“To hunt down a letter!” I thought I knew all the players on the families’ chess boards. None have ever dared step onto my territory before without me knowing about it.
I didn’t realize how fast I was driving until the officer pulled up behind me. I pulled to the side and slipped off my sunglasses. He had one hand on his gun, but I knew he would have already run my plate as he approached the window. He knocked twice on the glass, and I lowered it to look up at him.
“Sorry, Mr. Capri.” He took a step back, and his hand dropped away from his gun. I could see by the way his eyes shifted around he was nervous to speak to me. He was clearly new, as the law enforcement in the area knew if they stayed out of my business, I would stay out of theirs. “I just wanted to check and make sure everything was all right.”
“Everything is fine.”
“Very well.” He cleared his throat. “You have a good day, now, sir.”
I gave a tight nod then shifted into first and pulled away. I drove only slightly above the speed limit until I passed through our iron gates. Within the protection of the trees that lined the long winding drive, I tried to let the stress of my afternoon drift away. It wasn’t easy, and it didn’t last long, as once I parked and stepped out of my car at my parents’ home and spotted the young woman, dressed to kill, waiting for me.
“You must be Elio.”
“And you are?” I tried not to sound rude.
“My father is here on business with yours. I thought maybe we could take that sexy car of yours out for the evening.”
News traveled quickly when we first arrived here that I was a bachelor and the son of the great mafia boss, Piero Capri, but that role got old quickly. I knew my father often wanted me to occupy the women who insisted on coming along to get a good look at me. I certainly wasn’t in the mood for this today—or any day, for that matter.
“As flattered as I am that you would let a complete stranger take you out for the evening—”
“You’re not a stranger, Elio.” She stepped closer so I could get a better look at her. She had the usual pencil-thin figure, puffy lips, and thick fake lashes that women seemed to think men liked. “We’ve met before.”
“Again, I’m flattered, but—”
“Really?” She interrupted me again. “Why don’t we finish what we almost started last time?”
Then it clicked for me. Aurora. Her father was the one we were trying to buy more ships from. Dammit! Her father was a big deal.
“How about this?” I gritted through my teeth. “Tonight’s not good, but,” I hid my annoyance, “there’s a party here in a couple weeks. Why don’t you join me?”
“As your date?” A wickedly excited smile spread across her red lips.
“Yes.”
“Sounds like a date, then.”
“I will send you the details once they’re confirmed.” I found a smile.
She stepped forward and kissed the side of my cheek. “Can’t wait.”
I watched as her hips dramatically rolled as she made her way toward the pool. Once I knew the coast was clear, I headed inside to find my father. He needed to know what happened, and we needed to set some new ground rules for me.