“I prefer not to. I prefer we find my cousin's location and kill the son of a bitch before it escalates to that. But seeing as we have no leads . . .”
“That’s not necessarily true,” Lorenzo says.
“What do you mean?”
“We have her.”
“And you think my cousin genuinely likes her? My cousin doesn’t give a shit about anyone.”
“No, but your cousin cares about taking over New York. If he thinks he still has an in, it could work to flush him out.”
I cross my arms and think about what he says as I start to pace.
Back and forth. Back and forth.
He might be on to something.
It might be a good idea to use her as some sort of bait. But by the looks of her this morning in her bathroom, I’m not 100% sure she would willingly help.
I can ask her, or I can tell her. I didn’t find out exactly what her father was hanging over her head, but I can and then I can use that as a means to get her cooperation. I can even make it seem like she’s working with her father. That she is working to take me down and then by doing that she can maybe find out the location of my cousin.
“It’s a solid idea.” I nod my head.
“Will you tell her?”
“I’m not sure yet. I’m going to see what happens tonight. We need to find out about her past. Figure out what happened and why her family is paying a substantial amount of money to her ex-nanny.”
“I will get on it right away. I’ll get in touch with Jaxson Price again. If anyone can find out, it would be him.”
“Offer him double to expedite the request.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? Won’t he always expect it?”
“I don’t give a rat’s ass what he expects. He’s the best, and I want the information now. I have no problem paying if it’s worth it.”
That is the reason I am in charge. I don’t nickel and dime anyone. I pay what something is worth, and into that equation I allocate time too. What your time is worth. My time is priceless, but that’s a whole different story.
“Is there anything else you need?” Lorenzo stands up, ready to leave. He looks around, anxious to start working.
“No. Have most of the men stay here.”
“Are we not going back to the city?”
I shake my head. “I’ll keep a team there too. But I think with the shipment, it will be easier to transport it from here.”
He pulls out his phone and starts typing into it, sending a text. “Anything else I need to tell the men?”
“Nope. We are all set. I’m going to hit the gym, then get ready. If you need anything, I’ll be working out. When Giana and the stylist arrive, show them to Viviana’s room.”
“Do you think it’s a good idea to let them spend so much time together?
“It’s either that or let her talk to her friends.”
“True.”
I walk past him and out into the hallway. I take a few steps before looking over my shoulder. “Until we know what we are dealing with, she’s not to speak to anyone outside of the family.”
“I think that’s a good plan. How do you think she’ll take it?”
“I really don’t give a flying fuck.”
Hours later, I’m dressed and ready to go. I make my way to Viviana’s room. This time, I knock.
I don’t have to, but since I need her on her A game, I don’t want to get her frazzled. My knuckles bang on the door once, twice, and on the third knock, I hear her footsteps.
“Who is it?”
Silly question. As if I would let anyone near my wife’s room without my permission, as if they would even attempt.
“The fucking pope.”
“Sorry, I stopped believing in God when a mobster forced me into marriage.”
“You were always going to be forced into marriage with a mobster. So don’t act like this marriage is coming out of left field.”
Surprisingly, that makes her open the door. I expect her to give a little pushback, but she must realize she has no choice.
There she is.
Her hair is blown out, and she has a light dusting of makeup on her face. She’s wearing a dress, it’s black with tiny rosebuds on it, and she has boots that come above her knee.
My wife—no matter how many times I refer to her that way, it always feels little odd. But that’s who she is, my wife. She’s a gorgeous woman, and if she was anyone else, I would’ve fucked her last night.
Hell, I should have fucked her the first night I saw her at the club. But I’ve got big plans for Viviana. So, keeping my dick in my pants for now serves me better, then I can serve her up by dangling her on the hook.
Plan or not, it doesn’t stop me from admiring how sexy she looks. When all is said and done, I’ll have her, but not yet.
“Are you ready?” I ask, and the look on her face is fucking priceless. Her eyes remind me of one of the cartoon characters whose eyes pop out of their sockets. At this point, she looks so scared she might turn into the Road Runner and make a dash for it.
“Are we leaving now?” She takes a step back, now going in the wrong direction.
“Yes.”
She turns, and her eyes are no longer visible. I don’t like it. Viviana is easy to read because her features give everything away. Without being able to see her, I can’t learn every tell of hers. I won’t be able to read her lies.
“I thought I had more time.”
“Well, you thought wrong.”
“Shit,” she mumbles under her breath before turning over her shoulder and looking at me.
The fear that was in her eyes only moments ago seems to be replaced with another look. Now her lip is a flat line, and there is a small line between her brows, but it’s her shoulders that clue me in to what she is doing. She is putting up her walls.
A façade probably needed to deal with her father.
I watch her for a moment before I move to walk out the door. When I take a step, I speak over my shoulder. “Let’s go.”
“I’ll just grab my bag.” She walks over to the corner of the room and grabs her stuff and then steps closer to where I am. “Okay, I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” Her back is now ramrod straight.
I like this look.
Making herself appeal regal.
She is the queen that she needs to be to stand by my side.
After silently appraising her, I start to walk down the hall. Viviana trails me. With the house quiet today, the clanking of her heels is the only indicator she’s following me.
The air between us is silent as we walk to the garage, and then we get into the G-wagon. Although it is a nice car, that’s not why we take it. Despite what it looks like, it’s my safest car.
Bulletproof.
Built to withstand almost anything.
Roberto is in the front seat. He will be driving us tonight.
I take a seat in the back beside Viviana.
She won’t look at me when I get in beside her, and as we drive, she stares out the window.
To the untrained eye, she’s acting unfazed. But I see past her façade.
She’s nervous.
Her finger is tapping a pattern on her thigh she doesn’t even realize she’s doing. I wonder what she’s nervous about? Obviously telling her parents that she’s married. Is she nervous her father will try something? She must know she’s safe with me. But really, why would she know that? I’ve given her no reason to feel that way.