Page 56 of Dark Breaker

“Uh huh.” He chuckles knowingly and stands. “Get changed. I’ll work on your plate.”

I go to our bedroom and head to the bathroom to freshen up. I don’t bother to change out of my jumpsuit though. I don’t take too well to orders. Usually.

I sit down and he sets a plate containing a steak and risotto in front of me. “Dinner is served.”

Though I’m still wearing the jumpsuit at dinner, Fabio doesn’t say anything. Probably plans to punish me in the bedroom later tonight.

I cut off a piece of steak and put it in my mouth. “Delish.”

“I’m surprised you like it,” he tells me. “In fact, I wasn’t even sure you’d even eat it.”

“Why?” I ask. “You thought I was still mad at you or something? Trust me, for me, hunger beats anger any day of the week.”

“I thought you might be a vegetarian,” he explains.

“Me, avegetarian?” I laugh between bites.

He nods. “At the wedding you only touched the vegetarian dishes.”

“Oh,” I tell him. “Yeah, wasn’t very hungry that night. But trust me, vegetarians and I, we don’t get along very well I’m afraid. I need my meat.”

He smiles widely. “Good. Because I run a meat-rich household.”

“Yeah, you’re certainly meaty,” I tell him with a wink.

He freezes, blinking fast. I get the sense he’s having trouble controlling himself.

My eyes dart to his crotch. Sure enough there’s a nice bulge there.

“Someone’s eager,” I comment.

He smiles. “And sore.”

“You too, huh?” I look away though, wanting to change the subject. There’s something on my mind.

I take a bite of risotto and after I swallow I meet his gaze. “I asked you this after the fundraiser and you didn’t answer me. Well, other than to say the Jackal wants to piss you off. Which really isn’t an answer. So I’m asking again, what does the Jackal want with me?”

Fabio studies me a moment, narrowing his eyes as if considering whether to tell me. Then he seems to make up his mind.

“Leverage,” he explains. “We’re building condos in his territory. I already paid him the protection money he asked for, but he wants more. If I give in, he’ll only increase the price again. He wants you because he thinks I’ll finally pay if he takes you. What he doesn’t understand is that I’ll kill him if he touches you. Before or after I pay him.”

I cut a piece of steak, chew, and swallow. “Does your father know about this?”

Fabio shakes his head. “Of course not. He’d want me to give in again. I’m through giving in. You can only surrender so much before a deal becomes worthless.”

I regard him uncertainly. “You have to be careful. This is the mafia we’re dealing with. I hear the Tunisians can be even more ruthless than the Italians.”

“Well you’ve been hearing wrong then,” he spits. “The Tunisians have nothing on the Italians when it comes to cruelty. Nothing.”

Seeing the coldness in his eyes, I believe him. I’ve already seen some of what he’s capable of, and that’s only a fraction of his true capacity for ruthlessness, I’m sure.

“Besides,” he continues. “If we give in, the Tunisians will only jack up the price again. They’ll keep doing it until it becomes impossible to maintain a profit. It’s a vicious circle. We might as well tear the condo down and build somewhere else.”

“Interesting idea.” I eat another spoonful of risotto. “So why don’t you?”

“Because we can’t. I doesn’t work that way. Not unless you want to lose millions. We’ve already signed the deal with the city. Paid for the rezoning changes. To move now would take us well into the red.”

I cut away a small piece of steak. “What’s a little money to avoid conflict?”