AllFreeNovel
Share Us
So, even though I recognized at least a dozen faces in the bar as Romano capitani and tenenti, I couldn’t barrage anyone with questions like a detective would.
Subtlety went a long way.
The other side of L’Oscurità was where the Romano members wined and dined, but the bar side was where they wined and wined and wined and wined.
Someone would slip up. Eventually.
“So…” Graham fidgeted, sliding a hand in the pocket of his black dress pants and meeting my eyes with his twin blues. “I have two tickets to an off-Broadway show this weekend. I was wondering if you’d—”
“Oh, I heard about that!” I cut him off before he could ask me out. “My bestie and I really wanted to go, but I’m on shift all week and the next.”
Graham frowned. “Two weeks? When are your off days?”
“I have none.” I shrugged, feigning ignorance.
I didn’t have any off days because I’d mouthed off to Bastian yesterday. He’d emailed me a schedule change, the alert pinging on my phone just as he’d materialized before me, a taunting smirk on his face.
A suggestive brow had been raised, daring me to open my email. I had, and that brow was still raised, urging me to challenge him. To finally cave and admit defeat.
I didn’t.
I couldn’t.
That was pride, ego, dignity, and all the things that made us us speaking. Plus, he didn’t realize it, but more time at L’Oscurità only gave me more opportunities to take him and his family down.
His downfall would be my revenge.
Graham opened his mouth to respond, no doubt to offer an unwanted solution, so I spoke before he could, “What’s that?”
I nodded to the stapled packet of white printer paper in his hands. It was somewhat thick and bore the L’Oscurità logo on the front cover.
“A test. One hundred questions, a mixture of written response, true or false, fill in the blank, and multiple choice.” At my look, he gave a small laugh. “Don’t worry. We all had to do it. And it’s okay to get a few wrong.”
But it wasn’t.
Not if Bastian would find out.
Bastian preyed on failure, and I had no doubt missing a single question was tantamount to failure in his eyes.
I didn’t know whether to be appalled or flattered that he expected so much from his employees.
That he expected so much from me.
Appalled, I decided.
Bastiano Romano appalled me.
My anxiety raced at L’Oscurità.
I needed to control it, of course, even as I tried convincing myself my lack of experience meant nothing, my last name wouldn’t get me killed, and Bastiano Romano wouldn’t be spending his evening watching me take this test through the security camera diagonally above me.
The buzz of my phone pierced the silence. My legend’s phone. Not the burner. Yet, no one but Jenn had my number, and she wouldn’t call unless it was an emergency.
I pulled out my phone, glanced at the caller ID, and tensed when I saw Jenn’s name.
Pressing the green button, I raised it to my ear.
“Hello?”
