AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Give nothing unless it gets you something.I'm sure I can figure out his name on my own. There can only be so many aggravating men his age in the Giovanni rat nest.
He laughs. "You're very salty, aren't you?"
"Probably not as salty as their chicken picatta," I muse, ignoring the way he tries to peek over the menu at me. "Hmm.Eggplant ricotta roulade. Interesting."
"If you want, I'll tell you my name. Just ask Giulia Russo. I promise it's worth it."
"Pass."
He chuckles again. "Then what are you going to call me?"
"Dickhead. Or Giovanni. Either will do just fine, as they're synonyms."
The mafioso throws his head back in a hearty, resonant laugh that would be infectious if he wasn't a prick. I set down the menu and fixed him with a stern look. I don’t like that I'll have to work with him for the next few months because he's already distracting me with his slightly crooked smile. He also gazes at me in a conspiratorial way, like we share some secret I don’t know about.
But whatever. I can be professional. I'll do Amanda one better and be the biggest Robot Ice Queen I've ever been to ensure we don’t get off track here.
He leans across the table slightly, smirking at me and stage-whispering, "This is going to besomuch fucking fun. Or fun fucking. Either will do just fine there, too, cutie." He winks.
I want to snap at him to stop winking at me and stop calling me that, but before I can, the waiter—a good-looking man who can't be far from my age—stops beside our table. He offers a smile.
"Hello, I'll be your waiter tonight. Do we know what we want to drink yet?"
"Water," I say at the same time the man across from me says, "Bourbon, neat, and anything she wants."
The waiter looks between us and then raises his eyebrows at me. "Are you sure, miss?"
"Yes,miss, you should check all the options," the mafioso echoes. "Maybe get a red wine to leave nearly untouched. Or drink it. Who knows, maybe you'll enjoy yourself onthisdate."
I give him an unimpressed look before turning to the waiter with a bright, genuine smile that takes him off guard, leaning towards him. "What's your name?"
He blinks and swallows. "Mason."
"I'll have just water. No ice. Thank you so much, Mason." I infused my voice with warmth and familiarity as much as Roberto spoke my name.
"O—of course! I'll be right back with that."
He bumps into the table before dashing away, and when I turn back to the Giovanni across from me, his grin is gone, and he narrows his eyes at me.
"You're a cruel woman, aren't you?"
"Me kneeing you in the nuggets didn't get that message across last time?"
"I meant to poor little Mason. No guy likes popping a boner in public. That poor kid probably hopes he'll get your number by the night's end."
I roll my eyes and feign boredom. "Hmm. Maybe I'll give it to him."
He leans back in his seat, eyes running over me as I refuse to look away. Then the corner of his lips twitch. "Feel free to call me Dickhead as long as you want, Giulia, because I like hearing swear words from your pretty mouth. But for the sake of this meeting and themanywe'll have in the future…you should know that my name is Roberto."
Roberto Giovanni.
It explains so much that I can put an admittedly handsome face to that name. Roberto Giovanni is none other than the younger son of the Giovanni head Don, with an almost infamous reputation for being a jokester and troublemaker. He's as whimsical and impulsive as he is brutal and is known for having a knack for blackmail and violence. Judging by the scabbing on his knuckles and the amused gleam in his smoldering eyes, I'd guess his reputation is pretty spot-on.
Thisis who they picked to be the Giovanni representative?
Damn it, this is worse than I thought.
Chapter 6
