Page 48 of Mob Princess

“This is Bonnie Moretti. My date for the evening.”

My uncle blinked, concern blanketing his gaze. “Moretti?”

Here we go.“Yes.”

He nodded slowly. “Ah.”

Bonnie tapped me on the arm. “I think I’m going to get a drink. Are you thirsty?”

I kept smiling at my uncle. “No, beautiful. I’m all right. Let me at least escort you into the ballroom like a gentleman.”

I brushed past my uncle, and we headed straight for the ballroom. We weren’t even announced by the man standing at the door because he looked too shell-shocked at the sight of Bonnie. I removed her arm from mine and wrapped my tight grip around her waist. I kept her close while people stared. I kissed the top of her head just to give them something to gawk at.

“Israel?”

“Yes?”

“Could you have at least warned me before throwing me into this plan of yours?”

I looked at her out of the corner of my eye. “What plan?”

She looked up at me through her eyelashes. “I’m not an idiot. You brought me here to make a statement. You could’ve at least told me that before we got here.” She had a smile on her face, but there was frustration in her murmured voice.

I brushed it off. I wouldn’t fight with her that night, not in front of everyone. If she still had grievances once we got up to the room, we could hash things out there. Right now, though? We had to keep up a facade of happiness. So, I plastered on my best smile and turned to the person beside me.

“Hello, Mrs. Gabriel. How is your daughter doing? Have you met Miss Moretti yet?”

Her hazel eyes lit up with interest. “Israel, it’s wonderful to see you. And I don’t believe I’ve met Miss Moretti yet, no.”

“Well, this is the infamous Bonnie Moretti. Isn’t she a beauty? I’m a lucky man; I can tell you that.”

I wanted to accomplish two things that night. One, I wanted everyone to know that Bonnie was at my side so long as I kept her there. And two, I wanted everyone to know that I knew they knew. Half of my business was brute force, but the other half was psychological warfare. I knew my family’s lips were much too loose to keep under wraps the fact that I wasn’t actually married. I knew that from the second my father had called me up to inform me about my lunch date with Carmela. So, I sure as hell wasn’t going to act as if this woman was my wife.

I would, however, act like she was the most important woman in my life.

Because she was.

“It’s so nice to meet you, Mr. Ranchester.” Bonnie played her part perfectly. “I’m Bonnie. Yes, Bonnie Moretti. Though, I do hope to change that last name at some point.”

She fluttered among the crowd at my side perfectly.

“Oh, my word. You look amazing! That dress is stunning on you. Oh, yes. I’m so sorry. Bonnie Moretti, and you are?”

There were even moments where her name alone stole the show, and I got to witness her personable skills first-hand.

“Don’t let the name fool you now. My uncle might give it a bad rap, but someone’s got to repair that reputation, right? You can just call me ‘Bonnie,’ though. ‘Mrs. Moretti’ is my aunt and she wears the title well despite her age.”

I almost choked on the drink I was sipping as the comment flew from her lips. And as my parents’ best friends, Alma and Frank, stood there in shock, Bonnie simply smiled at them before she looked up at me.

“Need another drink, handsome?”

I winked at her. “Don’t mind if I have one. Get yourself one, too. Neither of us is going anywhere for the night.”

“For the night? I was at least hoping for the weekend.”

I chuckled. “Whatever you want, beautiful.”

Laying it on as thick as we were was exhausting. But we somehow made it entertaining in the process. There were times where I had to physically keep myself from laughing because the digs Bonnie got in against her family tickled me to the core. The woman had a serious tongue on her. She could slash an entire crowd down in a heartbeat if I had given her a microphone to speak.

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