Reluctantly she picked up the fake fur jacket and tugged it on. It was pure white, a beautiful contrast to the royal blue of the dress. Okay, she was willing to admit, the jacket made the outfit.
She descended the stairs quickly, aware that she was two minutes past the allotted fifteen minutes. When she arrived by the front door, Giovanni was waiting for her, glancing at the watch that he pulled out of his pocket. A smile tugged at her lips. It suited him; the pocket watch attached to a gold chain. She rather thought he'd be dashing with a monocle as well, but she wasn't going to tell him that. She didn't think that their relationship had progressed to that point yet.
"Ah, there you are, bella," he said, a chiding note in his voice as he tucked his watch away. Then he looked her over with admiration, all chiding aside. "You are stunning. Shall we, Ms. Sotza?" He gave her his arm.
She didn't bother to correct him on the Sotza. Her name was Raina Duncan, after her adoptive parents. Her last name mattered to her, because the Duncans had raised her. They had been good to her. Not only did she feel she owed them her allegiance, but using their last name was also a sign of respect.
Raina loved her birth mother and she adored her stepfather, but she would not erase her past by taking on Sotza's name. However, she wasn't going to argue with the Italian Godfather. The name of Sotza was what was keeping her safe at the moment.
She grinned at Giovanni and took the arm that he offered her. "Thank you, signore.”
He led her out the door toward an idling limousine with tinted windows. He opened the door and helped her slide onto the seat. He closed the door carefully and strode around to the other side.
Giovanni was smooth and she appreciated it. He was a gentleman, much like her stepfather. She had no doubt Giovanni could be as brutal as Sotza, but he managed to keep a veneer of civilization at the same time. She hoped he was living on this side of sociopathic, the side where he could actually appreciate her plight, rather than treat her like another piece on his chessboard.
They chatted easily as they drove. Raina wasn't surprised, Giovanni was an easy person for her to get along with. She asked him about life in Italy, what he loved best about the country and what he thought she should see as a tourist. He was happy to answer her questions, even sometimes becoming animated as he spoke. He was passionate about Italy; a man who clearly loved his birth country.
They arrived at a parking lot where they left the vehicle and stepped into a waiting boat. The wind slapped her in the face as they made their way through the canals. Normally the sights and smells of Venice would capture her completely, but she was preoccupied with her upcoming meeting with Mateo. Her stomach was filled with butterflies.
Before long they were at the club, Banditos. Giovanni stepped out onto the dock and held his hand out to her, helping her until she was standing next to him smoothing her dress over her thighs. She released a long breath as she looked at the door of the club with apprehension. In the light of day, it looked like a regular building. Not nearly as exciting, or sophisticated, as it had the night before. She supposed it was probably this way with all nightclubs. They would never look as awesome in the cold light of day as they did at night.
"You have nothing to be nervous about, I will make sure that you’re protected at all times and that you are not harmed by this man."
“It’s not me I’m worried about.”
Giovanni gave her an unconcerned smile. “I will also be fine, bella.”
Raina let out a short laugh. "Clearly, you have never seen Mateo angry before.”
Giovanni squeezed her hand again and led her toward the door, which a bouncer opened for them. "Clearly you have never seen Mateo Gutierrez angry before or you would not be standing here talking to me." Giovanni threw her own words back at her, but in a much more sinister way. A shiver slid down her spine as she stepped into the darkness of the club.
Chapter Nine
A good night's sleep put Mateo in a better mood. At least a less-likely-to-murder-on-sight mood. His first thought was Raina; the deep and abiding gnawing feeling of concern that wouldn’t go away until he set eyes on her, had her back in his care.
He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, placing his feet on the floor. He ran a hand over his hair and face and then stretched his back and neck, cracking his shoulders.
He glanced at the cheap clock. He'd slept for nearly eight hours. Mateo was usually a strict six hours per night guy.
He snatched up his phone which was plugged into the charger next to the clock. A message blinked at him. It was from Angela.
Meeting with Savino. Banditos. 11 AM.
It was now 10:15 AM. The message had come in late the night before. Angela had done good, arranging a meeting so quickly.
He pushed himself off the bed and opened the blinds, allowing weak sunlight to filter through the dirty window. He took a quick shower, washing his hair and running soap over his body. He dried off and looked through his bag for some clothes.
He hadn't brought much with him in the way of nicer clothes. He rarely wore a suit, preferring outfits that allowed for easier movement. But a meeting with a man of Savino’s standing called for one. He hadn't anticipated needing a suit here, believing that he would grab Raina and get out of Italy. He should’ve known his future bride would throw a wrench into his plans.
Mateo growled his frustration and tossed aside the pair of jeans he’d been holding. If he had taken a room in a more upscale hotel, he could have called the concierge to get someone to shop for him. But with barely half an hour left before the meeting, he was on his own and running out of time. He was about to jerk the towel off his hips and dress in his worn jeans and a T-shirt when a knock sounded at the door.
He picked his gun up off the nightstand, checked to make sure that it was loaded and walked carefully toward the door. Standing to the side he said loudly, "Who is it?"
A female voice filtered through. He couldn't tell what she said, but she sounded like Angela. In one swift move he unlocked the door and jerked it open reaching out for her.
"Hey!" she yelled in annoyance as he dragged her inside. She tripped over her combat boots and let go of the garment bag she was holding, reaching out to grip the doorknob so she wouldn't fall over.
Mateo didn't give her time to right herself, he shoved her to the side, looked both ways down the hall and then slammed the door shut. He locked it and gave her a narrow look. "What are you doing here?"
She huffed out a breath and strode further into the room. "I figured since your ass was getting some beauty sleep this morning, I better get you some appropriate attire for your meeting with Savino. He surrounds himself with smartly dressed people, which tells me he isn't one to enjoy the presence of a roughneck."
Mateo grunted and walked away from her, leaving her to pick up the garment bag and toss it on the bed. He was being ungrateful, but he didn't care. He never cared. This was him. He didn’t observe social niceties. They were a waste of time and likely to get a person killed.
"You spoke to him." Not a question. He wouldn't have a meeting with the man if Angela hadn't met with him first.
She nodded. "A strange man, but I don’t think he’ll have us all killed or anything. As long as you don't say the wrong thing."