Page 66 of Crazed

Confused, I look at him in question.

He chuckles and holds a piece of bacon next to my mouth. "Eat."

I accept the meat, chew it, then wash it down with more of my latte.

He adds, "To answer your question, my favorite business is my jewelry one."

The hairs on the back of my neck rise. I freeze, willing the anxiety in my chest to disappear. I debate what to say next and finally decide on, "Is that how you know Ettore? Do you own his business?"

Darkness passes over Massimo's face. "No. He owns his business, but he's very loyal to our family. He and my papà met as children and are good friends."

I play with my eggs, moving them around on my plate. "So, if you don't own his business, how are you involved in jewelry?"

"I guess you could say I'm more involved in gems," he declares.

My insides quiver. I fight the urge to stop this conversation before I learn anything else. Still, the fear of what Leo will do to me overpowers my good intentions. I tilt my head, acting like I know nothing, and question, "What does that mean?"

He answers, "I buy gems directly from the miners."

"Wow! What country do you buy from? Or do you get them here in the United States? Sorry, I don't know anything about where gems come from," I admit.

Amusement replaces the darkness in his expression. He drags his knuckles down my arm. "It's okay. I don't expect you to know anything about it. Some of my gems come from the US, but most are from Africa, Russia, and South America."

My awe is real. I tease, "I'm going to have to call you Mr. International!"

His face falls. He sternly lectures, "Katiya, we don't ever discuss any of this outside of these walls."

"Sorry. I was just kidding!"

He sighs. "Okay. Is that enough for today, or do you have more questions?"

I pause, disappointed I didn't get further but happy he told me something. I shake my head, smiling. "No. But can I reserve the right to interrogate you later?"

"Sure, dolce." He rises, picks up our plates, and announces, "We better leave so you aren't late for work."

"Okay. But you don't have to take me. I can get there on my own," I state.

"No. I'll drop you off. I need to go down to the docks."

"The docks?"

He glances at his phone, replying, "Everything we import comes to us via the docks."

I continue to push for information. "So you have a shipment coming today?"

"No. I have a mess to sort out."

"Oh?"

"Nothing you need to worry about." He rinses the plates and loads them into the dishwasher. "Now, I will need some help at some point."

My stomach flips, wondering what he wants me to do for his business. "Sure. I can do whatever you need."

He cringes, stating, "I'm embarrassed to admit this."

"What?"

"I don't know how to run this dishwasher. When it's full, can you teach me how to turn it on?"

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