I don’t have you, Mina.
Because he doesn’twantme. Not the way he wants her. I’m just something he can’t control, and that drives him crazy. He wants to screw me, and then he’ll go back to his beautiful fiancée and his perfect life, and I’ll be left with nothing but memories and burn marks from his belt.
“Ow!What thehell.”
Hands shove at my arms. Miss Barone twists in the chair, wrenching herself out of my grip, and suddenly she’s staring up at me with shock and anger on her perfect face.
“What are you doing?” She’s rubbing her shoulder, her dark eyes wide. “Thathurt.”
I stare at her.
I can’t speak. Can’t explain. Can’t do anything but stand here paralyzed, while the whole salon goes quiet around us and Miss Barone’s diamond ring dazzles in the light.
12
Cristiano
Nico and Paulo stand before my desk, loose-limbed and unconcerned. Tommaso radiates cold fury, his hands clasped behind his back like he’s restraining himself from reaching for his weapon.
“Three Sokoli men,” Tommaso is saying. “Casing the Diamond Grand. Paulo spotted them at eleven, and by midnight they were in the river.” He pauses for effect. “Without a single word to me.”
Nico shifts his weight. “They were Sokolis inside Don Cristiano’s casino. We dealt with it.”
“You dealt with it,” Tommaso’s voice is tight with barely suppressed anger, “without clearing it through the proper channels. Without consulting the capo responsible for that territory. Without—”
“Without waiting,” Paulo says, “for three men to report back to theirkrye.”
Tommaso turns to me, his jaw working. “This is exactly what I’m talking about. No structure. No discipline. Your father had a chain of command that existed for good reasons, and these two treat it like it’s optional.”
I glance at the monitor angled toward me, showing the security feed from the spa. Mina is there, her dark hair pulled back, her hands working the shoulders of a woman in a manicure chair. Even in the grainy footage, Mina is beautiful. The way she moves, confident and graceful. The way she tilts her head when she’s concentrating. Her smile is professional and distant. I wonder what she’s thinking about. Whether she’s thinking about me.
Probably not. And if she is, it’s nothing good.
“Don Cristiano.” Tommaso’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “Are you listening?”
“Every word.” I don’t look away from the monitor. “Nico and Paulo stopped a Sokoli reconnaissance team before they could report back. You’re upset they didn’t ask your permission first.”
“I’m upset about the lack of discipline. The lack of respect for how things are done.” His voice rises. “If every soldier starts making unilateral decisions, we have chaos. Your father understood that.”
“My father’s methods didn’t stop the Sokolis from beating up croupiers from the Diamond Grand twice last month.” I keep my voice level. “Or harassing patrons at the Obelisk the month before that.” I finally look up at him. “Tell me, Tommaso, how was the proper chain of command helping when that was happening?”
Tommaso’s mouth tightens. “There are too many Sokolis. Too much chaos. You don’t simply—”
“I don’t simply what? Protect what’s mine?”
On the monitor, Mina’s fingers move with gentle pressure across her client’s shoulders. I know I’m a monster for watchingher like this. I’m poison to her. I’ve always been poison. She’ll never love me, and I don’t deserve her love anyway. I locked her in my wardrobe when I was fifteen because I couldn’t stand the thought of her leaving me. I stalked her through the streets of Malus until she opened the door a crack, and I forced my way back into her life. I seduced her and left her tied up in my bed while I went to murder my father.
She already thinks I’m the worst kind of man. What difference does watching her on a camera make? I’m already damned. I might as well have these stolen glimpses rather than nothing at all.
I lean back in my chair. “Nico and Paulo saw a threat and neutralized it. Silas Cross warned me weeks ago that the Sokolis won’t stop until someone makes them stop. Last night, someone did.” I glance at my men. “Keep Sokolis away from my casinos. That’s the only protocol that matters to me.”
Nico nods. Paulo looks like he’s trying not to grin.
“This would never have happened in your father’s time,” Tommaso mutters.
In all his years of loyal service, Tommaso never once flinched at the things my father did.
My fingers curl against the desk, knuckles whitening.
