Page 19 of Alessio

Now he wanted to close that space.

Fuck it.

Refusing to over think this more than he already had, Corrado pulled the fob, that also acted as the key, from the starter, and opened the Porsche’s suicide doors to step out into the bright daylight. The humid August air wrapped around his three-piece suit, reminding him that black had been a bad choice for the day, but screw it.

He liked a good suit.

Taking the walkway along the side of the building, he entered the restaurant at the front, stepping under the entrance enclave that welcomed patrons with gold and black drapery that spoke of the truth behind this place.

Mob owned.

Specifically, Guzzi owned.

All one needed to do was look at the color scheme, gold and black. The Guzzi family colors, they showcased them on their coat of arms, throughout their businesses, and anywhere else they might be able to sneak it in. One of the few things someone was able to count on where his family’s legacy was concerned. Before the Guzzis had become synonymous with crime, they had made their riches in black gold.

Oil.

Inside, Corrado greeted the woman behind the podium, but didn’t bother to let her direct him inside the restaurant. She recognized his face—it matched her boss’s, considering it was Chris’s place, and she was accustomed to the Guzzis coming and going. Beyond the entrance, Corrado found a busy restaurant waiting for him.

Tables full.

Booths at the windows busy, too.

The breakfast bar had patrons milling around.

Exactly as he thought. It wasn’t what he expected to find that irked the hell out of him, but rather, what he didn’t find.

Alessio.

Corrado’s gaze searched the large main floor of the restaurant, but he didn’t find Alessio’s familiar face. There was a small private dining area that Chris liked to use for private meetings, but he didn’t think Alessio would be back in the area.

Which meant one thing …

“Fucking hell.”

Alessio had tricked him again.

Corrado was tiring of that goddamn game.

A quiet chuckle at his left had Corrado turning to see who was laughing, because for some reason, it felt like they were laughing at him. The universe seemed to enjoy having a laugh at his expense, so why would this be different?

To his left, he found his twin.

Chris drank from a cup of coffee with steam rising around the rim where he sat in a booth next to the window. “Looking for someone?”

“Were you aware he planned this?”

“I had breakfast with him this morning, so yes … and no.”

Corrado’s jaw tensed. “And you didn’t give me a heads-up, or …?”

“He showed up here, Corrado. He knows this is where I do business in the mornings, and where I take my breakfast. I figured out his plan after he asked if I would be around because you might show up. Right before he left.”

A sigh passed his lips.

Chris shrugged. “But hey, at least he’s out of the mansion now.”

That made Corrado pause. “Excuse me?”