“So you only like it when you’re on top? Is that it?”
Suddenly, Leon lets out an ear-splitting roar in my ear.
“YOU SICK BASTARD! IF YOU’VE SO MUCH AS TOUCHED HER, I’LL?—”
It suddenly clicks that I’ve found Leon’s weakness.
“You’ll do what, Leon?” I pant back. “Drive into a hotel full of people who will kill you without so much as an order from me?”
The woman writhing beneath me, about ten seconds away from clawing at my skin, has made him show his hand so plainly that I’d feel embarrassed for him if it wasn’t taking all my concentration to wrangle her into submission.
“You’ll be dead before anyone so much as touches me.”
Threatening Isabella makes him lose all sense of self-preservation. If I can just utilize this to my advantage…
“You want to try it and find out? Or do you want to hear my offer?”
There’s a beat of silence before he responds. “What do you want?”
“A few things really, but a lot of those are for Isabella’s ears only,” I goad him through the phone.
The desired effect is immediate and deafening as Leon roars so loudly I’m certain Isabella can hear it, despite the tiny speakers in the phone.
“But from you,” I continue, ignoring his outburst. “I want the current and future locations of Ida Natali.”
Isabella stills beneath me. “Don’t you fucking dare, Leon.”
“And because Isabella here has put me in such a good mood. I’m going to give you twelve whole hours to get me this information.”
There’s silence for a moment, and then. “Where shall I meet you?”
“How about the front entrance to thePlaza Hotel?I think you know it.”
“I’ll be there in six hours.”
I blink. So he really wasn’t in the car? Or is he just finally thinking clearly enough to buy himself some time to gather reinforcements?
“Take your time,” I say lightly. “I’ll be keeping Isabella company while we wait.”
I remove the earpiece and crush it on the floor before I have to hear another of Leon’s furious cries.
Hopefully, that’s enough for him to act impulsively in my favor. The only thing that could get in the way of securing Ida Natali’s location is if he sees through my bluff. Which means I can’t let it get back to him that Isabella is in no real danger.
As pretty as Isabella is, I’m not the kind of man who would stoop to that level.
A slow melody slowly begins to fill the quiet of the room, and I realize the first dance must have started. There’s still a party happening in the next room.
“What’s a Mafia wedding without a bit of drama?” I comment mildly as I remove my knee from Isabella’s back and lock her arms together with my own.
She grunts as I raise us both up to a standing position. “He won’t do it.”
“Do what?”
“Give you my mother,” she snaps at me.
I walk her over to the wall and push her into it face-first. She’s perfectly detained and unable to fight back.
“You didn’t hear how much he cared about you,” I reply, trying not to ogle at her as I text Dante.
