Page 36 of Wrapped in Silver

“Only one way to find out.” I take the bottle back and snap off the seal, which makes him sigh. “Oops. Guess we’ll have to try now. I’ll be first to taste the poison.”

“That wouldn’t be very gentlemanly of me.” He grabs the bottle and takes a swig.

“Classy,” I tease him.

“Says the one begging to drink in a shed.” He hands it over to me.

As soon as the acidic bliss hits my lips, they tingle, making me want to mix it into our saliva some more.

“Shouldn’t you be working, or something?” he says.

“Yes and no.” I shrug. “I have more regrets than ever going into accounting, feeling useless in this situation.”

“Wouldn’t have pegged you for an accountant,” he scoffs.

“WhatwouldI be doing if you didn’t know?” I shrug one shoulder.

“Auctioneer,” he says bluntly. “Sales woman. Basketball coach.”

I slap his chest playfully and hand the wine over. “Why ‘cause I’m relentless?”

“Among other things.” He takes another swig.

“I’m scared to ask.” I lean back towards the table, catching him eyeing my body. “What about you,Silver?Give me something. What’s something about you that I should know?”

He walks over slowly, lips sealed, eyes tethered to mine. When the bottle slaps the table harder than I expect, my body jolts.

“That’s enough for today.”

Chapter 11

Arosso

I’m sitting in the back of a Lincoln Town Car, double-parked two blocks away from Quinn’s house. It’s a rental through the movie business. I’m in a different car every week. Call me paranoid, but that’s old news.

I’m lost in a trance from our kiss the other day. Her scent haunts me. The way she looks at me, her smile,her fire. Then the calculating infiltrator in me takes over.

The last thing I need is some fumbling rookie cop staring into one of my stage houses. Doesn’t matter how careful I am, eyes on me always end up bad. They knock on one door, they might start knocking on another. And if that happens, Captain Dall might be right under their noses.

This stupid, unhinged, beautiful girl I’m tangled with is the cause. She’s like a lit firecracker in the library I’ve built.

No.No, Arosso.

This isyourdoing. You’re the elder.You’rethe one making drastic moves because of your pull to her. She’s just a kid. A predictable, emotional kid in disarray. And now we’re going to find out how deep the rabbit hole goes.

I pick up my burner and dial John Scar, my old friend, just to get a pulse on the family’s dealings before I reach out to the don.

“Yo.”Sal Dicey picks up again. That fucking clown.

“Put John on, Sal. For fuck’s sake, did you guys switch phones?”

“Oh shit. Casper the friendly ghost. Hey, Johnny, I got someone famous on the line for you.”

I hang up on him and dial the Stallion. I’m in no mood for pussyfooting.

“Mm,” Donny grunts into the phone.

“It’s me,” I say.

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