Page 36 of Relentless Oath

“And your guest tonight?” I turned my eyes toward the thin woman sitting beside him. Her fingers, neck, and ears adorned with tasteless jewels.

“My wife, Lara.”

Lara merely nodded.

I pulled a chair out for Mya and she sat down silently. A waiter took our drink orders and came back quickly with drinksin hand while we discussed harmless subjects like the mayor and city ordinances. I took the liberty to also order food for the entire table. Not that I actually planned to eat…

“So, let’s talk business.” I knew I was being rude, but I suddenly wanted the night to end quickly. I’d wanted Mya to be here to prove a point, but now I saw that she was an unwelcome distraction.

Every time she moved, my eyes followed. Every time she reached for her water, I watched her take a sip. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her.

“What’s there to say?” Hortensio said, looking nervous. “You have my full cooperation, Dario.”

“Do I?” The silence at the table was heavy as Hortensio sat back looking panicked.

I signaled to a waiter for more wine. It was the calm before the storm.

I watched Mya nervously fold her hands in her lap. She could sense the tension in the room.

“Something makes me think you’re not too happy with your current role in my organization, Hortensio.”

“What makes you say that?”

“A little birdie told me that you put a hit out on a few of my men.”

“That’s crazy! Absolute bullshit!”

“There’s no need for vulgarity,” I said, meaning it. “There are ladies present.”

I took a sip of my wine. It was good. I made a mental note to let Donnie know I approved.

“I trust that you received my note today?” I said nonchalantly.

I saw Hortensio’s jaw tighten. I smiled.

“You’re a bastard,” Hortensio hissed.

He was right.

“You think I don’t see the bruises on your hand, Dario? You beat him to a pulp. It was you, wasn’t it?”

I could feel Mya looking at my face and then directing her eyes toward my hands. When she looked back up, I met her gaze and saw horror there.

That was fine. It was about time for her to see me as I really was.

Actually, that was the whole point of tonight. I needed her to know that I was a force to be reckoned with and I needed to know that if the chips fell, she would be on my side.

The knife came up before I expected it. I dodged to the side, and it lodged in the wall near my head, much to Hortensio’s consternation.I had been aware that this might happen, I thought to myself as the women screamed.

The rage on Hortensio’s face, as he struggled to hold still in his seat would have scared a lesser man.

In a blur of movement, I pulled the knife from the wall behind me. I lunged across the table and stabbed it through his hand before he could move it. His wife screamed again, and so did Mya.

“Everyone needs to calm down,” I ordered. I pulled the knife out of Hortensio’s hand, and he fell back into his chair looking pale as the blood from his wounded hand poured onto the floor.

His wife fainted. I tossed a napkin at Hortensio.

“Clean yourself up. Now, you tell your new boss to stay away from my business, or next time, I’ll aim that knife at your throat. Then I’ll gut you like a fish. Understood, Hortensio?”

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