Page 96 of Gin & Trouble

Careful to stay out of view of the marina, I stepped onto the deck.

The wind had picked up and the temperatures had dropped since my plane had landed. Winters in Sicily were considered mild by most standards, but I wouldn’t want to spend time in the crystal blue sea.

I huddled deeper in the windbreaker the flight attendant had given me.

He glanced at me and frowned. “You should go inside where it’s warm.”

“I’d prefer a little fresh air, if that’s okay?”

He removed his jacket, reached across the railing, and handed it to me. “Put this on.”

I slid into the soft leather and couldn’t help but smile as the familiar scent of his cologne filled my nose. “I hope Nico has some warm clothes at the villa.”

“If not, you’ll have to hide under the blankets until spring.” Dante’s lips twitched as if he’d stopped himself from smiling. Instead he pressed his lips together and nodded. “I’m sure there will be something you can wear.”

I absolutely hated the tension between us, but his initial reaction gave me hope.

Thank God, I’m not the only one who’s conflicted.

One of Giancarlo’s men approached Dante. “She’s fueled and restocked.”

“Thanks. I’ll take it from here.” He slipped the man some cash and muttered something to him I couldn’t hear.

The guy nodded, shoved the money in his pocket, and strolled away without a backward glance.

Curiosity got the better of me. “What did you say to him?”

“Nothing much.” He seemed to realize he’d barked at me and sighed. “Since I don’t have his loyalty, I tried to buy his silence.”

“Did it work?” Stupid question. We wouldn’t know if the bribe was successful until it was too late. However, I wasn’t ready to end the conversation. Even making small talk with Dante felt like home.

“Let’s hope so.” Dante didn’t seem convinced.

I wanted to believe if Giancarlo trusted the men, we could trust them, too, but I knew better. Loyalty in the mafia only extended to the family one worked for and even then, money had a way of testing the strongest devotion.

Before boarding, Dante inspected the side of the yacht closest to the dock.

“Something wrong?” The longer he took to get underway, the thinner my nerves became until I felt as though I’d snap.

“Call me paranoid, but I don’t want to be caught by surprise in the middle of the Tyrrhenian sea.”

Way to help calm me down.

Once on deck, he hung over the railing and inspected the opposite side and the helm.

“Everything good?” I pulled his jacket tighter around me.

He turned toward me. I didn’t know what he saw in my expression, but his face softened. “Yep. Everything’s in order. I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s a long trip and I’m not familiar with this vessel.”

“But you know how to operate it, right?”

“I was taking out my family’s yacht well before I learned how to drive a car.” He seated himself in the captain’s chair and turned the key.

The fact that he blew out a breath when the boat started without a hitch sent my already over-adrenaline-flooded mind into a meltdown.

“You thought there was a bomb?” I sat because I didn’t trust my legs to hold me up. “You did, right? That’s why you were checking the sides.”

“Me? No?” He smirked.

---