Valentino

"So, Xanders, why'd you drive off my bit of fun for the night?" Peter asks. "In front of the boss, no less! I was gonna have Linda blow him."

I glance at Peter, studying him for a moment. Silvano is the boss's son, not the boss, unless something else has changed in the days I've been recovering. But no. Silvano looks too relaxed to have newly transitioned into power, and I'm sure someone would've let me know if his father met an unfortunate demise as well.

Wouldn't that be an interesting turn of events?

Silvano makes a dismissive gesture. The movement reminds me of how he used to hold cigarettes, back when he smoked. "I don't need your leftovers, Peter. I wasn't really looking for anything tonight anyway. Just wanted to get away from my father."

"This is the best place to go for distraction," I agree. "Even if you do have to spend it looking at our ugly faces instead of Linda's cunt. I won't take long."

Dan keeps looking at me and Nero, until he catches me staring back at him in turn.

"Problem?" I ask.

"Nope." Dan scratches his beard nervously. "Don't you usually come out on Thursdays? It's not really your day. Now I'm gonna have to compete with you for bitches."

"I can't help it that they prefer someone who actually knows how to use a flogger," I say with a wolfish smile. "Heather's needy tonight. Maybe even needy enough to say yes to you."

Very doubtful. She has taste sometimes, and I know for a fact Dan doesn't know how to wield a whip well enough for her.

"Regardless," I go on, "I wanted to see how things were while I was... out of town."

Silvano snorts. "You worried I wasn't taking care of things just the right way? I took care of things with Laszlo, don't worry. And those Russian friends of yours have been very generous. They dropped off a bottle of vodka for you, if you want it. It's back at the mansion."

My allies shouldn't be giving Silvano any gifts for me, and we both know it. Though we both belong to the Cresci family, that doesn't mean we share our clients and deals. I know Silvano has been trying to establish his own ties with the Russians, but he needs to do that without using me as a fucking middleman.

"Keep it. Think of me when you drink it, and of how generous I am with my liquor and my friends," I tell Silvano with a brittle smile.

Silvano takes another sip from his glass, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "Thanks. Maybe I can serve it the next time we're all together again." His gaze ends up on Nero again. I have to resist the urge to stand protectively in front of Nero—and it isn't like Nero needs my protection. Yeah, he's skinny, but I saw how he handled himself at the warehouse.

Peter coughs, breaking the tension between us. "It's good to see you though, Xanders. We've got some new deals lined up, and the Boss wants to move forward with the whole Mexico thing."

I nod and motion for him to continue, listening as he outlines, in vague wording, our next steps in our deals with one of the Mexican cartels. Nero stands at attention the entire time, doing an admirable job of pretending to be a bodyguard.

I notice Dan sweating more than is warranted in this nicely air-conditioned room, and he keeps glancing at me before averting his gaze.

"Dan, you have any opinions?" I ask, just to catch him off balance.

Dan startles and looks at me stupidly. "Um... oh, yeah, uh... Don Leone probably... I mean, we can probably get a higher payout. Because, um..."

Silvano makes a disgusted noise. "Just spit it out. We don't have all day."

"Yeah. I just meant, I heard there's been a lot of official pressure in Mexico and Don Leone's in the crosshairs. He might need more from us than we do from him." Dan grips his drink, downs it, then stands up. "Sorry. I just remembered; I promised my Carlita I'd be home for... sex."

"So people still have sex at your age?" I ask him dryly, very interested in the fact that he's flustered enough to come up with such a ridiculous excuse to need to depart.

Peter barks out a laugh. "An inspiration to us all!" he says, lifting his drink in a mockery of a toast.

"Fuck off," Dan says. "She's 'in the mood' maybe twice a year. I gotta take advantage of it when I can."

I'm not nearly as amused as I pretend to be. The way Dan's acting has my hackles up.

"I guess he shouldn't be the only one getting laid," I drawl. "Good to see you, Peter, Silvano. Give the boss my regards. I'll drop by in a few days, once I get a few deals ironed out."

"Sure. Send Linda back in if you see her!" Peter says, waving as I leave.

Silvano only raises his glass.

Nero follows me back past the curtains and into the main hall. Once we're reasonably far away, I ask, "What did you think?"

"I think somebody didn't expect to see you alive," Nero murmurs quietly. "But... no, never mind."

My attention is fully on him. "Tell me," I order him. "If you have thoughts on this, I need to know about them."

Nero suddenly tenses and puts a hand on me, using leverage to get me behind him faster than I have time to react.

A pretty, blond man in a mesh shirt stands opposite of us. "Hey, Val. I thought you didn't play with men."

The nickname is enough to make bile rise up in my throat, but I force a smile onto my lips. "Luke," I say. "I'm here for business, not pleasure. This is my new bodyguard, Nero."

"Bodyguard," Luke repeats, a smile slowly stretching across his lips as he looks Nero up and down. "That's not what Heather said, Daddy."

Well, fuck.