Marcello looks unconvinced. “So, we’re playing a wait and see game of cat and mouse? Conti isn’t a patient man.”
“No, he’s not, so I assume an attack of some kind is forthcoming, if not, then he might hold off indefinitely.”
I get up from the table, hinting that the conversation is over. I don’t really want to talk business today.
Riccardo takes his food break, eating in the kitchen, then patrols the grounds until we all leave together after the sun has set. There’s a happening nightlife here, same as in most large cities, so my brothers decide we need a night on the town with Juliet to show her a good time.
We find parking and walk along the Arno. The heat of the day is dissipating, and I wrap my arm around Juliet to make sure she doesn’t stumble on the uneven cobblestones. The drivers are crazy at all times of the day and night, so my eyes are peeled for any trouble. Riccardo keeps watch too.
On a whim, we stop at an outdoor café, order a bottle of red wine, and each have a glass. We sit and talk as poor Juliet gets peppered with questions from my brothers, who have taken a shine to her. She takes it all in good humor and I relax—it’s going well, and they like her. That’s one item I can take off my worry list.
I sit back and enjoy the night as the little lights hang from the outdoor awnings. Occasionally, people walk by and I catch fragments of their conversations floating on the wind, conversations about boys, girls, office gossip. I don’t have that type of life, never have, and spending time with Juliet is showing me that I’m missing something.
I casually glance over to my fiancée, who is so animated as she speaks intensely about her favorite Italian painter. Her passion for art comes out as my brothers sit enthralled.
She’s vibrant and she brings out the best in me, the part I’d buried long ago. I sip my wine as I take in the three of them and commit this picture to my memory. It’s beautiful, a surprise I didn’t know I was eager for. But now it’s happened, I understand my brothers going through strife when a woman they fall for doesn’t feel the same.
How does Juliet feel about me, anyway? We haven’t talked about that. She doesn’t cower from me, which is a good start, and I’m dead sure she’d be happy for me to take her home tonight and fuck her royally. She feels my eyes on her and gracefully turns her head in my direction. Her tiny smile is more beautiful than any lipstick or gloss she could use, and it shines brighter than the most brilliant diamond.
She lifts her glass to her lips that I long to taste again. I imagine licking the thick red Chianti from them, kissing her as I trickle wine from my mouth into hers. My cock is excited and I’m antsy for an excuse to rub it against her, so I decide it’s time we hit the clubs.
I pay the bill, generously tipping our server.
“The clubs should be hopping now. Let’s try the one downtown, you know, our favorite,” Marcello suggests.
“Good idea, let’s walk.”
Instantly, Riccardo is on the move, blending in with the shadows on the street without a word.
Fifteen minutes later, we are at a club called Jab. I hear techno music and sirens from inside and I give my brothers a skeptical look. “Are we really doing this?”
“Please. It will be fun. I haven’t been to many clubs and I’ve been cooped up for so long,” Juliet begs me. Any reservations I had melt away when I catch the imploring look in her eyes.
We enter Jab, with its techno lights and pounding music. I’m dreading this as it’s a younger crowd, but having Juliet on my arm helps a lot. She looks hot even though she’s not in a party dress and she pulls me to the dance floor. It’s some song she likes about Paris, and although I’ve never heard it before, it’s mainstream enough that I can handle it. I take her hand and pull her into my chest, and when she moves her body against mine, I almost explode in my slacks.
I look down into her dark eyes, almost onyx in the low light, and gaze at her jet-black hair and olive skin. I realize she’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman and more. She’s survived kidnapping, meeting her father who is a notorious psychopath, and now, my family.
We get lost in the music as she wraps her arms around my neck and my lips find hers. The entire club and music fade as I get lost in her. She’s everything I’m not—good, sweet, pure, honest. I need her. I want her. I just need to figure out how to neutralize Conti as we can’t live with him in our world. It’s too dangerous.
The song comes to an end, and as we break away. Riccardo is walking around the club talking to other men on our payroll. My capo, Lucca Donatello, is here, and if he’s here, it can’t be good.
I pull Juliet off the floor. She wants to stay and party, but it might not be safe.
“Juliet, we have to go.”
“But we just got here.”
“For once, just do as I say. We need to go.”
I motion to my brothers, who are dancing with some girls, and we make a quick exit to our team standing by the door.
“We have picked up intel that Conti wants to kill you in a way that looks like an accident,” my capo informs me with a solemn face. “Sorry, wish I had better news. You’re not safe anywhere.”
“Fuck,” I explode, punching the wall behind me.
“We need to move, now.” Riccardo stresses the urgency, and my bothers leave with other members of our organization who will stay with them until this is over.
“All right.” I turn to Juliet, who’s in shock and shaking. Sal takes off his jacket and puts it over her shoulders. We go outside and slide into the car that’s waiting for us out front. As we drive off, I notice that Juliet is quiet, which isn’t like her.