This is not good.
I looked back at Vitale. He was Manuel’s distant cousin, a year older than I was, intelligent, relentless, and not so fucking foolish. Which had me trying to figure out why thefuckhe was here.
“How’s the Conti estate these days?” I asked, even though I couldn’t hide my discomfort.
“Surviving,” Vitale said, bringing the glass to his lips without looking away from me as he took a sip. “How areyouthese days?” He swirled the contents of his glass.
“Surviving,” I responded as he watched me with those calculating eyes. I looked around before settling my focus on him again. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“What is everybody doing here? I’m having a good time.”
“Vitale,” I ground out.
“I wanted to see you,” he stated, setting the glass on the table and moving closer to me. I inched back instinctively; the resemblance he bore to Manuel always had a way of making me raise my guard. I usually managed it well but it had been a while since I’d seen him. “I see some things never change,” he said softly.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
“You shouldn’t be here either. It has been years, Faizan. My patience is growing very thin.”
“Your statement has a tone that I donotlike,” I said.
His hand wrapped around my arm suddenly, yanking me closer to him. “I am not yourpuppet.”
“I didn’t me—”
His grip tightened into a painful grasp, cutting me off ashe spoke through clenched teeth. “I hold the other end of this fucking string, Faizan.”
“What are you doing?” I whispered.
“I am at my wit’s end with you. We had a deal.”
“And it’s still standing.”
“Is it?”
“Vitale—”
“Problem?” Elio’s voice had my heart almost flying out of my throat as Vitale let go of my arm suddenly but didn’t take his eyes off me.
I took a few steps back from him as I swallowed, looking up at Elio. “N-no problem.”
Vitale picked up his glass and then looked at Elio, the taunting smile back on his face. “We were just having a friendly catch-up.”
Elio’s gaze dropped to the reddening bruise on my arm and then to me; something cold and vacant reflected in his eyes as he looked back at Vitale, the whiskey glass in his hand, the sharp edge of the counter, and then Vitale’s neck.
How could one speak and show without speaking and showing?
The smile on Vitale’s face faltered.
Vitale did not do well with threats. They were merely a challenge to him.
But this challenge might very well get him killed, and that would not happen. Not on my watch.
I stepped closer to Elio. “It’s fine. We were just catching up. We haven’t seen each other in years.” It wasn’t a lie, but Elio didn’t budge or take his eyes off Vitale.
Then I focused on the foolish one who couldn’t see his own life flashing before his eyes. “Vitale,please.”
Vitale reluctantly stood straighter. “I’ll go explore the party. Nice seeing you here again, Zahra.” And then he raised his glass to Elio with a slight nod and that damn smile. “Marino.”
