AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He sighed. “Mine this time.” He withdrew his hands, using a towel to pick up his phone. “Shit. I have to take this inside.”
“Sabrina?”
“Dimitri.” He stood. “Which means it’s work-related. He knows I’m on vacation.”
“You’re on a babysitting trip so the love birds can fix their problem. You’re not entirely on vacation.”
Bending over, he swatted my rear as he answered. Pronto. He lowered the phone. “I’ll see you in a bit.” He placed it to his ear again and spoke in Italian as he strode back into the house.
Taking a deep breath, I stood, pulled the top section of my chair up, and sat back down. Stretching my long, bronzed legs out toward the ocean, I inhaled a deep breath. The smell of the salty sea air mixed with the aroma of coconut-scented oil and floral arrangements on the elevated deck behind me, floated through the peaceful air.
I picked up my earbuds, pushed them into my ears, and scrolled through the music app on my phone to my favorite playlist, Beach Vibes. Closing my eyes, I wiggled my feet and bobbed my head to my favorite song, while singing along probably louder than necessary.
DING DING!
Two notifications rang back-to-back through my earbuds. Glancing down, my eyes widened when I saw James, Elizabeth’s father, had texted me.
Shit is about to hit the fan here.
Are you ready for another therapy session when I get back? ;)
Cocking a brow, I chewed the inside of my bottom lip before responding.
What happened? :O
The message showed Read promptly, and he began typing a response. Bracing myself for his reply, I thought back to how it all began… with him venting to me about things going on at home.
Occasionally, James would venture in, donned in his sexy designer suits, sometimes with a briefcase in hand to meet with the Italian men who frequented the club. Friends of Dimitri and Vincenzo. James was a high-profile criminal lawyer, so it came as no surprise he’d be in an establishment like Abruzzo’s. The same place I realized, shortly after working there, was a façade for the mob and whatever businesses they ran behind the scenes.
He’d often sit at the bar, sipping on drinks after work before returning home, or club soda before heading off to the gym. I always wondered why he wouldn’t just have rushed home to see Alicia. She was stunning, and though a little cranky with her family, I thought everything was just fine between them; until the night everything changed.
He stepped off the elevator into the crowded, Roaring Twenties-themed lounge with his hands nestled in his pockets. I caught his eye and smiled. “One minute,” I mouthed just as a spotlight passed over, illuminating me. He nodded, though I was unsure why he didn’t just go sit with his clients or… friends. Whatever they were. I rushed over to a table, setting three drinks down in front of the customers, then hurried to James.
“What are you doing here, Mr. Whitman?”
“James, Maddie.”
“Just trying to be professional when I'm here.” I lowered the tray to my side. “Here, you’re a customer, not my best friend’s dad.”
He rolled his eyes in mild amusement. “I’m meeting Vinny in the back.”
“Mmmkay?” I snorted. “Why’d you stop out here? You know you can just head to the back when you want.”
He shrugged a shoulder. “The music is nice. I thought I might enjoy a drink first, but it’s crowded, and I was looking for a seat.” He craned his neck, scanning the room, then opened his mouth to speak, but the trumpet solo drowned out the first part of his sentence. Shaking his head with a faint grin, he leaned forward, placing his lips next to my ear. His fingers curled around my elbow. “Is Eliza here?”
My hair fluttered against my ear as he spoke, causing a shiver to tiptoe down my spine. Gulping, I shook my head as he took a step back. “I don’t know where she is.” I didn’t lie, but I thought he was trying to use his lawyer voodoo on me to find out where his daughter was.
The trumpet solo transitioned into a piano solo. “Good.” James nodded once.
“Why?” It was unlike him to want to be away from his kids. His kids were his entire world.
He ran his fingers through his hair. “Rough day.”
I glanced over my shoulder. “Well, I have an empty half-round booth for five against the wall over there,” I lifted the tray to a table near the stage, “if you want it.”
“I’ll just sit at the bar and save that for a bigger party. I see someone just got up.”
“O-okay.”
