Page 46 of Shark Bait

Shark leans in and whispers, “Something about Alessio making you blush?”

“No.”

“Why are you smiling like that?”

“I thought of something nice.”

He narrows his eyes, clearly doubting I’m telling the truth. “What?”

“I’m not telling you,” I tease, because I can tell he’s jealous. Him getting aggressive about my innocent conversation with his friend sets my heart aflutter.

He picks up the carving knife again.

Alessio curses. “Please put him out of his misery before he flings the knife at my head.”

“Not at your head,” Shark clarifies.

“Fine, fine. I was thinking about my brother Denver. Thanksgiving dinner. His giggly girlfriend who gave us blondes a bad rep.”

Shark cocks his head, still doubtful.

I roll my eyes and elbow him. “I don’t have the hots for your boss. He reminds me of Falena.” I gasp and cover my mouth, my heart now fluttering for a different reason. I should’ve taken the hint from Shark and shoved food into my mouth even though I’m full. Now I’ve gone and said the name out loud in front of these men who could, by all accounts, be acquainted with Falena.

But if they’re not, then they’ll forget all about the name. Won’t they?

Alessio leans back with a glance at Shark, who puts another filet on his plate and starts to cut it as if we’re still just eating.

“And who might that be?” Alessio asks.

“Nobody. Please drop it.” I think I just made it worse.

“Your hands are shaking,” Shark says. “It tells me he’s somebody you fear.”

“Do you…do you know him?”

Shark shakes his head. “Never heard of him. But I’d like to.” He looks up at Alessio, who nods.

“Ditto,” Alessio says, those blue eyes piercing me.

Shark throws an arm over my shoulders and yanks my chair toward him. Once we’re as close as we can get without me sitting on his lap, he kisses my temple. “If you want to talk about it some other time, I’ll wait.”

“She wants to tell me,” Alessio says.

“I shouldn’t have said anything. I don’t know if you’ve noticed I have no mouth filter.”

“In the company of true friends, one needs no filter,” Alessio says. “Don’t underestimate the power of your intuition. You’ve survived ordeals I can’t imagine, and you are here, telling me about them while almost everyone else who’s harmed you is dead.”

“Almost,” Shark says, and the way he says it sends shivers up my spine.

“You wouldn’t have mentioned the name if you didn’t want to tell me,” Alessio presses onward. “Just tell me about Falena.”

Valerina returns with Leo, but Alessio cuts her a look that makes her halt and say, “Oh, Auntie Valerina is silly. She forgot the cakes in the kitchen. We have two this year. You want to help me carry one to the table?”

Leo runs toward the kitchen and she follows after him, closing the doors to the formal dining room.

Being in a closed room with two men, one of whom wears a suit and has blue eyes like Falena, makes me uncomfortable. But I try to be brave and focus on things about Alessio that aren’t Falena’s. The cologne Alessio wears is different. Sandalwood and lavender instead of burned cedar. Alessio also doesn’t giveme the creeps, and he carries himself as if he’s of royal descent. He’s very…almost honorable, but I know that’s not quite true if he’s running the best laundromat in the country.

Besides, if I fear random men, then I’m saying I fear half the population of earth, and I don’t want to live in fear for the rest of my life.

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