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I didn’t bother to reply as I guided her into the crowd of people, hoping desperately that she wouldn’t use this opportunity to spite me. If she tried, and it wouldn’t surprise me if she did, I would have her removed.
But more than anything, I hoped she’d see reason and follow my lead.
The first woman we came upon looked me up and down in her usual flirtatious way, and I pressed a hand into the small of Sienna’s back as I guided her forward. “Mr. Guerra,” she greeted.
I grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it.
“Lovely seeing you, Fiona,” I said. “How are all the girls?”
“Working hard as always. I have a few of them making their rounds here tonight,” she said, glancing at one of the slim, model-worthy women in an evening gown beside the fruit table.
“That’s good to hear,” I told her. I didn’t miss the bedroom eyes that glazed over as she took in my smile. “Fiona, I’d like to introduce you to my girl, Sienna.”
I didn’t miss the look of distaste as she took in Sienna’s dress. It wasn’t often that someone could outshine her, but tonight seemed to be that night.
“It’s nice to meet you, Fiona,” Sienna said, stepping in and offering a hand.
Fiona didn’t bother taking it as she crossed her arms and gave an amused, almost judgmental smile. “Likewise.”
My smile vanished as I clenched my jaw and took a small step forward, but Sienna was quicker. “Your dress is tasteful. I saw something similar on the clearance rack at Macy’s a few weeks ago. Bargain shopping is the way to go.”
Fiona gasped. “You think I got this at Macy’s?” she asked, her tone rising. “I’ll have you know—”
Sienna raised her hands and leaned into me. “I’m not judging. It truly is a stunning dress. It’s much more important to give excess money to charity events like this, anyway. Wouldn’t you say?”
I didn’t think I’d ever seen Fiona so angry, but she did her best to hide it with a small cough. She adjusted her posture expertly. “Well, I have a lot of people to speak to this evening,” she said,cutting the conversation short. “It was wonderful seeing you, Dante. I look forward to our next meeting.”
“It was nice meeting you,” Sienna offered again, grabbing my arm and tucking it around her waist, the same arm that Fiona reached for.
I waited until Fiona was out of earshot before a laugh bellowed from me.
“How is that for civil?” she asked.
We both knew no response was necessary. Fiona was jealous, and that would be a situation I’d handle later.Muchlater if I had a say in it. Until I declared otherwise, Sienna was mine, and nobody would come between us.
We moved from person to person, and Sienna wore a different face with each individual. She played a meek girlfriend to some men and a strong partner in front of others.
Somehow, the different faces she wore matched precisely what was needed.
We took our seats at one of the front tables as the first evening speaker took the floor. I placed my hand on her upper thigh and stroked it there slowly, leaving winding circles that had her tensing.
“Have you heard the latest?” a man across the table asked.
I whipped my head toward him, not ebbing the touches I gave to Sienna beneath the table.
“I read all the reports this morning,” I replied.
The last thing I needed was the news of our warehouse falling to the Accardi’s to spread. Not yet. Not until it became advantageous to let the news slip.
“Fucking Valentino is bragging to some of the local business owners that the war between our people is all but over. He says he has an advantage.” He shook his head. “Bastard spilled the beans to a news reporter.”
“Did someone take care of the reporter?” I asked, the day’s tension returning to my shoulders.
“We took care of it, but people are talking. Word’s already out.”
I continued with the trail of my fingers as I considered what to do about the situation. Maybe waiting for more information wouldn’t be the smartest move. If he was fighting this dirty, it was time I fought back even dirtier.
“I’m not going to lose my seat to a self-declared mob boss with no connection to the Sicilian mob scene. He might have the businesses and the soldiers, but he won’t ever be authentic. He’ll be taken care of.”
