The dress thoroughly destroyed, I flop onto the ottoman in the center of the closet and stare down at the ruined gown. Fuck. I'm going to pay for that later. But it was worth it to make my point. Wasn't it?
NINE
Adriano
Being a total shit to women isn't new to me but where Eliza is concerned I find it's harder to ignore the fact I hurt her feelings. I regret the way she fled from the room but with my security team alerting me to a visitor entering the property I needed to get her out of the way.
Let's face it, even if I had time to coddle her in the wake of fucking her mouth, I'm not equipped to offer that sort of comfort.
The women I've been with before didn't require any. That's why I picked them. Eliza is different and I'm not sure how to handle her.
I sit behind the desk as Lukas walks into the room without knocking as per fucking usual. He closes the door behind him and sits in the chair across from me. He never waits for an invitation.
Lukas Rinaldi is one of the most effective men Gabriele has ever employed. We all grew up together but unlike my cousin I don’t hold much affection for Lukas. He broke my Playstationwhen I was eight and my father beat the shit out of me for it. Call me petty, but I’ve never forgiven him for that.
There's an air about Lukas that most people would dismiss as arrogance. He'd have some right to it, I suppose. Gabriele's closest friend and consigliere is the only one of us who went to university.
He gained degrees not only here but in England where he planned to stay before Gabriele's attack brought him back to Rome.
He wields the law as effectively as he does his Beretta. It's why Gabriele keeps him around.
He's not actually arrogant, though. He just doesn't want to let anyone get inside his head so he keeps his distance. The irony is someone already took up residence in there. She just isn't around anymore.
"The Esposito property," he says without preamble. "Gabriele needs a decision by Friday."
"And good afternoon to you too, Lukas."
I have as little time for small talk as he does, but it's worth taking a pause to try to rile him up. Lukas has a stick up his ass which has nothing to do with an air of superiority. He's pining for some woman he left behind in England.
He thinks I don't know that but one of the high-end whores who works for me told me he only ever fucks her from behind and he pays her extra to call him Emily.
Why he's paying her at all is beyond me. Fucking whores is one of the perks of the job.
"You want to chat, do you?" There's a glint of challenge in his eye. "Why don't we start with Eliza Moretti walking freely around your house."
In fairness, if I'd known he was going to drop in on me, I'd have escorted her back to her bedroom myself. I don't tell him that.
"She's not free."
"No? You haven't decided to give her a little room to roam in exchange for favors?"
Beneath the desk, my fingers wrap tightly around my thigh but I show no outward signs of being pissed off.
"Favors, Lukas?"
"Her lips looked pretty swollen."
"Maybe she was having an allergic reaction to something."
He nods thoughtfully. "I've heard your cum has that effect."
"Okay." This conversation is heading toward dangerous ground and Gabriele won't be pleased if two of his closest friends kill each other in a shootout. "Back to the Esposito deal. Remind me what the problem is."
He opens the electronic tablet he was carrying when he came in. The Esposito deal is straightforward in principle and complicated in practice because egos are in play and money isn't smoothing things over.
The Espositos own a property that Gabriele wants Volante Construction to build housing on. It's one of the legitimate businesses the family owns and we all profit from.
I brokered the deal over two years ago. Gino Esposito went to school with my mother and held fond memories of her so he was happy to do business with me.
