Page 28

“Yeah. Dante swept in with an offer. If I marry him, he’ll bail my dad out.”

Stunned, I sip my Prosecco. “Why don’t you ask Antonio to help your dad?”

“He’s the one who put Dante’s offer to me. He strongly suggested I take it.”

Now her mood when Piotr and I got married makes sense. “He spoke to you at my wedding, didn’t he?”

“Yeah.” Alessia’s shoulders slump. I hate to see her like this. She’s been studying so hard, determined to forge a career for herself. Because her family’s not part of the Mafia, she thought she was safe from our fucked-up politics.

“I could ask Piotr to help.”

Alessia shakes her head. “It’s done. Signed in blood and all that.”

“Fuck! Are you sure? I mean, Piotr could…”

She puts a hand on my arm. “Don’t worry about it, Liv. Just say you’ll be my matron of honor and everything will be okay.”

I seriously doubt that, but I’m not about to refuse her. “Of course I’ll be your matron of honor.” I can’t hold back an incredulous laugh. “You’re really going to marry him.”

“Oh, I’ll marry him alright.” Her words sound like a threat and suddenly I wonder if Dante’s the one I should feel sorry for. “Anyway,” Alessia shakes her shoulders as if casting off all negative thoughts. “I have some gossip for you. Renata Romano has been making eyes at Jimmy all night.”

“Jimmy? My Jimmy?” I’m surprised not just to hear he has an admirer, but that he actually came tonight. I scan the room and find him sitting at a corner table by himself.

“Yeah. She’s hot for him.”

“You’re sure?”

“Positive. I heard her asking your mom if he’s still single. They were sweethearts back in high school apparently and it seems she never got over it.”

“Renata’s a widow, right?”

“No, she never married. Her fiancé was killed in a shootout with the Bianchis twenty years ago and nobody else ever offered for her.”

“Wow. You think I should do something about it?”

The idea of playing matchmaker for Jimmy is irresistible. Alessia shrugs. “Will he appreciate that sort of interference?”

“Only one way to find out.”

Leaving Alessia in a better mood than I found her, I head for the corner table where Jimmy is sitting alone, nursing a beer.

“Liv.” He gets to his feet to greet me. Before he can object, I throw my arms around him and pull him in for a hug.

Someone behind us gasps, scandalized. The people in our world are assholes.

Most of them look at Jimmy with either pity or disgust. They’ve long forgotten he received his injuries while being more heroic than most of them will ever be. “Go and ask Renata Romano to dance.”

“She doesn’t want to dance with me.”

“Yes, she does.”

Jimmy looks hopeful for a moment. Then he shakes his head and gestures to his face.

“Okay,” I say with a sigh. “Enjoy your night.”

My bodyguard slumps back into his seat. I hate the air of defeat that surrounds him, but if he thinks I’m so easily deterred, he’s mistaken. I make a beeline straight for Renata and sit in the vacant seat next to her.

“Miss Volante.” Her pretty brown eyes widen in surprise. “I mean, Mrs. Rez…”

“Call me Livvy.” I don’t have time for formalities. “Tell me, you and Jimmy Marrone, you were high school sweethearts, right?”

“A lifetime ago.”

“Do you want a second chance?” I don’t waste any time trying to feel her out.

“Uh, what?”

“With Jimmy? He’s single. You’re single.”

“He isn’t interested in me. I’ve been trying to get his attention all night, and he hasn’t looked at me once.”

I take her hand. “He wants to ask you to dance, but he’s so self-conscious.”

Renata frowns. “Because of his face?”

“Yes.”

“Silly man!” Renata shakes her head. “Only a shallow fool would care about that. What should I do?”

“Ask him to dance.”

Renata bites her bottom lip. “It’s not proper, is it?”

“Who gives a shit about proper.”

I get up and leave her to think about it.

As I resume my seat at the table my sisters-in-law have now all vacated to dance with my brothers, I turn to see Renata approaching Jimmy.

They talk for a moment and then they get up and he leads her to the dance floor.

He scowls at me as they pass me, but he’s not really mad.

“I saw what you did.” Piotr appears behind me and nods toward Jimmy.

“You’re not going to tell me off for interfering, are you?”

“No, I’m going to ask my wonderful, considerate wife to dance.”

We get up and join the thirty or so others on the dance floor.

My mother hired a band that’s playing an eclectic mix of songs.

I don’t know the one they’re playing right now, but it has a slow, sultry tempo.

I put my hands on Piotr’s shoulders and he grabs hold of my waist. We sway in time to the sensuous beat.

I have to admit the man has some moves, but the dance floor is my domain and Piotr soon releases me to watch as I let the music seep into my soul.

As I wiggle my hips, an icy chill goes through me. Dario Maroni is here. Standing by the door leading out to the lobby, he’s staring right at me. When he sees he has my attention, he motions for me to come outside.

“Olivia?” Piotr asks and I realize I’ve frozen in place. “Are you okay?”

“Uh, yes, I just need to go to the ladies’ room.”

He frowns with apparent concern. “You want me to come with you?”

I shake my head. “Don’t be silly. The place is swarming with my brothers’ men and yours. Nothing will happen to me.”

Piotr looks unconvinced, but before he can stop me, I rush from the room. When I get into the lobby, I don’t see Dario at first. Then I spot him at the entrance to the corridor where Emilia and I were attacked on the night some asshole tried to abduct her.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mutter.

There is no way I’m going down there with Dario. I don’t trust him not to drag me out of the building and there’s an exit down there. I follow him a few feet along the corridor, so I’m still close enough to the reception desk that someone will hear me if I yell for help.

“This is far enough,” I tell Dario. In his black pants and white shirt, he looks like a server. I wonder if he’s trying to blend in with the staff. “What do you want?”

“You got my message at the wedding?”

“That was you?”

“Of course. My employer asked me to get your attention. She still wants to sell you the photos.”

“And you came here to tell me that?”

“I couldn’t get to you anywhere else, Liv.” He steps closer and I back up against the wall. He reaches out to touch my face. “I want to help you, Liv. Come with me and meet my employer.”

“I can’t,” I hiss. “My husband is here. Do you have any idea what will happen if he finds us together? He’ll kill you.”

“Yes, I will.” A deep voice draws my attention.

I turn to find my very pissed-off husband standing at the end of the corridor.

Like a coward, Dario runs off, making his escape along the passageway.

I put my hands on Piotr’s chest to stop him from following.

Though I don’t care if he beats Dario to a pulp, I can’t risk him finding out about the photographs.

“Piotr, it’s not what you think.”

“You don’t know what I think, Olivia.”

Before I can speak, he grabs my upper arm and drags me to the elevators. He presses the call button and when the door opens, he flings me inside. Grabbing my throat, he backs me up against the wall.

“Piotr.” I try to soothe the violence I sense in him. “Please, I’m sorry.”

“Oh, you will be, Olivia.” He squeezes my throat until I fear he’ll cut off my air. “Believe me, you will be.”