Page 11 of Lovely Venom

Finally, that threat gets through to him, and he backs off. But when he realizes how many people are still watching, he makes one last attempt at keeping up appearances.

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow, babe.”

I don’t respond, and I breathe a sigh of relief as I make my way toward the door. I just want to get the hell out of here. But as the guests clear a path for my exit, I can’t help noticing a shift in the way they’re looking at me.

I expected some smirks on the way out, or maybe even some pitiful glances. But that isn’t what I’m seeing.

As I make eye contact with some of them, they nod as if they’re actually acknowledging my existence. It’s not exactly respect, but it’s definitely not the disdain I’m used to either. It’s more like they’re now conscious of the fact that I’m not a free target for their judgment anymore.

I swallow past the knot in my throat as it occurs to me that the man who chose to make that clear wasn’t even my boyfriend.

It was Cristian.

2

CRISTIAN

“Can I get you anything, Mr. Vitale?”

The doorman eyes me with a wary expression as I lean against the exterior of the house and pull out a piece of gum. My presence seems to unsettle him, which isn’t a surprise. I have that effect on people, and he’s probably wondering why the fuck I’m lurking outside.

That makes two of us.

“No.” I tip my head back against the brick wall, loosening the tie around my throat as I breathe in the cold evening air.

He doesn’t say anything else, and I check the time on my watch. It’s just after nine, and I have no interest in dealing with Marco or any other headaches.

Restless energy has been building inside me all night, and when I get like this, distance and distraction are the only things that work.

Most of the complications in my life can be handled one of two ways. Money, or a bullet. I’m known for being strategic and logical rather than emotional, so decisions have always come easily to me. When I encounter a situation that disrupts that balance, it makes me fucking itchy.

Right now, I don’t know what I need, except to get the fuck out of here. But before I can execute my plan to leave, the front door opens, and a warm, accented voice fills the silence.

“There you are. I was hoping you hadn’t left.”

I turn to see Jolie emerging from the shadows, her heels tapping out a soft staccato as she approaches.

She’s the daughter of Bastien Charbonneau, a major player in the Corsican syndicate.

My family has been in negotiations with his for some time, working on an alliance that would benefit us both. He wants access to a major Pacific port, and in exchange, he can offer us Customs influence in Marseille. It would be a mutually beneficial arrangement that would expand both empires, with one caveat. The French are still rather fond of making alliances through marriage contracts.

Bastien has made it known that he believes his daughter would be the ideal match for me.

On the surface, she’s everything most men in my position could want in a bride. Beautiful, charming, and sophisticated, she would blend seamlessly into my life. Bastien insists she knows what this world entails, and she’s not naïve about how these contracts work. It would be a business arrangement without the complicated emotions most relationships involve.

Considering I have no aspirations of a love match, it would be an ideal fit for me. Jolie would kill two birds with one stone, and she’d never ask me for more than I’m willing to give.

I have no logical reason to reject the proposition, and in fact, it would uncomplicate my life. Because when I give my word, I don’t deviate.

The problem is that logic doesn’t seem to be factoring into this decision. Because when I try to imagine a life with her…I can’t.

“My father was hoping you’d have another drink with him,” she informs me with a hopeful smile.

A Mafia princess through and through, Jolie wants to please her father, who has undoubtedly been her sole source of approval for the majority of her life. I don’t doubt that if I were to walk back in there, he’d corner me with the intention of signing an agreement tonight.

It would solve a lot of our current problems with collapsing shipping routes and Customs scrutiny. More importantly, it would secure our future in the European market and prevent the Greeks from gaining leverage over us. With our volatile history, this alliance isn’t optional, and my family is relying on me to lock it down.

It shouldn’t even be a question, but instead of giving Jolie the answer she wants, I latch onto the distraction when the front door opens again.