Page 16 of Unrelenting
People gawk as he passes. Bruno is a beast of a man, tall and broad-shouldered. His head is shaved, and he has a spiderweb tattoo on his scalp. He looks exactly like what he is, hired muscle.
In retrospect, he may have been a poor choice of bodyguard. Gianetta’s is a classy establishment. Bruno looks like a Rottweiler. His presence might drive Lucia’s customers away.
She’ll be royally pissed if that happens, and I don’t want her upset. I’ll find someone else to protect her when I’m not available.
As Olivia returns to the table, I get to my feet. “Bruno will take you home.”
Her face falls. “But I wanted dessert.”
“Bruno will buy you gelato on the way home.”
“I don’t want…” Her voice trails off as she registers my expression. She can argue with me all she likes when we’re alone. I welcome it, in fact. But in public, in front of one of my men, she needs to acquiesce to whatever demands I make. That’s something she should be used to, growing up in a Mafia family. She clears her throat. “On second thoughts, ice-cream would be delightful.”
She spins on her heel and flounces from the dining room. Bruno trails behind her. I hope she doesn’t give him a hard time. He’s not got much of a personality, but the man is loyal to my family, and he doesn’t deserve to be treated like shit.
I retake my seat and sit back to enjoy the rest of the bottle of wine.
Gradually, the restaurant’s patrons finish their meals and leave. Angelina and the other servers clear the tables and tidy the mess left behind. I move to the bar so I’m out of their way.
Francesco, who tends bar for Lucia, has already left for the night. I take another bottle of the Barolo and two glasses, then grab a seat.
“Angelina,” I call out as the young woman passes me on her way to the kitchen. I hand her several hundred euro bills. “For the wine and for the service tonight.”
“You already left a tip when you paid the check,signore.”
“Then consider this a bonus for finishing up quickly.”
“Yes,signore.”
Taking the hint, she goes to hurry the other members of staff along. After ten minutes, the dining room is cleared, and the staff scurry off into the kitchen.
A short while later they, and the kitchen staff, file out through the front door. Lucia, wearing blue jeans, a white shirt and beige raincoat, follows.
Instead of heading for the door, she clambers onto the seat next to me, clearly exhausted.
“You waited for me,” she observes.
“I did.” I pour her a glass of wine.
Lucia takes an enormous gulp. Smacking her lips together, she sets her glass down.
“I hope you paid for this.”
“Of course.” Some men might take advantage and help themselves to whatever they want, but I would never leave her out of pocket. “You were jealous tonight.”
“No.” She shakes her head vehemently. “I just thought it was disrespectful of you to fuck me, disappear for a couple of nights and then show up here with another woman.”
“I apologize for my absence. I’ve been busy.”
The last few days have been hectic with Damiano and I negotiating a new deal with a weapons manufacturer in the Middle East.
“Like I care!” Lucia says unconvincingly. Clearly, she missed my presence, though she’d never admit it. She scans the room and frowns. “Where is your cousin?”
“I sent her home with Bruno.”
“Ah, right, my strong, silent shadow. How will I get home unscathed without him?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take you home.”
