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I frowned, thinking about the abuse this poor woman had taken over the last few years. She was so flippant about it sometimes, but she had survived very serious situations that any of us would’ve struggled to get through. And she was smiling and telling jokes through it all.
She caught me frowning and walked the few steps toward me. She still had a limp, but it was better when the superprofen was fresh. She started to button my shirt, leaving the top two open how I liked. She placed her hands on my chest and stood on her toes to kiss me. I wanted to pull her to me. I wanted to kiss her passionately. I wanted to skip dinner and lock ourselves in this room. As if she knew what I was thinking, her hands grabbed mine and she wrapped my arms around her waist. “It doesn’t hurt when you hold me here,” she said, moving her arms around my neck. I pulled her to me, kissing her. I was still timid at first, but she deepened the kiss, giving me permission. I held her tighter, kissing her like she was the air I needed. She moaned softly in my mouth, her breaths coming quicker. She pressed her body even closer to mine, causing me to groan. I wanted her so badly. She broke the kiss, pressing her forehead to mine, trying to calm herself down.
“We should go now. Or we’re not going to leave this room for a few days.”
I cursed under my breath but grabbed her hand and turned toward the door, knowing she was completely right.
Armando was waiting for us when we went out for dinner. The guys had already arrived. They were all waiting for us.
Sephie walked in, looking at Armando. “Please forgive us for being late. I’m a little slow right now.” She had that smile that could melt hearts of stone on her face as she said it.
“Oh, my dear. You take as long as you need. The guys here told me what happened.” His hand went over his mouth, trying to cover his laughter. “I can’t believe you broke my guy’s face. He’s never going to live that one down.”
“Tell him to work on his communication skills next time and that won’t happen,” she said, folding her arms across her chest. Her smile fading quickly, replaced by a very serious look on her face. She may have forgiven all of us, but she clearly had not forgiven Armando’s men.
Armando burst out laughing. “I will personally see to it that he gets that message.” He walked to her, offering his hand. She took it. He kissed the back of her hand. “In all seriousness, my dear. How are you? Do you need anything? I hear you’ve had quite the time the last few days.”
She smiled at him once again. “I’m okay. Thank you, though. And thank you for your hospitality. Your house is lovely.”
He smiled broadly. “Ah, this house is one of my favorite places. I must show you around after dinner. This is why I spend almost as much time here as I do in the city,” he said, winking at her.
“I would love that, thank you.”
Armando looked to me, extending his hand for me to shake. “Boss, I’m honored to have you here, sir. Come, let us feast!” he said, showing us the way. He had a long table outside in the courtyard set up for all of us. His staff waiting to take care of every need.
I glanced to Sephie. The breeze was light but almost constant. I was worried about her getting cold again. “Do you want a jacket, my love? I can run get you one.”
“Yes please,” she said, smiling sweetly at me. I excused myself and ran back to our room. When I came back, they were all laughing, and her cheeks were flushed. “What did I miss?” I asked, holding my jacket open for her, so she could easily slide her arms in.
Andrei said, “Armando said he had wanted to hook Sephie up with one of his sons, but he didn’t believe his sons were smart enough or strong enough to handle her. I told him what she did to all of us on the plane to really drive his point home.”
“A redhead named for the queen of the underworld is not for the faint of heart, Armando,” I said, smiling. “She can walk through hell unscathed, taming monsters to her will as she goes.”
Sephie looked up at me, somewhat surprised at my words. I meant every word. Her eyes were searching mine as I smiled at her with every ounce of love I had for her. Armando glanced between us. “I see now that my attempts to set her up with my son were futile. She was always meant for greater things.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Sephie
Once we all sat down at the table, Armando’s staff started bringing us food. I’ve never been more excited in my life. I’d been able to eat so little over the past month, I just wanted to eat all the food in front of me. Conversation was optional, as far as I was concerned. I was grateful that the men did most of the talking, allowing me to listen, observe, and most importantly eat.
Adrik was comfortable with Armando. More comfortable than I’d seen him with other bosses. He was tense with other bosses, but not with Armando. Maybe it was their closeness in age that made him more relatable. Adrik was still barely thirty, compared to Armando’s early forties. Adrik had taken over from his father when he was very young, making it even more impressive that he’d kept order as long as he had. Maybe it was that Armando was just a good human. He was as much a legitimate businessman as he was a mobster. He used the profits from his illegal ventures to fund his legal ones, just like Adrik did. He helped his community, he gave back to the people in his area, and he cared about their well-being. He had strict rules that he lived by, which was admirable.
This situation with Anthony, Lorenzo, and Salvadori bothered Armando deeply. He looked stressed when talking about it with Adrik. He looked bothered by their actions, bothered that the two other bosses had gone to Salvadori’s side.
“I can mostly understand Niko siding with Salvadori. He’s always been a bit of a snake and only looks out for himself. But I was troubled by Vito siding with them,” Armando told Adrik.
“I think they have something over Vito and that’s why he went with them,” Adrik responded. “Vito has never been very strong-willed. They’re likely lying to him about whatever it is, but Vito is easily scared. Therefore, he’s easily controlled.”
My curiosity was piqued. “Vito is middle-aged, black hair, clean-shaven?”
Armando and Adrik both nodded. Armando added, “He always sat closest to the door at the meetings. He insisted on that spot every time. He’s very OCD about these things.”
I remembered Vito. “He taps his fingers together, like he’s counting, when he’s talking and when he’s listening. Five taps for good outcomes, three taps for bad outcomes,” I said. “When he’s especially nervous, he taps continuously with one hand and will obsessively scratch his head with the other.”
Adrik smiled at me, knowing I was right but also knowing it was something that no one else had likely ever noticed. Armando looked at me, surprised. “How do you know this?”
Adrik answered before I could. I happily shoved another forkful of pasta into my mouth. “Her observation skills are next level, Mando. She told me what both Salvadori and Niko do when they’re lying. She was 100 percent correct.”
