AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I fixated my gaze on the bar. “Have a drink with me.”
“Why?”
A surge of helplessness flooded my body at his indifferent tone.
“Because I just got stood up, and it’s the gentlemanly thing to do.”
“I’m not a gentleman.”
He was right, but he was also wrong.
Bastian, for all intents and purposes, didn’t just look like a gentleman. He was one.
He had been educated at the best boarding school the country had to offer, was a Wilton alumnus, had the distinct wardrobe of an upper east side point-zero-one percenter, and could be so chivalrous, it did unmentionable things to my ovaries.
The problem was, his chivalry only extended to his family, and beyond them, it was like none of us little people existed.
A few days ago, he had patiently held the door open for a solid two or three minutes while Tessie had taken her time packing up her backpack before heading out of the break room.
I had been right behind her, but as soon as she passed the doorframe, he closed the door.
Right. On. My. Face.
My eyes lowered to the floor, and I dragged the uncomfortable moment out before I finally gathered the nerve to look him in the eyes.
“Be one for me.”
My words surprised even myself, but they were an honest plea. A little bit of vulnerability I allowed myself to brandish because it was me and I was doing my best at pretending to be myself.
Maybe I was being foolish, but for some reason, talking to Bastian came as naturally as breathing. And the odd thing was, organic moments like these were gold for legends.
When undercover agents entered a legend, they aspired to achieve the ability to instinctively be their legend.
Yet, here I was with Bastian, my words and actions effortless and natural in the face of the mafia prince of one of the cruelest criminal dynasties to have ever graced the United States of America.
The tension in the air—one part hostility and two parts mistrust—shifted. The mistrust remained unaffected, but the hostility loosened until the only thing left between us was caution and desire.
Bastian led me to the bar, and I followed closely behind. Surprise trickled through my body as he took his position behind the bar and began to make us drinks.
He grabbed two glasses, dried them off, and topped them with ice. I let loose a bitter laugh when he poured the amaretto in them and filled the rest of the cups with sour lemon mix.
He took a seat next to me, his eyes flickering briefly in the direction of the office.
“When you were in front of the office, did you hear anything?”
My pulse thrummed in my veins. I placed my glass on the table, so it wouldn’t slip through my fingers as I forced myself to keep my voice casual.
“Are you accusing me of eavesdropping?”
“Not of eavesdropping intentionally.” He arched a brow. “Unless you did.” The way his eyes stayed on me, so intense and unapologetic as the scanned my face, unnerved me.
I backtracked, considered my options, and decided to go with the half-truth.
I gave a convincing wince and admitted, “Some parts. When you guys were loud.”
“What did you hear?”
“You were threatening someone’s daughter.”
