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“Pfft, you sure about that?”
“Are you sure you don’t want to come?” I reached over and brushed a lock of her hair from her cheek. I never liked to leave her, but we had some things to take care of, and I knew she was already tired.
“If today has proven anything to me about what this trip is going to be like, I know I’m going to need sleep.” She leaned forward and rested her head on my chest, and I kissed the top of her head. “Lots and lots of sleep.”
“You were amazing today.”
“Thanks.” She looked up at me, and I could see the exhaustion on her face. She’d spent most of the day being questioned and, in some cases, almost interrogated until she passed their tests and won them over. “Your family is great, but the idea of meeting more people at a noisy bar, well, it honestly doesn’t sound very appealing. I won’t be good company. I’m going to have a nice glass of wine, maybe read a little, then call it a night. Besides, you should go have some fun with the guys. I think they need it whether they realize it or not, and so do you.”
“You’re a good person,bella.” I kissed her lips, lingering there a moment longer, breathing in her delicious scent. “Make sure Francesco knows where you are, and don’t leave the house.”
“I’ll be fine.” She kissed me again, and I heard Wyatt’s laugh coming from the other room, and I had to chuckle. Any stress I still had faded. She’d be in good hands between the two of them. “I’ll text you when I’m in bed.”
“Text? Or send me a photo?” I smirked playfully.
“I guess,” she stepped back, holding on to my hand until she was out of reach, “you’ll just have to wait to find out.”
A fleeting image of her naked in bed sent a thrill through me, and when she disappeared through the door, I felt a desperate need to take her quickly before I left. But who was I kidding? I’d never leave her once I had her in my arms.
Niccola and Vinni hopped in the car, and I started the engine.
The pub was just what I expected—dark, seedy, live music, and the food nearly inedible. It was perfect for keeping a low profile.
We had arranged to meet with three friends who we had business dealings with in Spain. As luck would have it, they were here on business themselves and were free to meet up for drinks.
“I hear congratulations are in order.” Santiago slapped my shoulder with a huge grin. “Think of the possibilities. I see a lot more opportunities for import and export with you at the top. No more worrying about that littlerattoStefano Coppola. I like that it will just be a direct line from Libya to America.”
“The feds are still working their way into our ports.” Ian, his older brother, rolled his eyes. “They are posing as workers and burrowing into our operation. Our friends to the west just got shut down and were taken into custody. I won’t lie, my friend,” he leaned closer, “we could use the business.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” I gave him a nod and put a hand on his arm. I wanted to let him know I understood. They needed the money to put food on their tables the same as we all did.
“Niccola, bring my father up to speed on that.” Niccola took out his notebook and made a note to hand this information over to Papa. He could start to make some calls to his friends there.
“I can think of a few ways to get the feds going in another direction,” I whispered into Ian’s ear. I knew a show of good faith that we’d have their back was needed. “One idea would be to leak Rosa Coppola’s name to them. That should draw them away from you and put their focus on her.”
“That would be much appreciated.” He tapped my glass.
Now that the business was taken care of, we sat back and swapped old stories as we enjoyed the music. At midnight, my phone buzzed in my pocket to indicate a text message. I felt an instant jolt of heat and leaned back away from the others as I tapped the screen. Sienna had sent me a photo of herself in bed, her breasts just under the covers. She wore a very sexy, sleepy smile.
Sienna: You can see more when you get back.
I smiled, loving that she’d sent me a tease and not a nude photo. It left more to the imagination and showed she knew I wouldn’t be alone.
Elio: You’re beautiful. I’ll be back soon.
“I know that look.” Niccola drew my attention over to his knowing smirk. “I think it’s best we start back. We have a busy schedule ahead of us.”
“Yes, my wife has texted me several times as well.” Santiago laughed. “My phone may be on silent, but the buzz in my pocket can’t be ignored much longer. I don’t want to irritate the boss.”
“We don’t want that.” Vinni sighed. He’d been enjoying a little attention from a pretty young woman and made a show of regret as he handed her his card. “Thanks for the company, but we’ve got to get going.”
“I can spend the night,” she purred, and Vinni looked hopefully at me for approval. Normally, I would have agreed, but we were guests in someone’s house tonight and not at a hotel.
“Sorry, not tonight.”
“So, what, your father here says no?” She shot me a nasty look that transformed her pretty face, and Vinni lifted her off his lap and stood. He towered over her.
“It’s time for you to leave,” Vinni said as he snatched his card back with a stern expression. It made her stick her middle finger in his face. He tried everything not to laugh at how ridiculous her behavior was.
