Savino couldn't hide the surprise on his face. "Sotza’s second."
She could see the moment he realized how much trouble Raina was bringing to his door. "So, Mateo Gutierrez is spending time in my city, attempting to collect the Sotza princess. And you chose not to stay with him? A man more than capable of protecting you?"
Now that was a hard question to answer. She sensed that she was at a critical moment in her negotiations with the Italian Godfather. She straightened in her chair, picked up her glass of vodka and knocked it back. It took herculean effort not to gag, but she managed. She set the glass on the table and gave Savino a hard look.
“No, I don’t wish to go with him. I was doing fine on my own, building my forging business, before your son came along and fucked it up.” She narrowed her eyes. “I’m asking for your help, to keep me safe from your son and hidden from Mateo until I figure out what to do. I’m asking as a Sotza; as a potential ally.”
The Italian boss eyed her with a new kind of appreciation. She may be bringing a barn full of shit to his doorstep, but she was also handing him an opportunity on a silver platter. She was valuable now as not only Sotza’s stepdaughter, but as the woman Mateo, one of the most fierce and feared men in the mob, was looking for.
"I will place you under my protection," he said decisively, his eyes gleaming. He waved the bouncer over. "Have Roberto take her to the house."
The bouncer "helped" Raina from the booth, his giant fist wrapped around her arm. Raina's heart sank right into her stomach. What exactly had she gotten herself into?