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I skim my fingers down to her hem and tug. God, I want to push her up against this wall and fuck her until she's gasping my name and biting my shoulder. I'm aching for her.
"Focus, Giovanni," she says firmly. "Why haven’t you been answering your phone? I sent you no less than eighteen messages.”
“I think Bruno has it.”
She huffs. “You need to get out of here. Right now."
I study her. She looks frazzled—something rare as a blue moon on myBellissima. And how she's gripping my arms and speaking in a rush also tells me something isn't right.
Only I can guess what that something is already.
She reaches out to straighten my tie automatically. "My family is—"
"Going to attack me," I finish for her.
Giulia blinks up at me. "You knew? Then why the fuck are you still here?"
Her parents were cool and collected when I spotted them briefly earlier, but otherwise, I've been getting eyed by Russos all night long. Bruno also noticed it immediately, and some of the Giovannis in attendance has kept a close eye on the situation, updating me whenever they think they see something suspicious.
But the other appointedVitalenrepresentatives from the Five Families seem to have noticed, too. They've also stuck around me, and I've stayed in crowded places. The Russos wouldn't try to touch me while precious potential contacts watched.
I know how to recognize when I've walked into a nest of vipers, and I can take care of myself. But Giulia shouldn't be here. She'll raise suspicions about us, and if something does end up going down between the Five Families, I want her as far away from it as possible.
"I'll be fine, cutie," I say gently, reaching out to twist a finger in her hair. "If anyone comes at me, you know my fists can handle it. Now let's find a way for you to slip out of here unnoticed."
She scowls. "I'm not leaving. Not when my family is literally plotting your demise. You might think you're safe, but they'll just wait until the end of the gala. Or until you're leaving or alone in your car on the way back to the airport. They're confused by Tyson's murder and want your blood for it. You need to disappear. I'm not fucking around about this."
She's worried about me, and it warms my chest. I slip my hand to brush against her stomach and lean forward to whisper in her ear. "I'd love it if youwerefucking me, though."
Giulia growls in exasperation. "Just leave the gala."
"If they think I killed your cousin, turning tail and running would make me look guilty. Running from a fight won't stop them from wanting my blood, but confronting them might."
"They're trying to kill you."
"A lot of people do."
"You want to confront them? Fine. I'm staying for that. I refuse to let them hurt you, and I am not leaving unless you do," she hisses, shoving me back again.
Fuck, I love when she's physical. She must feel how hard I am, being pressed against me like this because she unhands me like I've burned her and steps back to fold her arms. But I miss her touch immediately and step forward, following until she's the one with her back against the wall, her chest rising and falling and drawing all my attention to her cleavage.
"You're not staying," I murmured, bending to place a kiss just under her clavicle. Her spiced vanilla scent envelops me, and It's intoxicating.
She takes a steadying breath, but one of her hands has already traveled to twist in the hair at the nape of my neck. "I'll stay if I want to stay, Dickhead."
"Così testardo,"I chuckle—so stubborn.
Giulia huffs, but she arches when I press against her harder and raise my chin to nip at her earlobe. "Me? You're the stubborn one, you damn troublemaker."
"Your troublemaker."
"There," a voice cuts in, a snarl that cuts into this private moment. "Just as I told you."
Immediately, Giulia and I wrench away from each other, and I step in front of her with a growl as Dante Parisi points a finger in my face. Then I notice that he's not alone—my father stands beside him, looking equally baffled and pissed as his gaze jerks between the Russo behind me to my face.
"Ragazzo," he says quietly. Angrily. "What is this?"
"It's perfectly evident whatthisis," Dante insists, sneering and running a hand back to smooth his already-smoothed hair. "It's exactly what I said, you see."
