Page 50 of Now and Forever

Walking to her, I leaned forward and blew across the white sauce before opening my lips. Contessa held the spoon, and I closed my lips. The buttery flavor had a strong licorice taste. “Delicious. Do you use tarragon vinegar?”

Her shoulders went back as her smile grew. “I do.”

As I turned to leave, Contessa spoke. “I’m not offended by your presence, Mrs. Luciano…I mean…Catalina. I’m simply an old woman who once in a while needs to be reminded of her place.”

“If you care for Mr. Luciano the way I believe you do, I hope you’ll continue to decide your place is here with us.”

“Both of them,” she said.

Both?

“Where your Mr. Luciano is serious, his brother is fresh air.”

“Dante?” I didn’t get a fresh-air feel around him. According to Em, he’s as deadly as Dario.

“Yes. Quite frequently, he eats dinner here. I made a plate for him in the refrigerator.”

“I look forward to getting to know him better.”

Climbing the steps to the second floor, I marveled at the turn of events. A night that began terribly had the potential for a better-than-expected outcome. One new relationship was salvaged; now it was time to work on the other. By the time I gathered my purse, refreshed my lipstick, and combed my hair, Armando was waiting for me at the elevator.

When he flashed the card—the size of a credit card—before the sensor, I asked, “Do you think I could get one of those?”

“That would be up to Mr. Luciano.”

While it was the answer I was expecting, Armando and I shared a smile, my hope that we both had faith that sooner or later my own card would come. When the elevator doors opened to the garage, Dario was waiting beside a large black SUV, handsomely dressed in a dark suit. He took a step forward as Armando and I walked into the garage.

His dark eyes were on me. As he scanned me from my loose-hanging hair to my shoes, his cheeks rose as he reached out to me. His large hand, steady and strong, took mine. “I will do a better job of communicating.”

It wasn’t an apology, but I hadn’t expected one. “Thank you.”

He opened the door to the back seat, allowing me to enter. I immediately took note of the width of the door. This vehicle was bulletproof. The cartel had some of these reinforced vehicles too. Once Dario was inside, Armando closed the door and took the copilot’s seat.

“Our driver is Giovanni,” Dario introduced. “Giovanni, Mrs. Luciano.”

“Ma’am, nice to meet you.”

I met his gaze in the rearview mirror. “Nice to meet you, Giovanni.”

“If Armando is unavailable, Giovanni will be at your service,” Dario offered. As the SUV began to move, he retook my hand and lowered his voice. “I heard there were problems with Contessa.”

“Not problems,” I said, shaking my head. “Everything is in the process of working out.”

“I’ll speak to her.”

“No, please don’t.” I was aware that we were being overheard. “She and I have spoken. I think it’s important for me to handle matters as they occur. You have enough on your plate. You don’t need to worry about things that don’t involve you.”

“You’re my wife. As such, you deserve respect. I won’t have it any other way.”

I covered his hand, sandwiching it between two of mine. “As your wife, I mustearnrespect. Please let me do that.”

Dario sighed. “I hope you aren’t tired of Italian food from the wedding. My favorite restaurant is a small place nearby. The cooking makes me believe mynonnais alive and well and in the kitchen. They keep a table reserved for me near the back, where I can enjoy my food with as much privacy as possible.”

“That sounds amazing. How could I say no?” I looked up to the front seat and back to Dario. “Do we always require two bodyguards?”

The smile he’d held when speaking of the food disappeared. “Tonight we do.”

“Is everything all right?”

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