Page 57 of Convenient Mafia Vows

“Now you’re talking.” He leans back in his seat, downs his drink in one. His eyes dart around the room, missing nothing. “There’s a little indictment sheet floating around the commissioner’s office with Cassius’s name on it. I’ll give you that one for free.”

“It won’t be the first time, and it probably won’t be the last.”

He sits forward, his boozy breath mingling with mine. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that. You throw enough shit, some of it is bound to stick eventually.”

I signal the waiter for another drink for my guest. He might not get what he’s hoping for from this conversation, but I’ll make damned fucking sure that he remembers my hospitality.

“I appreciate the heads-up,” I say once the server walks away.

“My family can make it go away.” He swallows half his drink and releases a sigh.

“That won’t be necessary.”

He leans across the table and slides my drink towards me. “You misunderstand me. We’re not in the habit of greasing the commissioner’s palms out of the goodness of our hearts. An alliance between the Petrovs and the Murrays will chase the Dragonettis out of the city with their tails on fire.”

Don Dragonetti is one of the original linchpins of organized crime in New York City. Taking him down would be likedismantling the Empire State Building and starting over with the wrong color bricks, and much as I want to take Olivia out of the equation, the intention doesn’t stretch as far as her father. I respect the don. This isn’t how it is supposed to end for him.

“I know what you’re thinking.” Ivan empties his glass, swilling the liquid around his mouth before swallowing. “But this is the twenty-first century. Time to move on and reach new heights, my friend.”

I down my drink in one and stand, offering the other man my hand. “I hear you, but the Murrays are not in the market for an alliance.”

He hesitates. This handshake isn’t quite as warm or as friendly as the first. “In that case, I thank you for your time.” He goes to walk away but stops and turns back to face me. When he speaks, his voice is low. This is for my ears only. “Don’t let this be your first mistake. No one is invincible.”

My conversation with Ivan Petrov is still replaying inside my head when I return to my apartment. It wasn’t even a veiled threat. Olivia told him about our potential alliance with the Dragonettis, so if it goes ahead now that I’ve rejected his offer, there will be repercussions.

The kind of repercussions we’ve been careful to avoid. Until now.

I step out of the elevator and spot a soft toy on the steps leading down to the living room. What the fuck. It’s a couple of beats before I remember that Victoria and Abigail are staying here,which makes the earlier threat even more unsettling. Until the situation with Olivia is resolved, it isn’t only about me.

For the first time, I can relate to how Terry felt when Emily was born, and he finally handed over the business. He would do whatever it takes to protect his family—still does—but it’s the word ‘family’ that’s suddenly taking on new meaning for me.

“Caleb?”

The voice jolts me back to reality. Victoria is curled up on a sofa in the living room, an open book on her lap. Her hair cascades over her shoulders when she folds the book, places it on the coffee table, next to an empty coffee cup, and stands. She’s wearing faded jeans and a green-checked flannel shirt, open at the neck, and I’ve never wanted to fuck her more.

“Is everything okay?” Her gaze drops to the soft toy in my hand, and she chews her bottom lip as if worried that she might be the cause of my problems. If she only fucking knew.

“Long night.”

I head straight to the brandy decanter on the drinks cabinet and half-fill a crystal tumbler. It burns as it goes down but does nothing to erase the Petrov family offer from my mind.

Victoria watches me without moving.

The brandy softens my mood a little and replaces one problem with another. Should I tell her how badly I want to fuck her, or should I keep her at arm’s length, keep this arrangement on a business level as originally planned?

My cock already seems to have other ideas.

“Caleb…” She takes a deep breath, her breasts swelling beneath the shirt, and my pulse starts racing. “I need to tell you something.”

Fuck. I swallow the rest of my drink and refill my glass. “Go on.”

“Earlier, at your mom’s house.” She pauses. “I was talking to Emily on the decking about … our arrangement.” I don’t speak. I’ve never heard the silence in this apartment before now. “I didn’t realize that Mr. Dragonetti was standing inside the kitchen watching us.”

Fuck!

Deep breath. Count to three.

On two, I ask, “Did he hear?”

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