“You don’t have a choice, Bianca,” he says, tone clipped. “If you want to go home, you’ll do as I say.”
My nervous system should hide under one of the ivory tablecloths around the balcony. The scowl carved into Benny’s cheekbones is menacing, but not enough to stop my cackling.
“Is there a diamond heist in Monaco you want to throw in while we’re at it? I’m free the rest of the weekend.”
He has the nerve to ask, “What about this is funny?”
“Everything!” I double over. Yeah, this is a trauma response. “You, me, and what army are whacking these people? Your little mafia isn’t getting me killed.”
“I don’t have a little mafia,” he grunts.
I pick up my fork. “Get someone else to do it, Mr. Non-Don. My answer is no.”
This pasta is delicious.
“No?”
“That’s what I said. Get one of your goons to do it. Whatever is going on doesn’t involve me.”
Benny’s gaze drifts toward the sea. A haze of low clouds hovers near the shore. Catania is gorgeous, at least the parts I’ve seen .
“I don’t negotiate, Bianca. I’m in charge.”
“Keep thinking that, Benny.”
Should I order dessert? Gelato sounds good.
“I’m serious, Trouble,” he says more sternly.
“Uh-huh.” I peek over the dessert menu and fight a smile. He’s adorable when mad. “Why me? There’s got to be someone else who wants to be here.”
“I want you.”
The words hang between us with a level of affection that shouldn’t be here. Benny doesn’t care for me, but his tone says otherwise.
“There is no one like you,” he says, quieter. “Your instincts. The ability to extract information from people. Make them feel. It has to be you.”
Dick remnants, I tell myself. Wayward emotions reaching beyond an itch I scratched, cracking my toes and having me singing into a ceiling mirror. That’s what this is.
“You might think you’re in charge, but you can’t force me to do shit.”
Benny leans into his chair and smirks, looking like the tailored devil he is. “Do you know what I think?”
“Not really,” I throw out, to piss him off.
We grin.
“Some level of my life excites you, makes you feel alive.”
“And I plan to stay alive on my own, far away from mafia business. I’m too cute for bullet holes.”
“You’ll get bored. You won’t go anywhere unless I give you permission.”
“Which you will. You aren’t the monster you think you are, Benny. You like being around me and aren’t dumb enough to piss me off.”
His grin widens. “Don’t push me, love.”
I wish he would try to keep me locked up for my entire vacation.
