“And you promised me you would meet my daughter before I risked my life to help you. When you lied to my face and told me falsehoods about the shit Edric got himself into. I risked not only my life, but the future of Cosa Nostra and my family for you. And now you can’t uphold your end of the deal? That’s the kind of man you are? It’s one fucking meal, Con.”
I felt like I was about to betray Aurelia. It was just a meal that I didn’t want to attend, meant literally nothing, but I still felt like shit about it. However, it was the only way I would get Tommaso off my back. “One meal and this is done?”
“Yes.”
“All right . . . fine.”
The outdoor terrace was under the shade of white umbrellas, fantastic views of the city and the mountainous terrain in the distance. I pulled out one of the chairs and took a seat, my heart so heavy in shame it felt like an anchor that struck the rocks at the bottom of the ocean.
“Have fun.” Tommaso walked off, cigar still in his mouth, and headed back to whatever the fuck he was doing.
A seagull landed on the stone ledge, and I watched it for a while, doing anything to distract myself from the guilt that gnawed at my stomach. I knew the lunch was meaningless with no chance of leading anywhere. Just a business meeting, really. But I felt like an asshole anyway.
Gina approached the double doors that led to the terrace and stepped out in a white linen dress with ties on the sleeves. The material had a yellow-and-blue pattern, a distinctly Sicilian dress, perfect for summer. She had long dark hair, a heavy gloss to her lips, and she was thin and tall like her mother.
I’d never interacted with his daughters before. I’d seen them in person at events over the years, but I only spoke to Tommaso’s wife. So this was the first time I’d actually met Gina. “Constantine.” I rose to my feet and greeted her with a handshake instead of a hug or a kiss on the cheek. I pulled out her chair for her to be a gentleman, but it was nothing I wouldn’t do for my sister or my mother.
“Gina.” She sat across from me, a little bit timid and shy.
Fuck, this was awkward. She was twenty-five years old, so almost ten years younger than me, and that made me uncomfortable. It was way too big of an age gap for me. Aurelia was turning thirty this year, so that was close enough.
“My father said you wanted to have lunch with me?”
More likeforced. “He just thought it would be nice if we met each other.” I was careful with what I said, because if I said the wrong thing, Tommaso might get angry. I didn’t want to do this once, let alone twice, so I had to get through it and move on. “So, are you in school or anything?”
“Um, I’m twenty-five.”
“Oh yeah, right. So what do you do with your time?” How long did I have to sit here for?
“Well, I’m really into fashion. My mom and I go shopping a lot. And we spend a lot of time on the boat. It’s better than the crowded beaches ...” She went on for a while, talking about the little details of her life.
I tried not to zone out too much.
When she was done, she asked me about working with her father.
That was something I could talk about all day, so I told her how I got started with Cosa Nostra and then became the emperor of Rome ... and then the downfall that came afterward.
“Wow, that’s a lot.”
“I was in a dark place for a while, but I’m better now.”
“That’s good.”
Tommaso really believed I’d have one lunch with his daughter and turn into a pile of mush? That was all it took for me to ditch my pregnant woman? The man was fucking delusional. Even if I weren’t committed, nothing would ever happen with this girl. Not because anything was wrong with her, but she was just too young for me. I knew most men were into that, but I never had been. I wanted a partner, someone to grow old with, and even if I wanted to fuck someone for the night, I wouldn’t pick Tommaso’s daughter.
We chatted over the three-course meal, and I grasped at straws to make conversation with her. If I wasn’t invested in a person, I naturally didn’t have much to say. So I was forcing myself to keep the conversation going, reaching for anything to talk about to make it to the end.
And then it took a turn for the worse.
“You’re really hot,” she said with a hint of shyness.
I didn’t smile, felt really sick. The self-loathing felt toxic in my bloodstream. I’d hoped that if I kept the conversation cordial and boring, it wouldn’t lead in this direction, but it happened anyway. I didn’t accept the compliment because that felt like treason, and obviously, I didn’t issue a compliment in return because that felt deceitful. But I’d been there for an hour and I fulfilled my end of the bargain, so it was time to bail. “I should get going. I have somewhere to be.”
Chapter 13
Constantine
When I came home from Palermo, I took a shower to wash off the smell of smoke and perfume—like a scumbag who’d just had an affair. I knew I had to tell Aurelia what happened, but I wasn’t in the mood to do it today. Too much bullshit had happened in eight hours, and I was dead tired.
