Page 27 of Under the Influence

Shit.

I mentally try to recall why I had invited her, though it would have been difficult not to. Keira is the daughter of the Irish mob boss, and I didn’t want to insult them by not allowing a representative of their family to attend. I just don’t fucking know why they sent her. She is definitely not dressed for a wedding, but knowing Keira, she is trying to make some kind of ‘you’re going to miss me’ statement which I don’t.

“Not at all. I extended invites to all my business associates,” I say coldly, as I watch her eyes flash angrily, but she knows better than to cause a scene at my wedding.

“Congratulations,” she says demurely, trying to kiss me, but I move so she only caught my ear.

I can feel Sophia’s eyes burning a hole into me, but I don’t turn around. I know that this little reunion hadn’t been lost on her.

“Congratulations to you, Mrs. De Luca,” she says, smiling down at Sophia, who stands up to receive her.

“Thank you, and you would be?” Sophia asks, smiling.

“Just an old friend,” Keira replies. “Congratulations again.” She leans into Sophia and whispers something in her ear, Sophia turns to look at me with fury in her eyes, but she doesn’t say anything.

Keira smirks at her and whispers something in her ear again in an even lower tone looking victorious. Sophia pauses for a second before giving her a cold stare and says something that I can’t discern over the loud music. Keira’s face reddens before she quickly walks off, and Sophia smiles triumphantly.

“Rocco,” Damon says from behind me, indicating he wants to talk to me away from the table.

“I’ll be back,” I say, excusing myself.

“What is it?”

“The Russians, they’re getting braver. They’ve hijacked some of our shipments.”

“Why now? Somebody must be backing them?”

“I don’t know, boss, I just thought you should know.”

“Thanks. Does Paolo know?”

“Yeah, I guess that is why he’s been in one of the conference rooms half the night. You wanna talk to him about it?”

“No, let’s just get through the rest of the wedding.”

“Who said romance is dead?” Damon replied, snorting.

“This isn’t romance, it’s business.”

Damon stares at me awkwardly, and when I turn around, Sophia is standing behind me with an unreadable expression on her face.

“It’s time to cut the cake,” she says tonelessly.

“I’ll be there in a second.”

“Good,” she says, turning on her heel and walking away.

“Awkward.”

“She’ll be fine,” I say shrugging.

“I’d like to see you talk your way out of that.”

My smile is removed when I find Sophia talking to Henri Beauchamp. Watching him kiss her twice on each cheek makes me want to pull his arms out of his sockets and beat him with them.

“Don Rocco, congratulations,” he says, holding his hand out pointedly.

“Thanks. Next time don’t talk to my wife without me being there,” I reply, ignoring his handshake.

---