Quiet Wealth by J.L. Drake

“So, Blake,” I nibbled on the to-die-for seared sea scallop, “how long are you and Spencer in town?”

“I’m not really sure, since you,” he smiled down at his wife, “can work anywhere in the world, and I have the next three weeks off, who knows what will happen?”

“Lots of sightseeing?” Gail, Wyatt’s sister, spoke up. Gail and Blake had known each other since high school, and he often come into the city to visit his family.

“They just got married.” Wyatt rolled his eyes at his sister. “The only sightseeing should be on the inside of a luxurious hotels.”

“Yes,” Spencer blurted, and the entire table broke into laughter. “Speaking of which, where is Chase tonight?”

Two men in flashy suits walked by and took the booth behind us. Immediately, their scent made my head hurt. I hated cologne, not to mention cheap cologne.

“When did we leave The Flatiron and land in a lousy night club?” Wyatt snickered as he coughed and wiped his eyes at the overpowering stink.

I shook my head at him and tried to clear my thoughts to focus on my friends. Moments later, the low voices of the men came to me, and I found myself listening.

“Do you think he suspects anything?” One of them spoke just as the music was switching over.

“If he’s anything like his old man, no. He’ll sign it,” the other answered with a chuckle. “He’ll be none the wiser when Jay’s ships arrive at his port. A container is a container.”

I couldn’t hear the next bit of conversation, but my strained ears caught a comment “scared eyes bring in the biggest paychecks,” to which someone snorted and agreed.

“Chase is working.” Gail downed her drink and brought me back to the conversation around our table. “Maybe if I had those,” she pointed to my cleavage that I knew was tastefully displayed in my favorite black lacy dress, “he would have canceled his meeting.” I tried to look like I was paying attention as I strained to hear the words from behind me.

“Like you say, scared eyes bring big paychecks,” one repeated, and his tone sent a dark shiver through me. I caught sight of them when a girl turned her phone around and took a selfie.

“Oh, please.” Wyatt waved her off and pulled my attention back to them. “You know Chase tried everything to get out of it.”

“I know.” She pouted as Spencer wiggled out from behind her, needing to use the restroom. As she walked away, I felt the shake of the booth as the guys behind me stood and made their way over to a private booth then disappeared behind a partially closed curtain. “Still, though,” Gail went on, “did you get those on demand, or are you just naturally blessed?” She indicated my cleavage again.

I chuckled as Wyatt answered, “Blessed.”

“And how would you know that, brother?”

“I live with the bella. Trust me, you walk in on a lot.”

“What?” I shrugged playfully. “I’m Italian. We embrace what we have.”

“You should embrace all of that.” Gail bent down and mouthed her straw as she fingered the feathery lace on my capped sleeve. The same lace trimmed the plunging neckline. The dress made me feel good, no matter where I wore it. It came to a wide diamond shape in the front, and a single piece of black tie wrapped around my neck and dangled between my breasts as if it were a long necklace. It was sexy-classy, as Wyatt described it earlier in the evening. He had insisted I sweep my hair up into a messy bun with a few pieces falling down to frame my face. I had to admit it was a pretty look for me.

“Oh, my God.” Spencer came up to the table with her hands over her mouth. “Sorry, babe, but ladies, there is the sexiest man in the private room over there.”

“Where?” Gail nearly fell out of her seat.

“Right there. Look over my shoulder, and—oh, my—look at that one.” I swung my gaze back over to the private room and felt my body temperature rise.

“You have got to be kidding me,” I hissed when I spotted Vinni on the phone, which only meant…I leaned over further and spotted Elio. My heart, stomach, and thighs all clutched at once. “What in hell are the odds they’d be here?” Then I suddenly thought of the men and their conversation and wondered what the hell was going on.

“Hang on.” Spencer’s face lit up. “Do you know them?”

“I do.” I downed the rest of my drink and held my hand in the air to catch the bartender’s attention.

“How is it that the foreigner knows the hot mafia men in suits?” Gail chuckled at her joke, but little did she know.

“Sienna?” Wyatt grabbed my arm. “Is that who I think it is?”

“Yes, Mr. Tall dark and dangerous has followed me to New York. But two can play at this game. Hey, Leo!” I smiled up at Wyatt’s good friend, and the bartender’s sweet face smiled as he served us another round. “I need your help.”

We watched as he carried the bottle of whiskey over to the privacy-curtained table. I downed the rest of my wine and poured another then stood with my fresh glass of liquid courage and leaned against the wall, waiting to see Elio’s expression. Vinni suddenly spotted me, and his face dropped when he caught me staring at him. He gave a sheepish wave then leaned his head into the room, and a moment later, Elio’s eyes were burning through me.

“Sweet Lucifer, he’s terrifying,” Wyatt huffed while Spencer nearly got knocked over by Gail, who needed a closer look.

“Sit down, you last-week’s bride.” Wyatt pulled her back down. “Trust me when I say you don’t ever want to play in that man’s sandbox.”

“Why not?” Blake’s detective senses started to hone in.

Ignoring them, I pushed off the wall and started a slow-sexy walk in his direction, one foot in front of the other, like a panther to the beat of a song. The white wine swirled around in my glass, which reminded me to take another sip, which I did in what I hoped was a seductive way. I took a quick glance around the room and wondered where Vinni’s brother Niccola was. He always seemed to pop up unexpectedly.

Once I reached the small, curtained-off room, I tilted my head and stared deeply at the man who returned it with one that nearly brought me to my knees.

“Mr. Capri, what are the odds?” I lifted a single brow and eyed him up and down, proud that my voice sounded normal. I switched to English and focused in on the man who sat across from him. He looked like the type that should have six gold chains around his neck. That would pair perfectly with that ridiculous suede suit and deep red shirt he wore underneath. I avoided any kind of eye contact with the two other men who stood in the back corner. “Am I interrupting anything?”

“Not at all.” The man in the suede suit smiled wide, and I was treated to a view of his silver-capped teeth in the back. “Funny, I was just saying to Elio that we should get some women in here.”

“Oh, really.” I eyed Elio. He looked outwardly calm, but I could tell by the giveaway tick of his jaw he was on his last nerve. “Well, please, don’t let me stop you.”

“You’re not. Sit.” He pointed at the chair next to Elio.

It wasn’t the first time I’d sat across from someone who most likely saw more blood than a morgue. It was all part of the job these days, and a part I did very well, it seemed. In this case, I needed to know if these men were with Elio or not.

“Thank you,” I purred and gracefully eased into the seat. I crossed my legs and smirked at the unopened bottle. “I see you got my gift.”

“Very amusing,” Elio finally said through his tight jaw.

“I thought so.” I winked playfully at him, loving my newfound courage. We had a lot to talk about, but for right now, I was going to have a little fun.

“I’m Jacob.” His friend took the lead in the conversation. “What’s your name?”

I felt Elio tense, and I figured I should tread carefully.

“Anna.” I offered my hand, and he took it, holding it a little longer than I would have liked. “Is this meeting business or pleasure, gentlemen?”

“Business.” Jacob patted a leather-bound file folder in the center of the table, then his eyes slid over to the papers in front of Elio.

Oh, Lord…

“How intriguing.” I ran my fingertips over the top of the folder. “And how’s that going?”

“Better now.” He grinned at me, and I wanted to pull back, but I held his look with a smile. “I just need dear old Elio here to give me his John Hancock, and the deal is done.”

“How very mysterious of you.” It wasn’t lost on me that this was probably the signature the men in the booth had referred to.

“So, tell me, Anna, how do you know Elio? Lovers, haters, friends…what?”

I turned my smile over to Elio as I ran my middle finger down the fabric that edged my cleavage, stopping midway before retracing its path. I was buying myself time to think of how I should navigate the situation. Maybe what I heard back at the booth was nothing, or maybe it was something. Either way, I planned on making sure Elio had all the information before signing.

“Just friends.” I shifted my gaze back to Jacob, knowing Elio would hate for anyone to know I meant something to him. “A few times, we had a moment, but it just never seemed to stick.”

“Mm,” Elio growled, and I shifted in my seat, trying to relieve the sexual tension I was feeling. “Maybe it’s because you’re so stubborn.”

“Who wants a woman who isn’t a little feisty? It adds to the fun,” Jacob retorted, and I clicked my glass to his, enjoying the quick flash of anger that crossed Elio’s face.

“A drink, gentlemen?” I reached for the open bottle and poured a double then slid it over to Jacob, who filled his empty one to the brim. I took the bottle back and gave Elio’s nearly full glass a splash. “Where I come from, when we drink, we drink doubles. Cheers, boys.” I pretended to take a sip and watched as Jacob tried to impress me, finishing off the entire glass. My stomach turned at the thought.

Whiskey was like sex. It was meant to be sipped, savored, appreciated, giving it time to warm you from the inside out. I glanced at Elio, who had his gaze fixed on me. I let my gaze drag across his lap before returning to the man in front of me.

Think, think!

“So.” Jacob eyed the contract, and I noticed the two men in the back were staring at me. “Do you think we could end this night on a high note, Elio?”

“I love this color,” I interrupted and leaned in to finger the deep-red collar of Jacob’s shirt. I could feel his breath on my cheek, and his eyes widened to show he enjoyed my touch. “When I was eighteen, I fell in love with this sexy red Jaguar E-Type S. Oh, hell, she was stunning. Her curves were gorgeous, and her engine purred like a catcall to all men.” I chuckled at the memory that came back to me. “When I finally went to buy it, the owner had other plans, and just like that, my dream of owning something so appealing vanished. I guess the deal just wasn’t meant to be.” It took everything inside me not to look over at Elio as I pulled back from Jacob.

“Jaguar?” Jacob snagged the bottle and poured himself another very large glass. “There’s no back seat, where’s the fun in that?” He laughed and ran his hand up my thigh as the rest of his men joined in with laughter.

I shook my head at them all and acted completely disgusted at his words.

“A real man would have figured it out,” I shot back and hoped for an angry reaction.

“There you are.” Wyatt suddenly tugged back the curtain and stood next to Vinni.

“Who the fuck is this?” Jacob glared at him.

“This is Anna’s friend, Andrew,” Elio said sharply, making sure Wyatt knew not to say anything else. “Nice to see you again.”

“You as well.” Thankfully, he played his part well. “Ah, Anna, the others left. It’s just us now. Are you ready to leave?”

“Nah, she’s fine right here.” Jacob waved him off, still angry at my words, and I glanced at Elio for help.

“Vinni, take Andrew to my car,” Elio said quickly in Italian. “We can give you a ride, and we’ll join you shortly.”

“Yes, boss.” Vinni motioned for Wyatt to leave, and I gave a little nod to let him know it was all right.

“You know,” Jacob leaned close and pressed his clammy hand hard against my thigh, “I know a little Italian myself.” He prattled off some dirty words, and I remained unimpressed.

“Just because you know how to pronounce them doesn’t mean you should use them.” I removed his hand, but he slapped it back down, and I jumped when Elio snagged his hand and twisted it in a tight grip. I sensed the tension and movement from the guys in the corner.

“No touching,” Elio warned calmly over my head. “Ever.”

“Sorry.” He pulled his hand away with a huff, waving off his guys. “She’s not even yours.”

“Anna,” Elio nodded at me, “it’s time to leave. Go find your friend.”

Slowly, I peeled my body from the chair and leaned into Elio, making a show to kiss him high up on the jaw.

“Don’t sign,” I whispered and moved away, pulling my mask back down. “Always a good time when our worlds collide, Elio.” Once I was free from Jacob’s view, I rushed out of The Flatiron Room. I knew better than to test my limits.

The cool night air filled my lungs, and I took a moment to let the adrenalin settle. The last forty minutes had been tense.

“Hey!” Vinni called from across the street where he stood next to a very expensive Cadillac. “Over here.”

I waved and looked around for Wyatt. Was he in the car?

“Who the hell are you?” Jacob was suddenly next to me. “I’ve never seen Elio lose it like that before.”

I took a step backward as he pulled his gun free. “I’m just a friend of…of his cousin.”

“You just fucked up our deal, little lady.” His eyes raked my body, and I felt like I might get sick. “Mr. Big-Shot Italian has no idea what he just did.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I acted like I didn’t care as Vinni slowly pulled his weapon and pointed it at his head.

I only saw a blur as Elio jammed his fist into the side of Jacob’s face, sending him spinning into the street. He whirled around, stunned at what just happened, and Elio put his hands up to continue the fight. I kicked his gun under a car as Jacob’s eyes whirled, probably waiting for his men, who were nowhere to be found.

“No deal, Jacob.” Elio yanked the paper from the file and flicked his Zippo, lighting the corner of it.

“No!” Jacob went to charge Elio, but Vinni used the butt of his gun to smoke him in the temple, and he fell heavily.

Elio dropped the half-burnt papers, took my hand, and whisked me across the street and into the Cadillac.

“Well,” Wyatt turned to look at me from the front seat, “so, this is the guy you like?”

I chuckled, mainly to relieve some stress.

“Drive,” Elio barked at Vinni as he joined me in the back. He wrapped an arm behind my seat and stared at me hard. “What the fuck was that?”

“The deal was dirty.”

“Dirty?”

“Yes, I heard some of his men talking in the next booth saying they wondered if you suspected anything, and another one said if you were anything like your old man you would sign it. Maybe something was added to it at the last minute. Don’t be angry with me, Elio. I may have just saved you from something bad.”

He held my gaze for a few more intense minutes, then he pulled out his phone and started to dig through his email.

“Wait,” I shouted, “what about Niccola?”

“Damage control,” Vinni answered. “He’ll be fine.”

“Where are we going?” Wyatt asked after some time had passed.

“A hotel,” Vinni said as he checked the side mirror.

“What? No. I need to get back to my sister’s.”

“Not tonight, sorry.” Vinni’s eyes caught mine in the mirror.

Wyatt’s gaze flew to me, and I shook my head for him not to protest. Right now, we just needed to clear the air so we could all be on the same page.

I leaned back and watched the city lights as my eyes grew tired. It had been an eventful night, and I wasn’t sure what in the world was going through Elio’s mind as his fingers flew over his keypad.

“The Equinox?” Wyatt pulled me from my sleepy daze, and I ducked down to read the sign as the valet approached Vinni’s door. “Damn, when you said hotel, I sure wasn’t expecting this.”

“I don’t have anything to change into.” I looked down at my outfit.

“It’s been taken care of,” Elio finally said as he moved to exit the car.

“Why?” I followed him out.

“You two are spending the night here.”

I folded my arms, growing more and more angry at having my night decided for me. “How nice of you to ask me.”

Elio whirled around, and I could tell he was about ready to lose his cool. “You show up out of nowhere years later, you know my best friend, and then you show up at The Flatiron wearing that,” his eyes burned through me, “and you have inside knowledge about a huge deal I was about to sign off on. Yes, damn it, you are staying here. So we can figure this mess out!”

I studied his face, and watched it slip for a millisecond. It was his tell, and if I had even blinked, I would have missed it, but it had shown itself a half a beat later than I’d expected. When he showed his true vulnerability, I felt it. I listened. I understood it.

“I know you well enough by now, Elio,” I whispered, “to know this isn’t like you. You’re never rude with me, and the few times you have been, it was for a pretty good reason. You also know I wouldn’t do something like that back there without a good reason. So,” I started to walk past him, “either I’m in some kind of danger, or you just really missed me.” I tried to curb my sass.

“Sienna, you—” Vinni went to speak, but Elio shook his head to stop him.

“Please.” Elio closed his eyes for a brief moment before staring at the ground. “Go inside so we can speak in private, because I’m pretty sure I’m a moment away from showing you a side I have never wanted you to see.” He nearly vibrated with anger as he waited for me to get moving.

“Okay.” I sincerely meant it. I just needed him to see me the way he used to, not blurred with all the distance and lies.