I look her in the eye. “I’m only going to tell you this once. Stay away from my husband, or you’re not going to like the consequences.”
“Are you threatening me?” She’s incredulous.
“It’s not a threat.” My smile brightens, and I feel a surge of madness bubbling up inside me, brought on by the mayhem of the last two weeks. “It’s a promise.Sweetie.”
Watching her reaction is incredibly satisfying, I’m not going to lie. Her mouth falls open in shock. I don’t wait for Chiara to respond before I move past her, getting out of the bathroom as fast as I can.
Once I’m in the safe haven of the hallway, I make my way back to the rehearsal dinner. It’s easy to spot my husband-to-be in the banquet hall. He’s standing with a group of Andriani capos in animated conversation. He’s a head taller than most of them, powerfully built and with a lean frame I know personally.
One I’ll soon get to know even better. But then, apparently I’m not the only one. My brush with Chiara has me moving in Scorpion’s direction before I can even think about where I’m headed or what I’ll say.
Chapter 11
SCORPION
“You’ll never guess who I just met in the bathroom.”
The unimpressed feminine voice from behind has me whipping around to see Ekaterina watching me with pale-blue eyes that spark with disapproval. What the fuck did I do now? Conscious of the capos circling me who have all gone quiet, I excuse myself before taking her arm in a gentle hold and leading her a few steps away.
I lift my newly freshened Macallan to her in salute. “I have the feeling you’re going to tell me.”
“A friend of yours, or so she seemed to think,” she continues sweetly. “I believe her name was Chiara.”
Fuck.
What did Chiara say to her? And what the hell is she doing at Topolina anyway? I didn’t invite her to the rehearsal dinner. I haven’t seen her in months. When it came down to it, I couldn’t bring myself to call her for a hookup.
Someone must have invited her to the rehearsal dinner. But who? Priest? I’m not sure who controlled the guest list. Could have even been Luna, not realizing the connection. I bowed outof the preparations for this whole fiasco on the grounds that I don’t want to get fucking married to begin with.
“Come with me,” I tell Ekaterina, nodding toward the back of the restaurant where I know there’s an office we can use for privacy.
She narrows her eyes at me. “Where are we going?”
“Somewhere we can talk.”
“Fine,” she relents.
We walk to the office together in silence. On the way, I toss back the rest of my glass and pass it off to a staff member who’s collecting empties. When we reach the open door to the office, I gesture for her to go inside first. Ekaterina sails past me, and I’m struck again by how gorgeous she looks tonight in a dress that probably makes every man under this roof—barring her blood relatives—think about tearing her out of it with their teeth. Including me.
I close the door and lock it for good measure, then turn to her. “Want to tell me what happened?”
“Nothing, unless you count the part where she told me you stop by to see her on your own whenever you need anything, and that she fully expects you to keep doing that after we’re married.”
I sigh. “I’m not planning on continuing a relationship with her, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“I wasn’t asking, and it’s your business what you do and who you do it with, but when we’re married and I’m expected to…to…sleep with you to satisfy the marriage contract, then I don’t want to have to worry about where you’re sticking your dick.”
“You could barely bring yourself to say it. Am I so bad?”
Now she sighs, giving me a look like she wants to scratch my eyes out. “You know none of this is what I want.” She gestures between us. “Especially not this. I’m not even attracted to you.”
“Whoa,cara mia.” My pride has me stalking toward her, crowding her against the desk that occupies the opposite wall. I don’t stop until I’m so close that her breasts brush against my chest with every breath she takes. “That’s a fucking lie, and we both know it.”
“No, it’s not,” she protests, flattening her palms on my pecs.
For a second, I think she’s going to shove me away.
But she doesn’t.
