Page 63 of The Secrets We Keep

“My patience is wearing thin,” Dom replied, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her tight against his side. “Any sign of him?” he asked Luca.

“Not that I’ve seen. But I admit I’ve been busy schmoozing and haven’t been paying much attention. Restivo has quite the crowd gathered tonight.”

Dom snorted, taking another sip of champagne. “A bunch of rich suits.”

“Rich suits we need to be connected to if we’re going to make much headway in the coming year,” Luca reminded him. “That’s the whole point of this.”

“I thought the whole point of this was to bring Gallo to his knees?”

“In the short term. You have to hold on to the power once you seize it. A concept you’re not unfamiliar with. How are things in Agrigento?”

“They’re fine. We’ve got some men who are less enthusiastic than others, but nothing I can’t handle.” Emilia’s brow pinched into a frown, and Dom kissed her forehead. “Don’t worry, kitten. I’ve got plans to motivate them.”

“I know. That’s what makes me worry.”

Dom gave her waist a squeeze, opening his mouth to speak and closing it again when she stiffened.

“Isn’t that him?” she asked, gesturing across the room with her chin.

Dom and Luca followed her gaze, and Dom’s grip tightened on the glass in his hand. “That’s him.”

Luca scanned the room for Matteo, catching him standing with Maeve in the far corner. When Matteo finally met his gaze, Luca glanced at Nero, waiting for his brother to catch his meaning. When Matteo finally did, he straightened, leaning down to whisper in Maeve’s ear. She nodded, pulling her phone out of her clutch while he made excuses to the people they were talking to.

Matteo signaled Carina and Alexei on his way across the room, and they converged in a corner a few moments later. Luca watched Nero over Matteo’s shoulder. The man glided into the room like a king, nodding and smiling to everyone who called out a greeting to him.

His wife floated at his side. Her dress and jewelry were understated but elegant, and Luca could tell it was expensive, even at this distance. Nero never did anything small, and as one of Restivo’s biggest donors, both above board and below, he was on top of the pile in this crowd.

The couple made their rounds, shaking hands and kissing cheeks. But when Nero spotted their group in the corner, his eyes narrowed and his shoulders squared. He instantly abandoned his wife and crossed the room, stopping close enough to crowd Matteo but not so close as to draw attention to them.

“Bianchi,” Nero said, barely containing the disdain in his voice. “What are you doing here?”

Matteo raised a brow and took a slow sip of champagne. “My family and I were invited.”

Nero swept them all with a look of disgust before zeroing in on Matteo again. “What kind of game do you think you’re playing, boy?”

“I told you weeks ago, Nero. No games. You rejected my offer, and I put myself in a position to find someone who might be better suited to my…goals.”

“These are my people. I own them.”

Luca reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the business cards he’d collected. With a smile, Matteo and even Dom did the same.

“Apparently, they’re in the market for new business. You should do a better job of keeping your people if that’s what you’re after.”

“Though that might be a little difficult,” Luca added. “What with all the hardship you’ve had lately.”

Nero pinned Luca with an unflinching stare. “Minor snags in productivity.”

“That’s not what the papers are calling it,” Carina said with a sweet smile.

Nero took a halting step toward her, and both Alexei and Matteo stepped into his path.

“We really are sorry about the problems you’ve been having. Truly,” Matteo assured him. “Maybe you should focus more on getting your company back on its feet and less on us making new friends.”

“If I find out you’re behind this, you little f—”

“Careful, Nero,” Matteo warned. “It’s hardly in your best interest to threaten me. Not in a room filled with all of our friends.” Matteo gave Nero a friendly pat on the shoulder and smiled wide. “It was great to see you. We should be heading out. We’ve already been here for hours. Enjoy your evening.”

Matteo strode away, and Dom and Emilia followed. Carina tightened her arm around Alexei’s bicep when he moved to take a step toward Nero and dragged him toward the door. When they were alone, Luca set his glass down on a nearby table and shoved his hands into his pockets, clenching them into fists.

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