Page 16 of Hacker Unknown

I wasn’t sure if he said that since Naomi wasn’t in our ear anymore. Maybe they were keeping it to themselves. Or had I misunderstood their embrace, but I didn’t have time to explore it at this moment.

“We are about to head into a meeting with Vincenzo Russo and he thinks we are dating because of what you told Lance. I’m going to have to touch you, and we’ll act like we’re boyfriend and girlfriend. Do you understand?”

I ran my tongue across my dry lips. “Should I touch you as well? We want this to be real.”

“Yes, and if at any time I make you uncomfortable or you want to leave, just say so,” I answered.

“Okay, I got it.”

Paolo shifted the Range Rover into drive and after a couple of turns pulled up to the valet stand. He jumped out and tossed the keys to a young man. By the time I reached for the door handle, Paolo was already by my side, offering his arm. My feet wobbled as they hit the pavement. I wasn’t used to six-inch heels, but Kat had insisted—raving that they were a good secondary weapon. I doubted that entirely. I would have to ditch them and run barefoot if things got ugly.

Inside the building, the aroma of garlic and olive oil filled my nostrils, and my stomach growled—I had forgotten to eat and hadn’t slept either. I was starting to become deliriously tired. Paolo didn’t stop at the hostess area; he kept his arm around my waist and guided me through the front room of the restaurant into a back corridor. He walked with determined purpose, clearly knowing exactly where to go. Near the end of the hall stood a man in a suit.

“I’ve been summoned for dinner,” Paolo announced.

“Hand over your weapons.”

“Not happening,” Paolo shot back.

“Well then, you don’t enter.”

“That’s fine. You tell him why we’re not coming.”

The young man sighed and grumbled, “Why do you always have to be difficult?”

The door opened and Lance stepped out. “Don’t worry about leaving your weapon. We have you out numbered.”

We entered a large room. A long table was set for about twelve people. Yet only one man sat at the head—with a portrait of his younger self hanging on the wall behind him. In that oldphoto, his hair had been brown. Now he was grayed and slightly hunched, but his black eyes were what truly unsettled me.

“It’s good to see you, Paolo. The family misses you.” He shifted his gaze from Paolo to me. “I see life outside the family has led you to find someone.”

“This is my girlfriend, Jezebel.”

Even with everyone at the office the past few hours calling me by my new fake persona, the name didn’t register right away. But Paolo was smooth and didn’t miss a beat. “Jezebel this is Vincenzo. He is the head of the Russo family.”

Paolo guided me to a chair two seats away from Vincenzo, then he took the seat closer to him.

“What was I called here for?” Paolo asked.

“You know the rules—we eat before we discuss business.”

I expected a waiter to come out and take our orders, but instead three servers arrived and placed a plate of spaghetti and meatballs down in front of me along with garlic bread. Red sauce wasn’t my favorite except I was starving. Not waiting for the others to start eating, I spun the noodles on my spoon and took a bite. It was delicious. I had heard that Italian food in the States never compared to that in Italy, yet the spaghetti and meatballs tasted just like a dish I had eaten in Rome. I was so absorbed in eating that I barely noticed Paolo and Vincenzo began to talk.

“I received intel that the doctor that raised her, had died—and she came back for the funeral.”

Paolo took a sip of wine before he replied, “Interesting. And who might have given you this intel?”

“I’ll tell you the name and how he got her back here, if you agree to come back to the family.”

My eyes lids felt heavy as I tried to concentrate on Vincenzo’s words. He had the information of the person who had sent me the Facebook message.

“If I came back and agree to do your dirty work again, what guarantee do I have that you won’t go after her as well?”

“You have my word, Paolo.”

Paolo leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms. “Except I had your word I was out of the family and Lance showed up to my job. Anyone can be an enforcer, but this girl is rare. Why give that up when you could make so much money?”

I reached over and dug my nails into Paolo’s arm wondering why he wasn’t going after the information Vincenzo had.

---