by piercings or tattoos, except for one hole in each of her ears, which told me she didn't blow her money on frivolous things. She glanced over at me when we approached, then nervously lowered her eyes so her dark eyelashes hid her thoughts from me and took a sip of her drink. Her long hair, so dark it was nearly black, was pulled back on one side and fell in soft waves over her shoulders and down her back. My hands fisted at my sides, imagining those thick, silky strands intertwined with my fingers. And I suddenly wished we were alone so I could see what it looked like against the pale skin of her breasts.
My cock swelled at the thought.
Frowning at my body’s reaction, I studied her, wondering why I was fantasizing about this girl. Sex, for me, was used solely as a release of tension. Something I only sought out occasionally and did alone.
"Luca!" Gino interrupted my thoughts as he grasped Luca's hand and leaned in with pursed lips to press them upon both of his cheeks in the old way of greeting. Tension tightened my shoulders as I watched him. Still, it amused me to see how big of a kiss-ass he'd become since Luca had risen from underboss to boss in the family.
"Gino," Luca responded, not quite as warmly. "May I have a quick moment of your time,per favore?"
"Eh, can't it wait?" Gino waved his wineglass in a wide arc, taking in the room of people laughing and drinking around them. I watched as it sloshed dangerously close to the edge of the glass and then onto the expensive floors of Luca's lake house. "This is a celebration! Not a time for business."
Without taking his eyes from Gino, Luca gestured at one of the servers hired for the event and pointed to the spilled wine. "I'm afraid it really can't wait," he told him, pulling him aside so the server could clean up the mess he'd made.
The grin on Gino's face faltered for a moment before it came back in full force. He glanced at the woman beside him, then back at Luca. "Are you certain it can't wait until tomorrow, at least? It's Luna's first night out, and I hate to leave her all by herself."
Luna.
Her name locked into my memory.
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid it can't," Luca insisted.
Gino studied him for a moment, then, with a great sigh, set his glass down on the bar. "Your father would never be so uncouth as to discuss business during a wedding."
"My father is dead," was Luca's simple reply. "God rest his soul."
Gino eyed Luca. "Sì, I know."
It was no secret that some of the Cosa Nostra believed Luigi had been prematurely removed from his seat as head of this family, and that it had been done under Luca's orders, which wasn't entirely true. However, Gino was the only one who had the balls to say it, more or less, to Luca's face.
Luca ignored the jibe. "It's important,mio amico," My friend. "And it will only take a few minutes. When we return to the party, I'll buy you a drink."
"Ah, but you already have." Gino lifted his wineglass, "Since it's an open bar. But how about a dance with yourbella donna, eh?"
Gino's eyes wandered over to where Veda stood, laughing with the new bride, and I idly wondered if he was aware of how very near to death he was at this very moment.
"I'm afraid Veda's dance card is full for tonight," Luca told him evenly. Even so, something about his tone had Gino glancing at his hard blue eyes before quickly looking away and bowing his head.
