“What? Ladyboner?” She cackles, popping another bite of lobster into her mouth.
“Seriously,” I prod. “No new guys in your life? Maybe you had a hot date that you forgot to tell me about? You know I’ve never judged you for being the hit it and quit it type.”
“Ha. I wish. But sadly, no.”
Her phone buzzes against the leather seat of the booth and she pulls it into her lap and starts tapping on the screen.
“Maybe you’re blowing up on one of your dating apps right now and that’s why you keep playing with your phone,” I tease.
That gets her attention. Eyebrows knitting together, she sets her phone—screen side down—on the table. “Are you spying on me, Candi?”
I laugh, and then realize she’s serious. “No, I wasn’t spying on you. Calm down.”
Closing her eyes, she shakes her head. “Sorry, God. I’m just…I’m so tired lately. Work has been a zoo. You know how I get when I’m pulling this kind of overtime.”
Do I? Because she normally doesn’t act this odd, even when she’s stressed over her job.
“Mm,” I say neutrally.
“Candi, you’re not losing sight ofwhyyou’re staying with the Bellantis, right?” She folds her arms on the table and leans closer. “You remember the purpose of all this, don’t you?”
I don’t get the chance to answer as the door to the private room opens and a dark, stocky man in a bespoke suit saunters in. My stomach drops, nausea rising in my gut. Casting Juliana an incredulous look, I sit up taller in the booth. Shit. How could she not warn me he was coming?
“Buongiorno.”
Sergio Bruno gives a small bow, his eyes landing on mine as his gash of a mouth turns into an almost predatory smile. Then he turns to Juliana and takes her hand to kiss the back of it.
“Mia ragazza dolce,”he says.
My Italian is poor, but I can parse the phrase. It means “my sweet girl.” His pet name for Jules, apparently. But it doesn’t quite strike me as a term of endearment—to my ears, it sounds more like a term of possession.
“Uncle Sergio,” she replies, as if she’s thrilled to see him.
I know her well enough to interpret that tension in her jaw, though. She’s on edge now that he’s arrived. Although, who wouldn’t be? He’s a notorious mafia boss.
It’s difficult to reconcile this sinister hulk in front of me with the rich, generous uncle Juliana always described him as. He may not have had the time or interest to raise her himself, but he certainly had the means to send her abroad for private schooling and ensure that she had a generous allowance so that her every want and need was met. I assume that’s why Jules feels so indebted to him. But Sergio Bruno isn’t the kind of man you want to owe.
He pulls a chair over to our booth, sits down, and grabs a breadstick. That’s when I notice the two men dressed in black who are posted on either side of the door, their arms crossed over their chests, guns bulging from holsters at their hips. Suddenly, I realize this little drop-in wasn’t just a happy coincidence. Uncle Sergio clearly had plans to be here with us.
No wonder Juliana was acting so strange. She set me up for a grand inquisition, completely without warning, and knowing his physical presence intimidates the hell out of me.
They wanted me to be taken off guard…but why? Jules has always acted as the go-between by collecting information from me and feeding it to her uncle. The fact that he’s here in person is terrifying, and has me paranoid that I’ve fucked up somehow.
Steeling myself, I take a big gulp of wine, hoping it gives me some courage.
Juliana pours wine into a clean glass and offers it to Sergio. He accepts with a cold smile.
“Now, Candi, I’m sure you understand why I was picking your brain earlier to see if you’d acquired any recent news,” Jules says casually.
I say nothing.
“Of course she has,” Sergio interjects. “She’s been that Bellanti’s plaything for how long now? Two weeks?” He turns to me. “Come now, Cassandra. You don’t fuck a man that long and not pick up on something.”
Nobody calls me Cassandra except for my parents. It’s not a name I enjoy hearing. Sergio Bruno knows I go by Candi, but he’s never used it. Calling me by my given name is another intimidation tactic of his. He likes getting under people’s skins, and I’m no exception.
It’s funny…I’ve only met this man a couple of times, but it was enough to scare the shit out of me. Yet Juliana seems to think he walks on water. If it weren’t for her coaxing, I wouldn’t even be involved in this whole scheme.
“Weak spots, Cassandra,” Sergio presses. “I need to know the Bellantis’ weak spots.”
