Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
“You still need to warn me,” I say, refusing to concede too much ground. For some stupid, stubborn reason, I don’t want her to win. “We’re supposed to be partners, remember?”
“Partners?” Her eyebrows raise. I move closer to her and put my hand on her hip. She doesn’t pull back and I’m extremely aware of the way her chest rises and falls with each breath. Her lips are plump and slightly open, and I keep catching a glimpse of her tongue behind her lower teeth. There are a lot of things I want to do to those lips and that tongue, but this is business, strictly business, and I have to keep reminding myself that I won’t cross the line until I get what I want.
“That’s right. Business partners. Meaning you need to tell me about your plans instead of throwing me under a goddamn bus.”
She laughs lightly, her smile fading as she shakes her head. My fingers tighten on her hip.
“It’s amazing. I do you a favor and you’re still all grumpy. What’s with you? That went well out there. Even Omar seemed like he didn’t hate you, which is apparently the first time.”
“I’m not grumpy. I just like to plan.”
“And I’m doing the best I can, okay? I have my own stuff going on. I’m not sitting around worrying about your stupid business.”
I lean closer. Fuck, I want to bite that lower lip, grab her by the hair, and bury her mouth with mine. Maybe then she’ll actually listen. “Just talk to me, that’s all I’m asking.”
“And just be freaking patient. That’s all I need.”
I draw in a breath, and I’m about to tell her off, but her phone starts to ring. Neither of us moves for half a second, but then I pull back and release my grip on her. She gives me a strange look like she’s disappointed that I’m letting her go before pulling it out and answering.
“Hello?” She pauses and her body tenses. “Where are you? Right now? Yeah, I can be there soon. Okay, hang tight, Davide.” She hangs up and shoves her phone back in her small bag.
“What was that?”
“My brother.” She sucks in a breath and looks up at the ceiling like the world’s trying to crush her. “He got arrested.”
Chapter 7
Elena
Brody drives us over to the police station where Davide’s being held. We don’t talk on the way and I’m feeling too jittery to break the awkward silence. I keep thinking about his hand on my hip and the way he kept getting closer in that hallway like he wanted to kiss me, except he was talking like I was the most annoying human in the entire world, and the mixed signals were driving me crazy.
I mean, what an asshole. I was doing him a favor by working Maggie O’Malley and bringing up his building project, and he acted like I ambushed him and tried to ruin his life. I get it, he wanted a heads-up, but life doesn’t always work that way.
Besides, I know how to play these kinds of local officials. I’ve been doing it since I was a little girl practically. Dad used to bring me along when he’d meet with politicians and business leaders, and I learned how to manipulate and how to play the game from one of the best mafia Dons to ever do it.
Except Brody isn’t important. He’s just a blip on the radar. It doesn’t matter if I wanted him to crush my mouth with his in some weird mixture of lust and hate. I’m not usually into angry make-outs, but Brody Quinn might be the first man to drive me to absolute rage-induced horny madness.
“You don’t want to wait for me,” I tell him when we arrive at the precinct. “Our family lawyer is on the way and we’ll figure out bail.”
“Not the first time someone in your family’s been arrested, I take it.” He tilts his head. “I am a practicing attorney. I might be able to help.”
“No, that’s okay, I think I’ve taken up enough of your time today.” I give him a look, almost daring him to disagree. He only shrugs. “Guess you’ll have to get your panties some other time.”
I slam the door and hurry away. I don’t know why the hell I said that but I wanted to get a petty parting shot at him, and I like the way he seems too eager to get my underwear. Probably he just has a creepy panty-sniffing fetish. Or maybe he wants to shove them in my mouth while he rips into me from behind—
The precinct is surprisingly busy. I push Brody out of my head as I get into official Bianco Family mode and bug the desk sergeant until I get a good idea of what’s going on.