Page 28 of Mafia Men Need Love Too
“You already are,” Tenley said. “You’re gorgeous. The clothes just enhance what you were born with.”
“It’s frankly a little rude that you have that narrow of a waist without shapewear,” Reginald added.
“Right?” Tenley asked. “And that color was made for her. You’re a genius, Reggie.”
He nodded. “It’s true. I am.”
River turned and looked over her shoulder at herself in the mirror. The dress did make her butt look good. “Well…if you guys are sure.”
“We’re sure,” Tenley said dryly. “And if anyone makes you doubt you’re anything short of stunning in that dress, you tell me, and I’ll handle them.”
She snorted. “Like you handled Brittany?”
Tenley blinked at her, looking deceptively innocent. “That was me being polite.”
“Girl,” Reginald said, “Brittany is done. This was not her first offense. The owner heard what happened and shitcanned her.”
The two of them gossiped for a minute or two, and as River listened, standing there in a beautiful dress she never would’ve picked for herself, something inside her clicked. Even though she didn’t feel completely comfortable in his world, with people like Tenley in her corner, suddenly running away from it didn’t hold much appeal.
She gave herself one last look in the mirror. “Okay,” she said. “I’ll take this one.”
“All of them,” Tenley corrected, handing Nico’s black card to Reggie. “We’ll take all of them. Then we’re hitting the salon. Oh, and we’ll take the lingerie and shoes your boss pulled, too.”
“Oh, I won’t need the lingerie,” River said.
Tenley laughed out loud. “Seriously? Once Nico gets a look at you in that dress, you will definitely need the lingerie. Not that it’ll stay on long.”
Well. That was food for thought, wasn’t it?
Chapter 16
Nico got nothing accomplished the entire time River was out of reach. Unless he counted thinking of her, worrying about her, and wondering when she’d be home as “accomplishments.” Which he didn’t.
So, when his phone rang, he pounced on it like a hungry lion on an injured gazelle at the watering hole and answered without even glancing at the caller ID.
“You can thank me later,” Tenley said.
“Did it go OK? She wasn’t upset about having to buy new things, right?” he asked, knowing he sounded like an insecure teenager and not giving a single shit about it.
“She did great. There was a nasty salesperson who?—”
He stood up straighter. “What? Who? What did they say to her?”
“As I was saying,” Tenley said dryly, “there was a nasty salesperson, but I dealt with it and after that, everything went fine. River has an entirely new wardrobe that is comfortable for her, but that screams expensive to any Russian mafia assholes who are watching. And they are, by the way. Watching.”
His jaw tightened. “You were followed?”
“Yeah. Two goons in a giant bulletproof Escalade.” She snorted. “Subtle. No overcompensating at all. They followed us to the boutique, but I lost them when we left. They drive like old ladies.”
And Tenley drove like a bat flying out of hell with its wings on fire. It did not surprise him that a couple of Alexi’s goons were unable to keep up.
“But that’s not why I’m calling.”
He was almost afraid to ask. “Then why are you calling, Tenley?”
“Because I wanted to hear your reaction when River walked in, which should be—three, two, one…”
Nico glanced up as Van opened the door for River, who breezed in, arms laden with shopping bags.
