Page 114 of Brutal Legacy

I slanted a look at Elio. “Did you hear that?”

Roman laughed, a deep, rich chuckle. “Am I taking your line of questioning as a cry for help?”

“Sokolov,” Elio said in a low warning tone.

“What would you do if I said yes?” I asked, enjoying the chance to get to Elio and make him feel awkward for once, instead of theother way around. “Would you take me away? Call the cops for me?”

Roman let out a boom of laughter and shook his head. “You’ve married quite the woman, Santori, congratulations. Women should be full of fire and never afraid to speak their minds… it keeps life interesting.” He turned to me. “No cops, of course, and no, I wouldn’t be taking you anywhere. A wife is a husband’s property, like it’s always been… I’d simply give your husband advice on how to better please you.”

His gaze drifted over me. “It wouldn’t be hard.”

My mouth dropped open with shock at his words, but before I had time to respond, Elio tossed his napkin onto the table, picked up one of the many forks at his place setting, twirled it expertly between his fingers, and drove it through Roman’s hand, pinning it to the tabletop.

I screamed, jarred by the sudden sight of blood splashing across the white linen. The security around the room tensed. De Sanctis men drew their weapons and held them on the Russians before the other side could even reach for their guns.

Roman grunted and swore. His security spoke to him in a rush of Russian, and he waved his free hand at them, sending them back to their posts.

“Elio! We need to get help or—” I babbled and tried to stand.

Elio tugged my arm so I fell back into my seat.

“Do you know what you want to order?” he asked me, nodding toward the menu.

I stared at him, dumbfounded. A man was bleeding right next to us, a fork impaling his hand and pinning it to the table, and my husband just asked me what I felt like eating.

“You’ll enjoy the scallops here, and theporcini tagliatelle,” Elio continued as if everything was perfectly normal.

Just then a waiter appeared, his eyes averted from the scene at the table.

“Georgia, what would you like to eat? Tell me or I’ll order for you,” Elio instructed, completely unruffled by the situation.

My mouth opened and closed, but I couldn’t find any words.

Elio sighed and looked at the waiter. “Bring us one of everything on the menu. My wife is feeling indecisive.”

He picked up his wine glass and settled back in his chair, his arm still lying across the back of mine, and regarded Roman.

He raised an eyebrow at the Russian.

“Well, Sokolov… apologize to my wife. Your bad manners have put her off her dinner.”

Roman chuckled and nodded toward me. “I apologize, Mrs. Santori. Don’t let me ruin your appetite.”

There was a tense moment as I stared between the two men, and then I realized that Elio was waiting for me to speak.

“It’s fine, really. Are you okay?” My voice was a muted murmur.

Roman shrugged. “I’m fine. It’s just a scratch. In our line of work, you get used to a certain amount of liability. And Mr. Santori here, and his boss, are very dangerous men… as I’m sureyou know. It was my mistake to flirt with his wife. I’m sure men have died for less.”

I thought of Jimmy De Luca, shot in the head when he’d kissed me in the church, and shivered involuntarily. Elio Santori was a very, very dangerous man. He was watching me with those jade eyes, so familiar yet so unrecognizable from the boy I’d known. My heart thumped. My ghost, made flesh. Living and breathing, right there beside me.

And yet… It didn’t matter what he did, or who else he hurt… I knew he’d never hurt me. There was nowhere in the world I was safer than by his side.

A very dangerous man… and my husband.

“Yes, he is dangerous. You shouldn’t forget it, Mr. Sokolov, if you value your appendages.”

Roman let out a cackle as he pulled the fork from his hand and wrapped a napkin around the wound.

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