Page 72 of Sins and Secrets

“You’re right about that,” Papa says as his stomach growls. Alessio makes room for Papa at the table before bringing a bowl of soup over. “Thank you.”

Christian hands out the remaining bowls of soup before we all take a seat at the table. For a few minutes, the only sound is spoons scraping against bowls. I clean my bowl, going back for another bowl when it’s empty.

“Glad you like it,” Christian says, glancing over at me. “I’ll write that recipe down for you after I’ve finished cleaning up tonight.”

Alessio scoffs. “You cooked. I’ll get the kitchen clean while everybody else relaxes.”

“I’m not going to argue with that.” Christian gets another bowl of soup and sits back down. “I spent the day going around town, but I have not seen Paolo. I checked that list of locations you gave me, but he isn’t at any of them.”

Alessio nods. “That doesn’t surprise me. If he is starting to build up to a war, then he would stay underground. His normal places wouldn’t do him any good since I know where they are. He either has somewhere I don’t know about, or he is hiding in plain sight.”

Christian hums for a moment, leaning back in his chair and pushing his hair back from his eyes. “Have you had anyone you trust check the property for him? I know you said he had been able to get a dead body on the property, what if he has been here the entire time?”

“I’ve searched the grounds personally a few times. My acting consigliere is also doing his own search each morning. We would have found him by now if he was on the grounds. We did find three people who have allowed him into the compound and they’ve since been disposed of.”

“His club.” I look over at Alessio. He arches an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation. “If he’s hiding in any one of the properties you know about, it’s his club. There are already hidden rooms you know about. He’s likely got more hidden rooms that you don’t.”

Alessio considers that for a moment before nodding. “I can’t go in there and search the place. We will station men as close as we can to the building to watch if he’s coming and going.”

Christian looks at me, his eyes narrowing. He gives me that searching look that makes my skin crawl, as if he is trying to sort his way through my thoughts. I stare back at him, not wanting to look scared in the face of a man who could get rid of me without a second thought.

“Christian, we have much to talk about. Do you mind meeting with me in the pool house to talk about this further?” Alessio looks at me and Papa, giving a sharp nod before walking away.

“Billie, will you take me back to my room?” Papa says, his voice raspy. His eyes are shining, and he looks like he’s been stabbed in the back.

Although, I’m sure that I would feel the same way if I was in Papa’s shoes. He has been Alessio’s consigliere for years, and now Alessio is talking business without him.

“Sure, Papa. Do you want to bring some of this soup with you?”

“No. I’ve had enough for one night.”

After I take him back to his room and help him into the bed, I make my way back to the kitchen. My stomach is tossing and turning as I clean up the dishes and wipe down the kitchen. I busy myself with figuring out what to make for breakfast the next morning while glancing outside at the pool house every now and then.

It’s going on midnight by the time Alessio comes back inside alone. There’s a thin outline of smoke climbing toward the sky outside the pool house. Christian’s silhouette sits in the dark, as if he would rather be alone than spend time with more people.

“Is everything alright?” I ask as Alessio leans against the counter and looks at me. He crosses his arms over his chest, his eyebrows furrowing.

“Having Christian here is good for the famiglia, even if he is a tough pill to swallow,” Alessio says as he glances out the sliding glass doors. “That’s what I keep trying to convince myself of. I don’t like the way he looks at you, though.”

I roll my eyes and walk over to him, cupping his face in both my hands and gently tilting his head down until he’s looking at me. “Christian looks at me like a predator getting ready to tear apart its prey. He’s looking for weaknesses and that’s it. Trust me. There is something unsettling about that man.”

Alessio chuckles, his shoulders relaxing slightly. “If that was supposed to make me feel better about the way he’s looking at you, then you should probably know that it didn’t work.”

“He doesn’t trust easily. In his line of work, that doesn’t surprise me. Besides, I’m far more interested in the way you look at me.”

Alessio spins us around and pins me against the counter. His arms bracket me as he leans forward, his nose nearly touching mine. “And how do I look at you?”

The room feels as if it is burning hot as my hands slide up his shirt, flicking the buttons open one by one. “Like I’m a figment of your imagination. Something you can’t quite believe is in front of you.”

He takes a deep breath and looks like he’s torn between stepping away from me or getting impossibly closer. “That is the problem with us, isn’t it? We keep doing this dance around each other like anything that happens is going to actually become reality.”

One of his hands slips beneath my shirt. His fingers trace patterns along my hip as his gaze drops to my mouth. I tilt my head back, giving him the invitation he so clearly needs.

Alessio groans low in his throat and shakes his head. “This is a bad idea and we both know that it’s going to end terribly.”

“I like bad ideas,” I say, my voice barely more than a whisper. “Hell, you might even be the best bad idea. But if you don’t want to take me to bed, I can go upstairs and use that vibrator I got. Make myself come while thinking about the way you feel inside me.”

The last of his restraint snaps and his mouth collides with mine. I moan into the kiss as his hands sink into my hair, pulling me closer to him. His hardened cock strains against his pants, pressing against my body and igniting a fire in my core.

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