AVA
As we entered the dining room, all conversation ceased. Everyone stared like I had something on my face. It made me feel even more insecure about what I had just done with Stefan. Like somehow, they knew what we did on the patio.
Stefan pulled out the chair for me and took his place beside me.
“Everything okay, Ava?” Salvatore asked, his voice deep and smooth.
I slapped on a fake smile. “Yes, Mr. Luciano. Sorry for delaying dinner.”
“It’s no trouble at all. Your health is our top priority.”
His words put me at ease, and now I realized how much I had overreacted in the first place. But if we weren’t here because of my dad, why did Salvatore invite so many people to dinner?
I hadn’t spoken a single word to my dad. He looked so damn nervous, his hand shaking like crazy. He continued to down the contents of his glass, keeping his gaze on the table.
I lowered my head. “Thank you, Mr. Luciano. I appreciate your concern.”
My dad raised me to be respectful to my bosses. He had instilled from a young age that the Lucianos were in power. And that it was our purpose in life to serve them.
They weren’t going to kill us tonight, but they would find out the truth one day. Maybe by then, his sons would feel the same way about me as I did them. I wanted to help my dad but also felt guilty about it.
I didn’t want to hurt them.
A moment later, the servers set antipasto trays on the table. Now that I could relax, I wanted to eat. So I plucked a piece of mozzarella and prosciutto from the plate and stuffed it into my mouth.
Vittoria Vitale was older than me, probably closer to thirty, and had frizzy black hair. As I ate my food, I noticed her eyes drift to Nico. She licked her lips as she undressed him.
Not like I could blame her.
But despite her constant staring, Nico ignored her.
The staff removed our empty plates to make room for Primi. They put dishes of the most delicious-smelling creamy gorgonzola gnocchi with spinach and pine nuts on the table.
I spooned the gnocchi onto my plate and stuffed it into my mouth, moaning when it hit my tongue.
Holy shit, it was incredible.
Stefan tapped my arm with his elbow. “Baby, when you make those sounds, I want to do dirty things to you.” His lips brushed my earlobe, and I shivered from his touch. “Wait until later. I’m going to devour you.”
I smiled and went back to eating.
Right before they served Secondi— Cotoletta alla Bolognese—Stefan put his hand on my leg and tapped his long fingers. He stared at me like I was his meal.
I dug my teeth into my lip.
Nico leaned over Stefan and whispered, “What did I tell you about biting that lip?”
I smiled so wide my cheeks hurt.
Our brief moment only lasted a few seconds before they served the next course. Something was off in Nico’s body language. I felt his unease when he looked across the table at the Vitales.
Vincenzo Vitale spoke with Salvatore and Dante, mainly in Italian. For the most part, it sounded peaceful. But I could tell they had a strained relationship.
“I’m sorry,” Nico whispered.
“For what?”
Nico snapped his head back to his dad when he called his name. They spoke about the casino and its expansion plans. Vincenzo chimed in with his ideas for a better version of Atlantic City.