He chuckles and leans in closer. “To see you? Well, I’d do just about anything.”
I eye him. “Are you flirting with me?” I ask him point blank. “Because, I’ll tell you right now. Not fucking interested.”
He scoffs and taps on the bar to get a refill of whatever was in his glass. “Please. I know your reputation,” he whispers.
“What’s that?” I say and tilt my head to the side.
“You’ll do anything with a hole,” he says simply.
I raise my brow. “What does that say about you then?” I ask him.
His face flushes. “Alright… I’m not here just for that,” he admits.
I roll my eyes and look away from him. Tommaso is looking at us, and his expression is even darker. Hungrier. Like he wants to be the one standing so close to me.
I step even closer to Lucas as I’m looking at Tommaso. Jealousy. It’s ridiculous. Yet, I find that I want him to feel even more of it. I like the possessive look on his face.
“What is it you want?” I ask Lucas. “If not to fuck me?” Our noses are almost touching.
Lucas’ eyes flicker with disgust and he leans away from me. “I was just pretending, trying to get under your skin. I’m not a fucking fag,” he mumbles and straightens his jacket.
I shrug and take a sip of my drink. “What then?”
“We want to make a deal,” he tells me. “With Stephan.”
I hum slowly. “A deal?”
“You Bianchis want the Dresvannis gone—we do too,” he says. “We may not have as many men, but we got a new deal of arms recently. We can help when the war gets going.”
I eye Lucas slowly. “I’ll talk to him about it,” I whisper. “But…your reputation isn’t exactly one of a winner right now, Calver.”
“You think I don’t know that? Fuck those Dresvannis. We’ll do anything you want to get back at them. Just tell Stephan. If he doesn’t want our help, we’ll back off.”
I suck on my teeth lightly and then nod my head. “Alright,” I say slowly. “Like I said, I’ll talk to him about it. Just don’t get your hopes up.”
When I look away from Lucas to where Tommaso was standing before, he’s gone.
9
TOMMASO
I’ll be damned if I’m going to watch Aleksandr talk to Lucas Calver, practically mouth to mouth, and not know the fuck is going on.
Carmine hasn’t told me how the issue with the Bianchis and kidnapping went, all he’s told me is that it was handled. For now.
I’m burning up with irritation at the lack of information everyone is giving me.
Walking up to Aleksandr and talking to him in the middle of this event would be a mistake, especially since he’s already been spotted with Carmine and Soren at least once, but I’m dying to know what the hell is happening.
I step up to Carmine and Tiberi while they’re chatting to the left of me with drinks in their hands, Soren is off somewhere talking to some politician.
“Lucas Carvel is talking to…him,” I say slowly.
Carmine looks at me curiously, like he didn’t notice at all. “Really?” he asks.
“It’s gotta be about us,” I insist. “The way they’re leaning in close to each other. Lucas looks like a fucking snake.”
Carmine’s eyes dart over and the second they find Aleksandr and Lucas, his jawline tightens. His eyes glaze over for a moment.
