AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Giulia is twenty-two? I hadn't known that. She's not much younger than me, but she conducts herself like she's much older. That makes me smirk.
"I already gathered that she's an overachiever. Got anything else?"
He scowls again. "Why ask now? You already met with her, and you'resupposedto be working with her on this entire thing for the next few weeks, getting connections set up. We'll learn more about the Russo during all that—unless you blew it tonight and we need to make a speedy retreat from California. Just tell us what happened at dinner, Roberto."
Marcus ignores our friend, scratching his neck as he gazes at the ceiling. "I asked around, too. Not much on her regarding mafioso contacts, but on the business side? She's like her parent's trump card. She's cutthroat and calculated, even for a Russo, if you anonymously ask around the California business world. Pretty cold, too. An ice queen."
Then call me the ice king because I love hearing that she has this closely-guarded reputation. At first look, Giulia is soft and reserved and detached from everything. I thought that was the kind of girl I was watching on a lousy date over a week ago.
But now? Fuck, I can't stop thinking about the moment her eyes flashed before she took control in that hallway and kissed me. She might act like an ice queen, but she's secretly as ferocious as the other mafiosos.
I'm sure she uses that to her advantage in the business world. I'll have to ask her more about her work for the Russo family the next time I get to bother her and needle her over dinner—because therewillbe more meetings between us. I'm already excited about the idea.
"Shit, not that look," Bruno groans. "Roberto, stop."
"Stop what? I'm just thinking."
"Scheming," Marcus corrects. He raises his brows at me. "So, you wanted to fuck her, huh? Who knew there was a hot Russo out there?"
Averyhot Russo. Hot as hell. I wonder if I'll see her in something besides business attire. Maybe I'll vouch for our next meeting to occur somewhere she'll have to dress up a little more. I'm sure she could bring me to my knees in almost any outfit—hell, she already did that in the perfectly professional getup I've seen her in so far.
God, I wanted to get her out of those clothes so badly earlier...
"He doesn't want anything likethat," Bruno scoffs. "It would put the entireVitalendeal in jeopardy."
I roll my eyes. "Please. What better way to help our two families get along than recreational intermingling? We'll work better as a team if we're more comfortable with each other."
Marcus tips his head. "So you'll try to sleep with her as an angle for the deal?"
Hell, no.
I haven't spoken much to them about it, so I doubt they realize, but I'd do much for this new chance for the Five Families. This new drug and this new opportunity to change how the mafia is perceived is almost too good to be true.
But I won't let it pass us by since it is true. For years, I've been the one saying that something had to change—either the Giovanni family needed to turn up the dial on our methods to stop the unending leaks in our assets, or we needed to do something different. This new deal? It'ssomething differentwe need.
Lucky for me, it includes a much-needed truce between my family and Giulia's. There's been mindless, vengeful slaughter between our sides for years, underlined by countless offenses, backstabbing, and whatnot. It's a mess I've always rolled my eyes at and stayed away from—what fun is a fight like that with no end and no purpose?
I'm not interested in our family feud or finding an angle against the Russos. I'm just interested in Giulia, and I'm going to make her admit what I already know—she's interested in me, too. I saw it in our dancing, in our banter over dinner, and definitely in the way she knew exactly how to grip my cock in that hallway. How her hands had threaded in my hair and how she arched up against me...
Fuck. I'll have to take an extra long, ice-cold shower.
I realize I've zoned out, but Bruno is still frowning at me as if calculating the fastest way out of California without drawing any attention to us. I roll my eyes again and grin at both of my curious companions.
"You don’t need to worry about the deal. The meeting was fine, and we'll exchange a limited number of contacts from both families. We're staying in California, there will be more meetings soon, and we'll proceed as we would with any other backend drug dealings we've encountered in the past."
Bruno visibly relaxes, satisfied with my answers for now. Meanwhile, Marcus gives me a hard look, apparently picking up that I avoided his question.
"So, was all of that right?" he asks.
"Was what right?" I change the channel again before checking my phone for the time. It's nearly nine, and I smirk, imagining Giulia scowling at her email when she sees my contacts haven't arrived yet.
I wish I could see it because I enjoy all of her reactions.
"Her reputation. Is she a cold, cutthroat bitch?"
I fix him with a severe look that makes my cousin unconsciously lean away from me. I really don’t appreciate the latter term applied to Giulia. He better remember that.
"She is cutthroat. It's fun."
