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To cause chaos.
Katia.Katia. Katia.
Every thought and every step I made across the street was with her in my mind. The promise of keeping her safe was my top priority. I wouldn’t have believed it if it wasn’t for the weight that dragged inside of my chest, the constricting pressure to eliminate all threats to what was mine.
Miami.
Katia.
KATIA.
“Rana sent me a text,” Arlo whispered as we neared the side entrance of Calabria’s. “Looks like they finally made it. Were you aware of Katia needing to run an errand?”
I stopped under the shade of the overhang of the roof and turned.
No, I wasn’t aware, but what bothered me was Viktor and Ilias not mentioning it.
“Where?”
Arlo faced the wooded line behind the establishment, eyes scanning the few acres of the secluded land in which the winery stood. A few couples walked the manicured and shaded grounds, enjoying the gentle breeze against the Texas heat.
Calabria’swasn’t just a winery, it was a quiet place for tourists to enjoy a stroll while taking sips of the most refined wines of Italy. Private enough for a meeting, yet open to the public to avoid scandals.
A place where to some, we were just another suit walking through for exported goods. We were hiding in plain sight along with the rich.
“Lo Splendore.” Arlo smirked, turned, and opened the door.
Huh, the jewelry store.
I walked into the smell of aged wood and grapes, leaving his smirk along with any further thoughts of Katia’s errand behind. There was no room for nonsense when soon I would meet every boss in person. It was time for business, not for distractions. I knew this.
Then why was I still thinking of her?
I adjusted my eyes to the dim lighting and welcomed the cool air inside. Glass walls showed case rows of wine bottles while tall wood tables scattered around the open space. A mix of elegance and old Italy mingled together as expensive touches were added in the establishment. The main room was absent of any seating aside from the few leather and tapestry chairs in the corner where a young couple shared smiles and gleaming eyes with each other.
Three men were accompanied by a female, all dressed in executive clothing. They all gathered around one of the tall tables with an opened folder in the middle, and as a waiter neared to refill their empty wineglasses, the female denied them all their next pour.
By the way her curly dirty blonde hair shook, and how her posture remained strong even as she stood in high heels, I knew she held all the cards in their exchange.
The waiter returned behind the grand half-oval bar, set the bottle of wine down, and whispered to the waitress next to him. The young girl looked up, noticing us by the corner. Her eyes widened, noticing she’d missed our entrance. Quickly she wiped her hands on a rag as her steps rushed to us.
I took one last glance around as I felt unwanted attention.
The couple was still enamored with each other, paying no one around them a thought. But when my eyes returned to the one full table, I met her eyes.
The men talked around her, unaware of how her attention had shifted away from their dealings. Instead, hazel eyes took me in with questions beneath their hard gaze, uncaring of how they studied me so bluntly.
Only the eyes of the powerful were capable of holding notice as she did.
But I wasn’t here for her, or to answer to the leering eyes, I was here for Katia.
I broke our contact and peered down at the pixie haired waitress whose smile covered half of her face.
“I have a private meeting,” I muttered.
“Of course, it’s right through this hall,” she said, waving her hand toward the direction. “It’s the last door at the end.” She began walking as she continued, “It’s probably my favorite room, with all the barrels of wine around,” she gushed, and I read her name tag.Mindy.
“Thank you, Mindy. We can take it from here.”
