“Everything alright?”
I gave a small jump when I turned to see Wolfe standing there in nothing but his boxers, sexy as hell when he didn’t even try. “Leo just called, and…” I was about to tell him, but then I realized I probably shouldn’t. “Yeah, everything is fine.”
He stared at me with discerning eyes, like he could read the lie on my face as easily as words on a page. “It’s late and I have a long day tomorrow, so I think I’m going to bed.” I walked to the nightstand and plugged my phone into the charger before I got into bed.
Wolfe didn’t ask any questions about the phone call with Leo. He moved to the other side of the bed and got under the sheets before he hooked his arm around my waist and dragged me into his chest, spooning me from behind.
I didn’t expect that.
“Goodnight, Francesca.”
“Goodnight.”
Wolfe and I arrived at the vineyard separately. He started in the warehouse at the crack of dawn and I went into the main villa a couple hours later, so he left without waking me. I was sad our night was over, but I had been ready for it to end before it started. And I was also grateful because he’d scratched an itch that I couldn’t reach on my own. Made the yearning aches in my body fade.
When I arrived at the villa and went up to my father’s office, I could feel his wrath before I even set foot in the room. He stood with his back to the desk, looking out the window at the vineyard. It was a beautiful day, but he fumed hotter than Mount Etna in the distance.
“Five million euros worth of arms—easily.” Leo spoke from the couch, his sleeves rolled up because his anger turned the room hot and humid like summer. “Someone is gonna lose their head, and if we can’t figure out exactly who, then they all lose their heads.”
My father ignored him, probably tuning him out.
“This is the second time this has happened,” Elio said. “Now they’re just fucking with us.”
“They’re totally fucking with us,” Leo said. “The customsofficers are getting bribed to pretend to honor our bribes—clearly.”
I wasn’t exactly a part of this world. I treated the wounded and took care of the wine business and strategically washed the money that came from the side business. If the police ever busted us, my hands were dirty enough to serve life in prison.
My father turned around and addressed Elio. “What do our little birds say?”
“They don’t know anything—or that’s all they’re allowed to say,” Elio said.
“Maybe we should ask Wolfe,” I said. “He might know something.” I’d kept the robbery a secret from him because my father didn’t trust him, so therefore, I didn’t either. I’d just wanted to fuck him because he was unbelievably hot. And the hotter the guy, the more untrustworthy he was.
“No,” my father snapped. “I don’t trust him.”
“You trust him enough to be on our property every day,” I said. “It doesn’t hurt just to ask?—”
“I trust him even less now,” he snapped. “He hasn’t been privy to confidential information, but there’s no doubt he’s a smart guy, so he may have pieced details together,looked through records he found lying around. Might have tipped someone off about the shipment.”
“I think that’s a stretch.” I wasn’t sure what to make of Wolfe, but that seemed like a lot of work just to steal some guns.
“It was probably him,” my father said.
Since I’d been with him all night, that was just not possible. But I couldn’t exactly say that. “It’s not him,” I said more forcefully.
My father gave me that stare that told me my opinion didn’t matter right now.
“Should we still have the dinner tonight?” Leo asked. “In light of all this?”
“It’s not the workers’ fault,” Dad said. “They shouldn’t be punished for it.” He turned to Elio. “We need to make the rounds. Ask everyone we know. Someone will roll. They always do.”
I was in my office on the second floor of the villa when Wolfe texted me.Free tonight?
I read his message three times because I hadn’t expected to talk to him again.No.
Tomorrow, then?
Already have plans.
