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I glance over to Charlie dog who is staring at me. I look at his dark eyes, and sometimes I swear to God this little guy can see right into your soul. He’s so sweet.
I nod in agreement. “She’s right, Sloane. I think Rocco has a bit of a crush.”
She frowns some more, pushing her glasses up as she shakes her head, as if trying to get rid of the notion. “He hates me, but I hate him more, so we’re kind of even. Though, he does like my dog, so that’s something.”
“He’d be good in bed,” Bianca goes on, dreamily. “I mean, if he can cut out a man’s tongue with complete precision, it tells you that he’s good with his hands.”
We both look at her, disgusted.
“Ew,” I say.
“TMI,” Sloane agrees. “A man like Rocco dances between the lines of what is decent and what is the monster inside of him. I’m not an idiot. I know what goes on in that warehouse, and I saw the glint in his eyes when he first caught me. He didn’t know what to do with me at first. It’s like I was a conundrum to him.”
“That’s because he’s used to dealing with the corrupt, evil, and diabolical men in this town.” My voice is low, but it needs to be said. “He would never cross that line with you, Sloane. It sounds ridiculous to say it, but you’d be safer with him than with anyone. Despite what he is.”
Bianca laps it up. “This is so fucking exciting!” she says, glee in her eyes. “There is no way that I’m going back to that office, V. Sorry, but there is far too much happening in this casino for me to ever want to go back to staring at four walls.”
I give her a look. “Those four walls have a riverside view, I might remind you.”
She turns back to Sloane. “Don’t listen to her. She’s just pissed because Angelo knows she’s been doing the nasty with Enzo, and they can no longer keep it a secret. It would all be so much easier if everyone was just honest about who they want to romp. It’d save any confusion too.”
I roll my eyes. “That’s because you want to romp everyone you come into contact with.”
“Not everyone!” she gasps, putting a hand over her heart, but grinning wickedly. “I mean, I haven’t meteveryone,now have I?”
“You’re scaring Sloane.” I laugh.
She groans. “I’m sorry, Sloane, I haven’t had sex in so long!” she wails. “I’m going to the gym tonight. All the cute guys hang there, so if you want to come let off some steam, that’s where you’ll find me.”
Sloane looks slightly embarrassed as I try not to laugh, then I say to her behind the back of my hand, “I’m sorry, Sloane, she’s always like this.”
“Enough about me, what do you think of Rocco? Would you bag him, Sloane?”
“Bianca!” I splutter. She hardly knows Sloane, but clearly that’s not going to stop her.
Sloane kind of laughs embarrassedly. “Umm, I haven’t quite thought about it,” she says, not knowing where to look.
“Well, it was just a suggestion.” She shrugs like she’s done absolutely nothing wrong by asking someone she hardly knows if she’s going to bag the head security guard who’s sweet on her dog. “Do you have a boyfriend?” she then asks.
Sloane shakes her head.
“Perfect, so… are you interested in Roc?”
I fling Bianca my mostwill you stop itglare, and she pauses, at least. “Bianca, you’re not Patti the Millionaire Matchmaker, all right, give Sloane a break,” I tell her.
“I’m just trying to break up the gray vibes around here and bring some life to the party. It was like a tomb when I walked in.”
I roll my eyes. “Well, that’s because you missed the showdown. It wasn’t too much fun seeing Enzo get smacked out.”
“That is pretty bad,” she agrees. “I hope they’re not going to kill each other in the car.”
“I’d prefer not to think about it,” I say, sipping my coffee slowly. I had almost blocked it out of my mind for five minutes.
“Surely they can reach some common ground,” Sloane says. “They both care about you an awful lot, Valentina, that part is obvious.”
I smile. Yes, despite Angelo’s misgivings, I know that he is just looking out for me like he always has. Maybe that is what it’s boiling down to, the fact that I’m growing up and he’s always had a handle on things. It gets a little harder when his kid sister grew up. “I hate to see them fighting like that. It’s not what either of us wanted,” I confess.
“Well, maybe after they bash it out together, they might come to some understanding.” Bianca shrugs. Ever the optimist, and she does have a point.
