Page 113 of Brutal Legacy

“Wait, we aren’t eating alone?”

Elio’s eyes were trained on the door. “You’ll be happy to hear that no, we’re not. Be on your best behavior.”

I blinked at him. “You’re letting me be around someone else? What if I tell them you kidnapped me and forced me to marry you?”

Elio shrugged. “Feel free. If you think you’ll find help or sympathy from the man we’re having dinner with, you’re sorely mistaken.”

The doorway filled with a tall, broad man. I suddenly registered just how many De Sanctis men were in the room. Way more than Elio usually rolled with. This man was someone important, and dangerous.

The man approached, and a shock of recognition flowed through me.

His angular face and chiseled features were immediately familiar. It took me a second to place him, and then it clicked.

“Good evening, Mr. Santori. I’m glad that we finally found the time to sit down and talk business,” the man said, looming over us.

His Russian accent was just as I remembered it.

I shot to my feet, feeling awkward just sitting while another man waited to be greeted.

“And is this your lovely new wife — my, what a small world,” the man continued.

“You’ve met before?” Elio asked, still sitting. But despite being the only one sitting, he wasn’t weakened by the pose. If anything, the gesture rang with power.

It was an effortless display of dominance, and we all knew it.

The Russian smirked and shifted his eyes to me. “I had the pleasure of an introduction in LA.” He reached out then and took my hand. “Remind me, beautiful, of your name.”

He brought my hand toward his lips but never made it. Suddenly, Elio was standing right beside me, his hand moving like a whip to leash the Russian’s hand, stilling the movement before it could be completed.

“It’s Mrs. Santori to you, Sokolov.” Elio’s voice was hewn from stone.

“Ah, yes, of course,” Sokolov chuckled. He released my hand and shifted back. He eyed Elio with interest. “When I heard that you had married, I admit, I was surprised. I hadn’t heard any rumors of an important new addition to the De Sanctis family. Unless this is a new relationship… the exciting first flushes of infatuation?”

“On the contrary,” Elio said coolly, his expressionless facade back in place. “My wife and I have known each other since we were young.”

The Russian nodded. “Ah, a first love then? Beautiful. Enjoy it, Santori. It is a rare find.” He turned to me. “Your name was Georgia, wasn’t it? I’m Roman. Roman Sokolov. It’s a pleasure to see you again, Georgia.”

I nodded, not particularly wanting to wade into the bristling tension between the two men.

“Let’s sit. We didn’t come here to chitchat.”

Elio sat, and so I followed his example.

I had no idea what they were meeting about, except it appeared to be business and made me wonder why the hell Elio had brought me here.

“Sokolov runs Philadelphia. He and Renato might have shared interests, if they decide to work together,” Elio told me. He shifted toward me, laying an arm along the back of my chair. “First, we need to see if we could work together.”

“What your husband means that if he approves of me enough, he might make the introduction to your capo, so I’ll be on my best behavior tonight.”

“You’ll be on more than your best behavior around my wife,” Elio said starkly.

“Elio!” I gasped. The insinuation that Roman might hit on me was embarrassing to say the least.

Roman simply nodded. “Of course, another man’s happy wife is never to be touched.”

“A happy wife? So, if I wasn’t happy, that rule wouldn’t apply?” I asked.

Roman nodded. “Of course not. A woman should be happy with her situation… or it should be remedied.”

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