Page 48 of The Prices We Pay (Vittori Enterprises #1)

Enzo

“ I don’t really give a shit, Dennis,” I snap to the man on the other end of the phone.

I’ve been going back and forth with this asshole for the last twenty minutes, and I’m just about fed up.

All I’m trying to do is get an estimate for an order of watches to be sold at several of our high-end jewelry stores, and he’s acting like I’m trying to organize a fucking peace treaty.

Shit isn’t that serious. “Either you want to do business or you don’t.

I’m done having the same conversation with you, so when you’re serious, give me a call. ”

I hang up without another word, exit my office, and walk toward the curvy blonde sitting at her desk. “Clara, my one and only. You look absolutely stunning today.”

She steeples her hands in front of her and smiles confidently up at me. “I know.” Because, of course, she does. “What can I do for you, Lorenzo?”

“Could you do me a favor and have about four dozen flowers sent to our penthouse this afternoon?”

Her smile grows exponentially. “Any specific kind?”

My mind flashes to the tattoo on her thigh, the one that covers her scar. “Chrysanthemums. Dark red and purple, please.”

“How about some chocolate macaroons, too?” she asks with a wink.

Leaning over the desk, I plant a loud kiss on her cheek. “You’re amazing.”

“Once again, I know. But it’s nice to be told.” She goes about mindlessly sorting through a stack of papers on her desk and asks, “What’s the occasion?”

“No occasion. She just… she did something really special for me this morning, and I wanted to say th ank you in any way I can. Sometimes words don’t feel like enough, ya know?”

Her curious smile softens. “You’re a good man, Lorenzo Santoro.”

“I know.” I wink back at her. “He in there?”

“Dante and Sebastian are too.”

I walk past her desk toward Luca’s door but stop in my tracks, turn back to Clara, and say, “Oh, and when Dennis the menace calls back in five minutes, just let him know I’ll email him over his contract.”

Clara’s laugh fades into the background as I enter Luca’s office without knocking.

Dante’s standing steady in his usual spot behind Luca, and Sebastian’s working on his laptop on the opposite side of the desk.

“Are you ever in your own office?” I ask Dante. He has one in the main lobby, but he’s hardly ever there. I know it’s because he feels too far away from us when he’s down there and not up here.

“When I need to be.”

I plop down in the chair next to Seb, who has screen-after-screen popping up on his computer. When I lean over to see what he’ s doing, I see each window has the name Andrei Novikov on it. “What are you looking for?”

“Just… looking. Trying to see if there’s anything obvious that I’m missing.”

I clap him on the shoulder, squeezing gently. “You can’t put this all on you, Tesoro.”

His head snaps toward me. “I know. But it’s my job. He shouldn’t have even been able to get away with what he has already.”

Glancing over at Luca, I sigh when he subtly shakes his head. He and I both know there’s no use trying to pull Seb out of his computers when he’s in the zone. So, instead of placating him, I ask, “What have you found?”

His attention refocuses on his computer. “Most of what we already know. He has two sons: Aleksandr, who we obviously know is no longer alive and was the heir to the Bratva, and his younger brother Maxim.”

“I’ve heard about Maxim,” Luca says. “From what it sounds like, he’s even more of a psychopath than his big brother and dear old dad. Flies off the handle for anything and everything. It’s why Andrei has kept him at arm’s length for as long as he has and left most of the hard work to Aleksandr.”

“I’m assuming now that Aleksandr is gone, Maximillion is going to be the new big man?” I add.

“Likely,” Dante answers.

“I did find out who the redhead was, though. Her name is Anya Akimov. From what I can find, it looks like it was some sort of arranged marriage between her and Aleksandr, but now that he’s gone, it seems as if she just got passed down to Maxim.”

“So, we were right? She didn’t want to be anywhere near those men that night?” Luca asks.

“I doubt it.”

“Poor girl,” I add. “An arranged marriage is bad enough, but to be married into that family is another thing entirely.”

“Well, if it is an arranged marriage, her family likely knows exactly what they are getting into. They probably threw her to the dogs without a care in the world,” Dante snarls, his protective instincts flaring for a woman that he doesn’t even know.

It’s one of the things I love most about him.

It doesn’t matter if he’s known you for five seconds or five hours.

He has an innate ability to recognize someone’s true intentions.

I assume it’s part of what made him such a good SEAL.

Hell, it’s what makes him such a good man.

“Anything else?” I ask Seb.

“Nothing that stands out, but I’ll keep looking.”

My hand lingers on Sebastian’s shoulder. Luca smiles softly, and Dante’s stare moves from my hand to my face. “Anybody care to fill me in?” he asks.

“Fill you in on what?”

“The hickey on your neck, your hand on his shoulder, and he”—he nods to Luca—“hasn’t said one thing about your hand being on his shoulder.”

“Well, Big Daddy, aren’t you perceptive?”

“Enzo…” he and Luca both groan in unison.

“I can give you all the dirty details if you want?”

“Please don’t,” the two of them say together.

I wiggle my finger between the two of them. “Okay, I don’t like that. The two of you spend too much time together.”

“What can I say? We’re best buds.” Luca grins at me .

“That might just be the meanest thing you’ve ever said to me, Amico.”

“I’m sure I could think of a way to make it up to you.” His words may be innocent, but his stare says otherwise.

What are the odds that I could get him to fuck me over this desk?

“Okay, so you guys fucked?” Dante’s bold question prompts Seb to look up from his computer. Luca looks mortified that we’re even having this conversation, while I just sit here proud as a peacock. When none of us answer, Dante answers for himself, “Yeah, you fucked. About time.”

“Want to join next time?” I wiggle my brows at the giant man, and all he does is flip me off before recrossing his arms.

The three of us laugh under our breaths before Luca asks, “How’d the meeting go?”

“It went… good. Great actually. I told her about that night in college.” Most might miss it, but I watch Luca’s expression tense at the mention of that night. “I told her I’ve been sober ever since. ”

“And what did she say about it all?” Sebastian asks.

“Pretty much the same thing this one said when I told him.” I nod at Dante. “Just a little less caveman-like.”

D rolls his eyes, but I see the smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Who would have thought?” Luca asks, sitting back in his chair.

“Thought what?” I respond.

“That Josephine Jenkins would have been the one to make everything feel so—”

“Whole,” Sebastian finishes for him.

“Yeah… whole .”

“So, we’re really doing this, then? All of us… together? Because I really want to fucking marry this woman one day.” I look between the three of them, eager to hear their answer.

“Like I said, we’re a unit.” Sebastian’s blue eyes stare into mine before looking at the two behind the desk. “We move forward as one. We build a life together, however that may look. ”

The four of us stare at one another, silently nodding in agreement, more than ready to take on this next adventure.

“What’s going on in here?” Josephine asks as she walks across the room toward us.

Luca pushes his chair back and holds out his arm. Joe sits across his lap and wraps one arm around his shoulders, while he wraps his around her waist. “Hey, Vita Mia. Just having a meeting.” He presses a kiss on her cheek. “I missed you.”

Joe giggles, and all four of us smile like a bunch of fucking teenagers. “You’ve literally seen me like half a dozen times since Enzo and I got here this morning.”

“I know,” he answers, point blank.

Who’s the love-drunk sap now?

“Well, don’t you all look adorable?” Clara announces, eyeing the five of us like a proud mama bear.

Joe doesn’t even attempt to move from Luca’s lap. We all know that Clara isn’t the kind to go tattling to HR. Shit, half the time, she joins right along with me in teasing Luca and Dante .

“What’s up, Claire Bear?” I ask.

“Just wanted to let you know that your delivery is all scheduled and that I just emailed Dennis a contract for him to sign.”

“Oh, good job, Amico,” Luca praises.

“Anytime, bossman.”

“I just got him to stop calling me that.” Luca points his thumb back at Dante. “Don’t you start too,” he deadpans.

I chuckle as Clara continues, “You two”—she wiggles her pointy red nail at me and Luca—“have a meeting with marketing in ten minutes. And you, my dear”—her finger moves to Joe—“have a call on line one in your office.”

“Maybe we should just marry her,” I joke.

“Trying to steal my men, Clara?” Joe glares at her, but there’s not an ounce of heat behind her stare.

“Please,” Clara scoffs. “Not even all four of them could handle me.”

“Atta girl.” Joe winks.

“All right, well, I’m heading out in fifteen. The secretary from the marketing team will take notes of your meeting, and I’ll type them up in the morning.” She spins on her heels and sashays out of the office, calling over her shoulder, “See you all tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Clara,” all five of us say in unison.

“Why don’t you go take your call real quick, and then you and I will head home, Love? These three are going to be a while.”

“Okay. I’ll see the three of you in a bit.”

She kisses Luca, and he mumbles against her mouth, “See you soon.”

She stands and moves toward Dante. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he kisses her deeply. “Keep an eye on these two, will you?”

“Will do, Mama,” he grins and kisses her once more.

I stand as she makes her way around the desk. Before she’s even close to me, I reach out and pull her body toward mine, crashing our chests together. “That was hot,” I say as I look down at her. “I like watching you with them.”

“Yeah, well, you better get used to it then, Sweetie. ”

“Ugh.” I tip my head back dramatically. “Call me that again, and I’ll have to miss my meeting.”

“I’ll save it for when you get home.” Her lips brush against mine, and she whispers, “Maybe you’ll get to watch me with them some more.”

And there goes the last of my brain cells.

She laughs and kisses me quickly before pulling herself from my stunned body. “I’ll be ready to go in five,” she says, quickly kissing Seb on the top of the head before walking out of the office. All four of us unashamedly stare at her ass as she walks away. “Looks good, doesn’t it?” she calls.

“Did she say to you what I think she said?”

I’m still frozen in shock as Seb chuckles and says, “Yeah, I think she did.” Standing, he grabs his laptop and pats me on the back. “All right, well, have fun rebooting Lorenzo over here; I’ll see you guys at home.” Leaning across the desk, he kisses Luca. “Bye, Baby.”

“See you soon, Mio Re.”

Seb pats me on the cheek and speaks softly, “Maybe I’ll get a head start before the three of you get home. ”

That breaks me out of my trance, and I narrow my eyes at him. “Don’t you fucking dare.”

Sebastian raises his brows, and his blue eyes darken. “Wanna try that again?”

Fuck, if my dick wasn’t hard before, it definitely is now. “Probably should, but I don’t think I will.”

And just like Joe did mere moments ago, he whispers against my lips, “Hmmm, I’ll deal with you later.”

“Looking forward to it.”

Without a kiss, he gently slaps the side of my face and walks down the hall toward Joe’s office.

“Tuck your boner away, Amico. We have a meeting to get to.”