Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 126060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
The bodyguards kept them walking, so again, there was no time to take much in when Amaranthe would have preferred to slow down and really look around. They didn’t stop until they were right at the hostess station, where there stood a tall, slender woman with a wealth of black curly hair worn pulled back and braided across the top of her head, almost like a crown, and then secured at the nape of her neck so the rest of her hair hung down in a beautiful curly mass Amaranthe envied just a little. She had dark brown eyes and high cheekbones and clear, gorgeous skin. She also looked very familiar.
“Everyone is already waiting, Mr. Ferraro,” the hostess greeted. “And may I say congratulations on your engagement?”
“Thank you, Penelope. This is Amaranthe, my fiancée.” Geno kept Amara very close, under his shoulder.
It was a strange feeling for Amaranthe to know she was protected. She was used to being on her own. Geno was such a big man, and she had the small, slender body of a ballet dancer. His arm practically hid her.
She smiled at the hostess, trying to get a feel for how things worked in the restaurant. She knew the Ferraro brothers owned it. Penelope was such a beautiful woman, it would have been easy to be intimidated by her because she was clearly familiar with Geno, but she was very respectful, and not in the least flirtatious.
Penelope beamed at her. “It’s lovely to meet you. My little sister, Jordan, takes dance lessons from you, and I’ve watched you work with her. You were so amazing. No one has ever taken so much time with her or been so patient. I wanted to thank you for that. Dancing means so much to her. Because she has a hearing disability, some of her instructors have dismissed her as if she has no talent.”
The smile faded from Amaranthe’s face. “Jordan has an extraordinary talent. What do you mean they dismissed her? Who dismissed her?” When Geno’s warm amusement slid into her mind, she realized she had unconsciously poured authority into her voice.
My warrior for the underdog.
Jordan does have talent. That’s why I spent so much time with her. I thought maybe I was too hard on her at first, but she responded immediately. She even asked to stay after class to use the studio to practice more. I stayed with her and gave her some extra pointers. It really upsets me that any instructor would discourage her. She can hear clearly out of one ear, but the other is somewhat diminished. She wears a hearing aid but needs a better one.
“Ms. Marchel told her if she couldn’t hear music, she would never be able to perform onstage. I pointed out that she hears, but she said her hearing wasn’t good enough.”
Amaranthe wanted to step into the nearest shadow and go visit Ms. Marchel to tell her a thing or two. First, Jordan wasn’t deaf. Second, even if she were fully deaf, she still could dance. There are methods for teaching hard-of-hearing and deaf students. Ms. Marchel had been hired to teach everyone, not just a select few.
“Jordan has the potential to have a career in dance if she’s willing to work for it.” Ms. Marchel and I will be discussing the inclusion of all students in her teaching, or she won’t be working for the company.
She felt Geno smile, but when she looked up at his face, his stone mask was in place. “It seems that Amara will take care of the situation, Penelope. If there is any further trouble with your younger sister, let me or one of my brothers know. We’ll take care of it if Ms. Marchel doesn’t listen to Amara.”
“She’ll listen,” Amaranthe assured. I’ve been looking into the various types of hearing aids Jordan might need to help her out.
“Thank you both so much. Jordan means the world to me, and she honestly works so hard at her dance. She’s always practicing.”
Penelope turned up her high-wattage smile and led the way to the private back room reserved only for guests of the Ferraro family. The heavy oak door was tall, thick and very wide, resembling a thatched wine barrel on the outside, with dark planks across it. Penelope opened it and stood back to allow them entry.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The event room, like the other two restaurants, was very large and spacious, but it was also filled with more people than Amaranthe had considered would be there. She also hadn’t thought that each rider would have bodyguards.
Geno. She breathed his name.
She knew Stefano was there. He’d been texting Geno steadily, threatening him, although she was fully aware he’d been teasing—at least she hoped he was. She recognized his bodyguards. They’d been at Geno’s house. She knew they were called Emilio and Enzo, and they were never far from Stefano. Even if Stefano gave them his death stare, they ignored him, which she admired them for. Neither man was the least intimidated by him. Amaranthe was used to standing before the International Council, and still, if she told the truth, Stefano Ferraro intimidated her just a little.