Page 21 of Savage Heart

Antonio stands a few feet in front of my desk waiting for my response, his hands stuffed into his front pockets and his shoulders hunched, as if dealing with all of this nonsense leading up to tonight’s party is wearing him down. I know how he feels.

“Cheer up,” I say as I run my hands through my hair. “You look like you’re going to collapse under the weight of something heavy.”

That makes him smile, and he takes a step toward me as he says, “I honestly don’t know how you do it. You give eight, maybe nine parties a year, and I swear it’s the same goddamned hassles every time. I told the caterer I’d check with you about where to set up, but I really wanted to just chuck him over the side of the terrace and watch him tumble down the hillside.”

The palpable frustration in Antonio’s voice reminds me of how I used to feel when I had to deal with all these people. Not that I don’t have to manage everything, even though I have him to listen to them. Instead of just one of us getting annoyed, now we both get pissed off.

I laugh at the thought of that pain in the ass caterer bouncing down the hill, but as much as the idea amuses me, I need him to make sure tonight goes as planned. Still, maybe after the party is over I’ll let Antonio take out his aggravations on him.

“The weather will be fine, but let him set up everything inside. That way if his worries about rain come to pass, we’ll be covered. Not that I expect some kind of torrential downpour that will soak the terrace. I can’t remember the last time that happened. He’s just being overly cautious.”

Antonio twists his expression into a deep grimace and rolls his eyes. “He’s just a pain in the ass. I’ll tell him what you want, though. Do you have any other message for him?”

My mind flashes the memory of all those men in black tuxes the caterer mistakenly used a few parties back. Jesus Christ. Who wants to see a room full of men walking around with trays at a party? I threatened the poor bastard’s life after that.

“Remind him that if I see male waiters at this party that he won’t work in this region again. I want to see women wearing practically nothing walking around showing off the goods for my guests. The people I invite to my home don’t come here for a room full of fully dressed dicks. They want skin and good-looking skin at that. Make sure he knows that, so we don’t have another screw up like we did a few months ago.”

The mention of beautiful women wearing next to nothing makes Antonio’s mood perk up. With a smile, he says, “I’ll be sure to tell him that. The last thing anyone wants is a goddamned sausage fest here tonight.”

I shake my head at his descriptive way of describing a room full of men in tuxes. That year he spent working for my brother in New York left him with some odd behaviors, and the way he refers to things is definitely one of them.

“Sausage fest. Some of the things you say make me laugh.”

He begins to explain the reason he used that term, but I wave him away, uninterested in its background. It’s an apt term. It’s just so American that it hits my ears oddly.

Left alone to devise my plans for the night, I wait for Matteo to show up for our meeting. He knows what I’m going to demand from him, but I still want to make sure I’m in the right frame of mind for when he gets here.

Don’t let anyone ever try to tell you it’s not exhausting pretending to be someone you’re not. Every moment I have to spend with that man drains my energy. I just keep telling myself I’ve waited this long to get back at the Rossettis, so a few more hours of playacting like I’m happy to be conducting business with him won’t be bad.

Ten minutes later, a knock on my office door alerts me to his arrival. Straightening myself in my chair, I call out for him to come in. It’s nearly showtime.

Matteo Rossetti walks into the room like he’s entitled to everything I have, instantly annoying me. I cannot let this upset me. I push my true feelings down inside and force a smile onto my face as I stand up to greet him.

“Matteo, good to see you. Are you ready for a night you’ll never forget?” I ask as we shake hands.

Not that he’ll be able to remember anything once he’s dead and gone from this world.

“My brothers and I are looking forward to tonight,” he says with a smarmy smile as he sits down in front of my desk.

“And your sister? Is she too looking forward to my party tonight?”

His smile fades away. “I haven’t mentioned anything about it to her yet. I saw no need to excite her any more than I already have. Sienna can be a handful when she’s upset.”

He instantly realizes what he’s said and quickly adds, “But you won’t have to worry. She’ll be as accommodating as you want her to be. Trust me. She’s just a bit difficult with me because I’m her brother.”

Since everyone around here knows how I handle women, his attempt to lessen my concerns about his feisty sister are unnecessary. She’ll do as I want, or she’ll feel the sting of my hand on her skin.

“Well, I look forward to seeing her and your entire family here tonight. They will all be here, won’t they?”

I have to curb my enthusiasm, or he may suspect something is wrong about the party tonight. Then again, Matteo Rossetti isn’t very smart, so he might not pick up on anything.

He nods quickly, as if he’s eager for me to know he’s bringing the whole clan to my party. I don’t think he even knows this about himself, but he’s very much the pleaser. His father probably made him like that. Or it could be the money he thinks he’s getting from me in return for that sister of his in fueling his enthusiasm.

Whatever the reason, I appreciate him behaving like he needs to make me happy.

Turning in my chair, I reach over to the crystal decanter of scotch nearby on the bar and grab it along with two glasses. “Let’s toast to the joining of our two families.”

“Yes, let’s! It’s going to be a fine day when the Rossetti and Angeloni families merge,” Matteo says enthusiastically.

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