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“Marco Bruno. Your dungeon enjoys labels. Torch, you must enjoy fire. You can call me The Enforcer. I would consider your cooperation a favor,” I said. “Our conversation doesn’t go beyond this moment.” I rolled my shoulders. I’d prefer to coax her to talk. “As long as you tell me what I need to know. If not, I’ll find you where you sleep and cut your fucking tongue from your mouth.” I glared at her husband. “You don’t want me as an enemy. I recognize your ink soldier, and your motorcycle club doesn’t mean shit to me.”
Her eyes widened. Before Torch could react, her fingers gripped hard to his hand. “What do you want to know?”
“Don’t insult me, Gabriella. I’m sure you can discriminate fact from fluff. I know he fucked in the club. Did he fuck you? How well did you know my brother?”
“What the fuck?” Torch launched to his feet.
“Torch, please.” Gabriella pleaded with her eyes for him to calm himself.
Torch sat again, but his knee bounced, and his hands balled into fists.
“We didn’t socialize on a personal level,” she said. “I work for Alex. I’m sure you’re aware that High Protocol is not his primary business. Alex and Luca were doing a deal. I made sure there were no miscommunications with the language barrier between them during negotiations.”
“While my brother was doing business with Alex, he spent his time in this club with a woman named Tinker. Do you know her?”
“I helped negotiate their first scene. She was a fixture in the club, but she hasn’t been here in months.”
“Who was she involved with before Luca?”
“I don’t know. I’ve only come to the club with my husband.”
“Tinker was known as the virgin demo dolly,” Torch said. “She belonged to the club. Every Dom in here has done a scene with her. She hadn’t fucked anyone until she hooked up with Luca. No one has seen her since.”
“Every Dom? Including you?”
“Fuck, no. She was looking for a Master. Not my scene. And don’t fucking ask me about my history in the club. I don’t give a fuck who you are. I’m not disrespecting my old lady.” He stood, with Gabriella’s hand in his. “Watch your back, Bruno. I’m not your enemy, but if you ever threaten my wife again, you’ll need every one of your mafia brothers for protection.”
“Who said anything about mafia?” Never confirm or deny, yet everyone thought they could spot a member of a mafia family. I crossed my left ankle over my right knee.
“I’m not saying shit. Just like I’m not wearing my cut, but we both know what I am.”
We might both operate outside accepted legal boundaries, but we were nothing alike. I stood and buttoned my suit. “Should our paths cross again, let’s hope it’s under better circumstances.”
“Fuck off.” Torch banded an arm around his wife and disappeared into the crowd.
No, I wouldn’t be fucking off.
“Are you ready to go?”
Allegra slipped her hand into mine. “Do you think they know anything?”
I wasn’t sure, but I had ways of finding out.
Chapter Ten
Allegra
For the last two days, I hadn’t seen much of Orlando or Emilio. Nor had I heard from Deidre. I assumed she was ignoring my calls and messages to punish me for keeping her from her guys. I had nothing to do with it. Emilio was always on the computer, and Orlando was busy with my brother.
A total shock to me because Orlando was a playboy, and Santi was just an asshole. And lucky me, but I was dealing with my mother. Of course, she also blamed me for Dee’s attitude. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one she wasn’t speaking to. Not only did I hurt to see her hurting, but her silence made me nervous.
I’d had Tim check her computer logs. Another reason for her to hate me if she ever found out. But I didn’t trust her not to go into the chatrooms again.
I sat at a table in Sweet Kneads trying six different flavors of cakes.
“No chocolate,” I said.
“I like chocolate.” Tim said. “Chocolate peanut butter would be even better.”
