“Oh. Are you here to help plant the rose bushes?” She touches her chest with her hand and gives me a once over. “No, I don’t suppose you are, dressed like that. Can I help you? Are you lost?”
I glance down at my suit and shiny black shoes. I spot Marco in the foyer wearing his usual black pants, black polo, and a frown. Even happy, he wears a permanent frown.
If I want us to fit in better and not scare the poor woman, we’ll have to dress the part. “I had a business meeting with Gia this morning. We’ve been working on a project together.”
“Oh. Yes. I think she said something about that.”
Carla appears, saving the day. “Breakfast is ready, Evangeline. Will you be joining us, Mr.—”
“Stone,” I snap. The help has been instructed to refer to me by my name, even if it’s unusual for them.
“I apolo—” I cock my head and she stops. “Stone, breakfast is ready.”
I follow the women to the dining room. A moment later Gia enters.
“How did you sleep, Mama?” She kisses her mother on the cheek before taking a seat next to her.
“As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out. It must have been our late-night chat.”
“I’m sorry for keeping you up.”
“Oh, heavens, no. It’s nice to have you here.” She pats Gia’s hand. “Are your friends joining us?” she asks me.
The corners of Gia’s lips quirks. “I bet they’re hungry.”
I take a sip of my coffee and give Gia a dirty look through the steam. It’s bad enough eating with Maria. I don’t need to have family meals with my men as well. There are times when we eat together, sure, but those are working meals. We don’t socialize together. Hell, I don’t have a social life, period. And as far as I know, they don’t either.
“Carla,” Gia calls. “Can you please tell Marco, Tio, and Lucca to come join us?”
A few minutes later, Tio and Marco appear in the dining room. I almost laugh at the fear and confusion on their faces. Now I see where Gia gets her bossiness from.
“Sit. Eat.” Evangeline orders. “Where’s the other one?”
“Sleeping, ma’am,” Tio says, taking the seat on the other side of her. “He works late nights and doesn’t often get up until after noon.”
“He’ll join us for lunch then.”
The five of them eat in silence for a few minutes until Evangeline begins peppering my men with questions. “What is it you do for work?”
“Security,” Tio says. “Marco is a chauffeur.”
“I’m more than that,” he says as if offended.
He should be. Driving me around is ten percent of his job. He keeps me safe and alive. He takes care of threats. He plants moles. He makes sure Gia is safe.
All three of them do.
Somehow, I make it through breakfast and spend the afternoon making calls, meeting with Tio, and securing the final details of the plan. The only loose thread is Gina.
“I thought I’d find you here.”
I glance up from my computer and am welcomed by a smile and a sexy woman in cut off denim shorts and a short-sleeve tie-dyed shirt. Her legs go on for miles. My dick hardens at the thought of them wrapped around my waist. Of her ankles resting on my shoulders. Of her bent over at the waist with her ass pointed in my direction.
“You don’t have to pretend to be so surly all the time. I get that you must appear all bad ass in front of your staff but come on. Loosen up a little.” She saunters over to my desk and places one butt cheek on the corner. “Thanks for the advance. I’ll pay you back when I can.”
She drops a stack of bills on my laptop. I don’t count it but can tell it’s as thick as it was when I gave it to Marco before they left.
“Was the mall closed?” I’ve never seen her current outfit before, so she had to have stumbled across a boutique somewhere.