“He goes to Sicily immediately. He is not to return here without my permission. If I catch him in this city, he will be a dead man. The entire city will have shoot on sight orders for him. Understood?” Salvadori’s left eye twitched, just as Sephie had said, but he nodded his head in agreement. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something still felt off about this situation. I didn’t like it, but I didn’t know why yet. Was he being dishonest or was he angry?
“Your tax will be increased for two years, as well. 40%. Take it from Anthony, I don’t care.”
His eyes went wide in shock, but he immediately gained control of his reaction once again. “Of course, sir. That’s very reasonable. I will make sure Anthony leaves within the week.”
“He has two days.”
“Yes, sir,” Salvadori said. He looked to Andy and nodded his head, waving his hand toward the table. “Now, please, I have a gift for the lovely Sephie. A token of apology from an old man.”
Andy set a jewelry box in front of me on the table. I opened it to reveal a diamond tennis bracelet. It was beautiful, but I couldn’t imagine her wanting to wear it. I still had that feeling that something was off, but graciously accepted the gift on her behalf. I stood to shake Salvadori’s hand and followed Andy back through the house. As we walked through the front door, Andy looked to the sky. The spring storm from earlier had passed, but the sky was still slightly overcast. “Looks like it might rain again, sir. Be careful on your drive home.”
I nodded my head. We got in the vehicles and drove away from the house in silence. Instead of turning to go back to my house, we turned in the opposite direction to drive back into the city. “Penthouse, sir?” Ivan confirmed.
“Da. Something is off. I don’t like this,” I said, turning the jewelry box over in my hands.
“Agreed,” both Viktor and Ivan said.
Adrik
It took us twice as long to get to the penthouse as usual. We basically drove in circles for at least 20 minutes, trying to make sure we weren’t being followed. When Ivan was satisfied we were safe, we pulled into the underground parking garage beneath the building. I owned the entire building. The bottom floors were office space and apartments. The top three floors were restricted, with only my people having access. The top floor was my penthouse, the floor beneath that was apartments for each of my men, and the floor beneath that was office space for me, gym, and secure rooms where I could keep anyone I needed to get information from.
Andy’s statement about the weather told me that something was off, but I couldn’t get details just yet. It confirmed my gut feeling that I was missing something.
We rode the elevator to my office. I wanted to look through my files in my office. I threw the jewelry box down on my desk as I sat and started leafing through files on my desk. I wasn’t exactly sure what I was looking for, but I knew I would know it when I saw it. I needed as much information on Salvadori’s brother as I could find.
After half an hour with still no luck, I called to Viktor. He stuck his head inside my office, “Yes, boss?”
“I think we should take the helicopter home. I still have a bad feeling.”
“I already called it, sir. It’ll be here in ten minutes, ready whenever you are.”
“Thank you, Viktor.” I smiled to myself, knowing they were already taking every precaution to keep us safe and protected, which ultimately meant that Sephie would also be safe and protected. She had been or my mind the entire afternoon. I was still in shock over what she had endured in her short life. She had every reason to be hateful, to be mad at the world, to see the evil in everything and everyone. Instead, she was exactly the opposite. She practically exuded love and happiness. She had moments where her past would show up and her light would dim, but only briefly. She was incredibly strong. I was in awe of her. The more I learned about her, the deeper I was falling for her.
I stood up from my desk. It was time to go. I needed to feel her in my arms.
Sephie
When I came out of the gym, Andrei was facing the door, looking more nervous than a man of his size ever should. I chuckled. He raised his eyebrows, looking expectantly at me. “So…?”
I pointed both of my thumbs at my chest and asked, “who’s your favorite?”
He inhaled sharply, “she’s interested??”
“Bubba, she’s just as smitten with you as you are with her. She’s had a crush on you since she got here. Thank God I stepped in. You two would be in your 60s before you ever had a conversation about this.” I grabbed his hand, walking back down the hall toward his bedroom. “We’re waiting in here until she leaves the gym. I need to have a coaching session with you on how to talk to girls anyway. Then, you and she are spending time together, alone, while I cook dinner for everyone.”
“But sestrichka, I can’t leave you alone until Boss returns.”
“I’ll be in the next room. You can even move the couches so I’m in your line of sight. It’ll be fine. I’ll tell Adrik that it was my idea, so he doesn’t yell at you. Come on, you have like one chance to be alone with her, so fucking take it,” I said as I pointed my finger at him.
He laughed as he shook his head at me. “Yes, ma’am.”
After we heard Tori walk past his door, we ventured out toward the kitchen again. As we walked by the doors to the back patio, I had an idea.
“Do you have a pocketknife?”
“Da. Why?” he asked, reaching into his pocket to produce his knife. He held it in his palm.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.