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She laughed and gave me a wicked look. “I’m the IT guy. Nice to meet you, Charlie.” She stuck out a black-nailed hand.
I took it after a moment, giving it a limp shake.
“You too. I have to get back to work,” I muttered, my eyes darting to Renato’s and away.
“Of course, the boss at this dump is a real dragon, or so I’ve heard. You donotwant to get on his bad side.” The mystery woman laughed and whirled away from me, just in time to intercept the benefit organizers who made a beeline for Renato.
Of course they were. The man oozed wealth and power. He was a magnet, and eyes were drawn to him from all over the room.
Renato didn’t turn when the organizers spoke to him. Instead, he stared at me. I backed away, shooting a polite smile across the group, and then swiveled on my heel and hightailed it to the kitchen.
I could feel his eyes on me the entire time.
7
RENATO
Ihad no desire to make an appearance at the benefit tonight, but it usually paid off to show my face. Everyone of power and wealth in this city knew who I was. I showed up at these things to remind them that I was real, not just some fairy-tale monster people told their kids about. People needed incentives to stick to the rules, and fear was the best motivator.
Running into Charlotte Burke was just an unexpected benefit.
She tried hard not to stare at me as she worked. Her waitressing uniform was unflattering, yet it didn’t hide the classical hour-glass proportions of her body. I wondered if she picked out clothes that were purposefully large for her, disliking the attention that something formfitting would bring her. It was possible. Charlotte was smart. She didn’t exaggerate the largeness of the uniform. It was only just big enough to make her look unshapely, with a hint of sloppy. Hiding in plain sight from the clientele of the casino, who could err on the side of handsy.
“So, when can we leave?” Giada asked, six cocktails deep and still bored. “You said ten minutes, in and out.”
“Ten more.” I sipped my scotch, my attention on Charlotte as she moved efficiently around the room, clearing empty glasses.
“You know, I spoke toZioSal this morning.” Giada’s change of subject was enough for me to lose my focus.
I turned to her. “And what did Salvatore have to say?”
The De Sanctis family wasn’t only a powerhouse of organized crime in the States, but in Italy, as well. My uncle Salvatore ran thefamigliain Naples like a well-oiled machine, and I’d learned far more from him than I had from my actual father. He was my mother’s brother and had never fully gotten over her death. There had been no tears shed in Naples when my father had died.
“You know, the usual. He wants to know what time the christening is.”
I sighed, familiar with this routine by now. “The christening for his imaginary godchild? Any day now.”
Giada laughed. “You have to hand it to the old guy. Give him one book on manifesting and he’s all in. He’s not going to stop until he’s holding the heir of the De Sanctis family’s U.S. operations in his arms and cooing over them. You have to give in at some point, Ren. You’re not getting any younger. Clock’s ticking.”
“I’m not sure it works that way with men.”
“I meanZioSal’s clock. It’s only a matter of time before he pushes someone on you, if you can’t rise to the challenge to finding a wife yourself and knocking her up.”
The image ofZioSal’s sweet, quiet-as-a-church-mouse wife filled my mind. Meek, silent, and far too breakable for my liking. At my age, I was set in my lifestyle and my routines. I wouldn’t be making space for some mafia princess who had to be coddled, or a fragile leaf of a girl who’d snap at the first harsh word or the strain of motherhood. I needed someone resilient. A woman with grit.
“Tell Uncle Sal I don’t require his help.”
“You can tell him yourself. He’s coming to visit, that’s why I called.”
“When?” I wasn’t displeased to hear that my Italian family was visiting, but I wasn’t looking forward to more pushing on the wife-and-heir subject. It wasn’t something I’d accept being forced into. I wouldn’t be marrying someoneZioSal suggested just to check having an heir off the list. I’d choose the woman who would be the mother of my children with the same precision I chose everything in my life.
“In the new year. If I were you, I’d find someone to show off to him before then. For fuck’s sake, Ren. You’re annoyingly gorgeous, rich as Croesus, and powerful as hell. Women throw themselves at you wherever we go, but sure, it’s hard to scare up a few candidates.”
My grin stretched wider. “So, you still have that pesky little crush on me, do you? Annoyingly gorgeous?”
“Fuck of,” Giada grumbled at me and turned on her heel. “I’m going to find the tequila.”
She strode off, leaving me alone to consider the prospect of a visit from the Neapolitan side of the family.
