Page 42 of Sinfully Savage Mafia

“And then I’d owe you? Seriously? I want nothing to do with you.” She leans forward, and through the old stale smoke from when lighting up in bars in New York was legal, and probably after-hours recently, I can smell her. That evocative scent from last night. “I’m an underboss.”

“That bruise says otherwise, Heaven,” I say softly. “Looks to me like you need a man to take care of you.”

Her eyes narrow, and I’m aware of the dangerous line I’m treading. She can’t get out of this deal. But I want her to choose to step into my den for the greater good.

“You’re here to attempt to make a deal with my father. I’m going to stop it.” She presses her hands on the bar.

I smile. “I don’t think so, Heaven. As I said last night when I sampled your goods, you don’t know the details.”

“I don’t give a fuck.”

“I’m concerned about you. Give me the names of who hurt you and I’ll take them down. Tell you what, I’ll let you choose the punishment.”

“I’m not in the market for any more friends.”

“That’s good. I’m not interested in being friends with you.”

She straightens up and crosses her arms, stretching the cotton of her T-shirt taut over her lush tits, and I drop my gaze to them. Deliberately.

“For a Neanderthal, you dress well.”

“And here I was thinking you’re overdressed,” I say.

I’m rewarded with color flooding her cheeks, a red that climbs from beneath the scoop neckline of the gray T-shirt with The Pogues on it. “Fuck you.”

“That’s the general idea,amore mio.”

Heaven reaches beneath the bar and pulls out a bottle of whiskey. She pours a shot and downs it before looking at me again. “Through there and down the hallway,” she says, nodding her head toward a door not far from the bar. “They’re waiting for you.”

I take her hand and squeeze it as she tries to pull free. Not enough to hurt, I understand the exact amount of pressure I can use, but enough that she can’t let go. Ignoring the fizz of electricity from the touch, the heat of her flesh, the softness of her skin, I raise it to my lips.

She tugs again. I wait, gaze steady on her until she meets it. And then, as if I have all the time in the world, I press her hand to my mouth. At her small, involuntary jerk, the sudden widening of her eyes, the quickening of her pulse in her wrist, I let her go.

“Matty,” Roman says as we cross to the door. “What the fuck was that?”

“Playing the game.” I knock on the door and straighten the charcoal tie I wear as part of the three-piece suit. It’s overkill, but I’m here to making a fucking impression.

And I know without looking that sweet, fiery, tough-as-nails Heaven can’t tear her gaze from me. I can feel it burn into my back. She’s probably imagining a target there. I almost smile at the thought.

Conor opens the door, his face darkening and eyes narrowing as he takes both me and my brother in. He puffs up. This asshole basically is handing me the keys to the castle in the form of his sister, and he has no idea.

His mouth lifts in a smirk, as though he’s suddenly got the situation pegged, and the insolent, idiotic fool’s put himself up as the superior. Perfect. The more ego on display, the less they’ll look for holes, and the harder they’ll fall.

And Conor?

I’m looking forward to his fall most of all.

He casts another look over my suit and black overcoat and snickers. “A little overdressed, aren’t we, Villani?”

“I’m about to be engaged. Jeans and a Whitesnake T-shirt didn’t seem classy enough,” I say coldly.

“I’ve had some time to think.”

“You can do that? He can do that, Roman,” I say. “Call the papers. It’s a fucking miracle.”

His eyes narrow to slits. “You act superior, fuckwad, but you’re not. You’re a servant. You take care of things for people, sure, but you’re a small fry. Otherwise, why would you want to marry Heaven? You want an in with New York, that’s why. You think you struck gold with this whole plan of yours, don’t you?”

I don’t say a word and wait because he’s not finished yet. When people talk, I listen. The way he shifts truths around to suit himself makes him both malleable and dangerous. Dangerous because he’s a half-witted short fuse and someone to watch out for. He won’t get in my way. He won’t be a voice in his father’s ear, even though I’m going to make a show of saving his ass.

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