Page 81 of Lovely Venom

I answer without speaking, then hold my breath as I wait.

“Chantel?”

The air in my lungs rushes out on an irritated sigh. “Marco?”

“Did you seriously get me banned from Black Velvet?”

I don’t know what he’s talking about, but it’s safe to say Cristian had a hand in that too. When I don’t respond, he continues his rant, reminding me how much he loves the sound of his own voice.

“I just want to see you so we can talk. You won’t even give me the time of day⁠—”

“Exactly,” I bite out. “Take the hint, Marco. It’s over. I don’t want to see you, and I don’t want to talk to you. Just leave me alone, and move on with your life.”

I hang up, and he immediately tries to call back, but I silence my phone and ignore it.

When I get home, Cristian isn’t there, but Mariella’s waiting for me on my front porch with a bottle of wine.

“Figured you could probably use some company,” she says.

“He asked you to come, didn’t he?”

She gives me a subtle nod. “He doesn’t want you here alone. I don’t either, if I’m being honest. And not because I doubt your capabilities.”

“I know.” I unlock the door and step inside, stopping short at what I see. “Umm…what the hell is that?”

“Our cousin Pepe’s dog.” Mariella laughs.

“Why does he look like the Terminator? And why is he in my living room?”

“He’s a Cane Corso,” she explains. “They’re excellent guard dogs.”

“Are you sure he’s not going to eat me?”

“No. He only eats people when we say the magic word,” Mariella deadpans.

“What’s the magic word?” I side-eye her.

She covers her mouth, leaning in so only I can hear it. “Stavros.”

“Seriously?” My brows shoot up. “Your family really hates the Greeks, don’t they?”

Mariella shrugs and summons the dog. “Goliath, come.”

The beast ambles over, and Mariella introduces us. After some sniffing, he determines I’m not a late-night snack and lies back down on his bed.

“I don’t really know what to do with him,” I admit. “I’ve never had a dog.”

“You don’t have to do anything,” Mariella says. “Cristian already fed him, and his men will walk him at allotted times.”

I nod, though I’m not sure about interacting with the guards. But the dog is already here, and admittedly, it makes me feel a little better.

Mariella and I sit and drink some wine, chatting about nothing in particular. Eventually, I start to doze off, but I wake up when I hear the front door opening.

Cristian walks in, and a heavy silence hangs in the air until Mariella finally breaks it.

“I’m going to head out,” she tells me.

“Are you going back to the island?”