Page 87 of Deal with the Devil
Then there’s the second elevator that leads up to the penthouse.
I discover this by accident when I catch Maurizio and a few other men entering through the hall near the kitchens. He catches my eye at a distance, a flash of recognition in his dark eyes.
But he doesn’t reprimand me. He doesn’t utter a word. He carries on with the other soldiers as if he doesn’t see a thing.
I almost smile. It seems Rafael’s closest men aren’t Il Diavolo’s biggest fans either.
I spend the afternoon on the sofa, pretending I’m reading a book. But really I’m racking my brain for what I could do to better my situation.
Il Diavolo easily grows suspicious. He’s a distrusting man that doesn’t leave room for mistakes and judges harshly. The slightest mistake or misstep could really cost me. I could wind up in serious trouble if I make a wrong move.
I’ve also learned he’s drawn to me for some inexplicable reason. That much has become clear, even as he fights against the attraction he seems to have.
There have been times where he’s seemed genuinely angry with himself for the fact that he can’t resist me. It could be Rafael clawing his way out, or it could be some other reason for his attraction, but it doesn’t matter.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. It’s something I could use to my advantage.
Mara informs me we’ll be having dinner together.
I’m to be waiting for Il Diavolo at the dinner table at six sharp. I show up minutes before in a simple black dress and a touch of makeup, aware I look good, but I don’t come across as if I’ve triedtoohard.
That’s exactly the vibe I want to give off this evening.
Tonight’s about being demure and measured. Discreet and calculating so I can make my next move and hopefully better my odds of surviving this.
I’m seated when Il Diavolo walks in. He’s in his uniform of a devil’s mask and a crisp black dress shirt.
My lips quirk slightly as he takes his seat at the opposite end. “I’m glad you’ve decided to join me. I was starting to think I’d be forced to suffer through dinner alone again.”
He pauses for half a second as if uncertain how to respond, then gives a stiff nod and finishes settling in at his chair.
It’s amusing enough because it’s another reminder that he’s no Rafael—he’s much less sociable and not nearly as charming. Whereas Rafael has a magnetism about him most people find appealing, Il Diavolo’s sullen and withdrawn. He’s silent and observant from behind his mask, which makes me wonder if these are the pieces of Rafael he’s tried to rid himself of, but instead of doing so, he created an entirely new persona altogether.
I think back to what Natalia said in Ragusa about Rafael as a child. She claimed he was quiet and intense…
The staff deliver the first course of the evening. The antipasto is placed in front of us along with glasses of Chianti.
I pick up my fork and decide to push for conversation.
“So,” I say, slicing into a tomato with my fork, “how was your day?”
It sounds cliché—and maybe kind of absurd—asking a man who wears a devil mask and a suit how his day went. But I’mmore concerned with trying to curry some favor than experience any meaningful conversation.
He stares at me from across the table, wine glass in hand, his true expression hidden by the mask. You would think I’ve asked him if he believes in Santa Claus.
“I mean, mine’s not exactly thrilling,” I explain, shrugging. “I’m a little limited in what I’m allowed to do these days. So I’ll just live vicariously through you. Mafia capos have exciting lives, right?”
He sets the wine glass down without taking a sip. “There isn’t much I can tell you about what I do.”
“It doesn’t have to be mafia related. There’re always the other ventures too. Rafael was a busy man. Have you been handling his business engagements in his absence? Since you’ve already taken over for him in other ways…”
His jaw clenches from under the mask, the muscle going taut. His breathing deepens, though he doesn’t say anything for a few seconds.
More proof it irritates him when I bring Rafael up.
I brace for the potential reprimand.
“It’s none of your concern,” he says.
