Page 35 of Brando

“I’ve agreed to work for you. Where are my sisters?”

“Time and patience are two things you sorely lack, Mia,” he admonishes. I clench my teeth, biting back my response.

“What do you want from me?”

“It’s time for your first test.”

I can feel the weight of his gaze, oppressive and calculating. My body shudders with the weight of the power he wields over me. I cannot believe this is happening; if he touches me, I’ll kill him. And if he hurts my sisters, I’ll kill him again.

He’d laid out a dress on my bed and left a note for me. If I were a lesser person, I would have appreciated the green silk with intricate silver beading. But I’m better than that, and that’s the reason why I can’t so much as admire anything he puts before me. There were matching silver heels and a clutch, which I’m now wearing.

We’re going to dinner. A business dinner, he tells me. And he wants me to play my part. Act as his partner. Which means smiling at him, engaging with him. I have to convince people that we’re a couple. Asking the point of the exercise is pointless – he’s as forthcoming with information as he is useless as a human being.

“The minute we step out of the apartment, you forget who you are, and you become a woman in love with me. They’ll be watching.”

“Who will?” I ask.

“Never mind. Just act as my lover and I’ll spare you my touch tonight once the night is over. Fail, and I won’t hesitate to take what was always mine.”

The minute the words were out of his mouth, I felt like doubling over and throwing everything up.

The thought of him touching me ever again makes me physically sick. Especially now that Brando is back in my life. I don’t want Frank touching me. Hell, I don’t even want him looking at me. Anything I subject myself to tonight is for the benefit of my sisters. It’s to save them and them alone. But there are limits to what I will put up with. Even I have my limits.

I think of the gun tucked neatly in my clutch. Uncle Mason had come through for me and given me the gun before I leftBrando’s penthouse. I know how to handle it, and I won’t hesitate to use it if I need to, but first I need to know where my sisters are. I don’t trust Frank as far as I can throw him, and I wouldn’t be surprised that he’s sent them out of the country just to spite me. If I kill him before I find their location, they could die waiting for me to find them.

Frank’s hand on the small of my back serves as both an escort and a shackle as we step out of the building and move into a waiting car.

“Remember,” Frank warns, his voice low as he turns into me and whispers into my ear “a deal is a deal.”

I don’t flinch. I don’t falter. I am the shield for my sisters, and I will sacrifice my life if I must in order to save them.

“Wouldn't dream of breaking it,” I tell him, although I want to do nothing more than that. I want to do nothing less than tear him to shreds and make sure he can never hurt another soul again.

As the car pulls away from the curb, the city lights blur into streaks of color against the night. Frank's presence besides me causes my blood to run cold. We travel the short distance to the restaurant; when we arrive, he smiles, a practiced, predatory curve of the lips that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

We're ushered into a corner of the upscale restaurant, one secluded from the main dining area. The table is already set for four. I scan the other faces as we sit: two men, both heavy-set and dressed in suits that scream of the sort of trouble I don’t want or need.

Frank introduces them without missing a beat. “This is Matteo Luciani and Emilio Serrano,” he says smoothly. “Valuable partners in our upcoming ventures.”

I nod, keeping my face serene, playing the part of the devoted partner. Matteo eyes me critically for a moment before promptly ignoring me and turning his attention back to Frank.

“So,” Emilio starts, swirling his wine with a practiced hand, “we were discussing expansion plans into the eastern territories.”

“We were.”

“The reach of the Gatti family extends far and wide, but they hold a good chunk of the East close to them.”

My ears perk up at the mention of the Gatti name. I grab my drink and swallow before I look around the room, feigning disinterest in the conversation, when in reality, I’m committing every word to memory. Frank's eyes flicker briefly to mine before returning to Emilio. “Yes, but they’re willing to share. And with the right alliances, our reach could be unparalleled.”

I can’t imagine that the Gattis would be willing to share anything with Frank Falcone, unless he’s privy to some information I’m not. Highly doubtful. If I know anything, it’s that there is no place in the city for the likes of Frank Falcone, and there most certainly isn’t a seat for him at the table with the Gatti family.

19

BRANDO

The engine roars. Tires screech. The night swallows me as I push the car hard through the city's veins. Streetlights streak above, blurring into a river of gold. Every second is a thief as I speed through the city streets.

I shouldn’t be driving.

---