Page 60 of His Sinful Need

“He’s fine,” DeLuca says abruptly, staring at me as though daring me to make him a liar.

“I’m fine,” I tell the butler guy. I look him head to toe, if only because he seems a little out of place here. Very formal. Very good looking, in an old-fashioned kind of way.

DeLuca pushes in front of me. “You’resupposedto have the morning off, D,” he mutters. Past DeLuca’s head, I see the butler go a little pink.

“When there is a guest in the house—” he begins, but DeLuca takes his arm gently and turns him around.

“I’ll let you know if they need anything. Okay?”

The butler walks off, but DeLuca stands there watching him until he pauses at the end of the corridor and looks back over his shoulder. There’s an undeniable spark between them, and I wonder if there’s something a little less than professional going on between them.

Darian disappears around the corner and DeLuca turns back to me with a cool expression. But before he can say anything, the study door opens and Max comes out.

“DeLuca!” he says. “Was wondering when you’d show up.” They shake hands, and for the first time, I see DeLuca look something other than taciturn, as he gives a wide grin at Max.

“So you’re finally back with us, Pedretti?”

Max glances at me as he shakes his head. “Not yet, DeLuca. Can you hold down the fort for a little longer?”

“You got it.”

“Boss told me about this—” he pauses, glances at me “—this upcoming event. I know you can handle it, but you give me a call if you need anything. Okay?”

DeLuca just gives a nod. Something’s going on, obviously. Castellani business. Well, I have no interest in that. I’ve got enough to occupy me with the Espositos right now.

“Okay, DeLuca. I’ll take it from here,” Pedretti says, and with a nod, DeLuca leaves us alone.

“All good?” I ask, not because I want to know what Don Castellani said to Max in private, but because I want to make sure he didn’t rescind his permissions.

“All good,” Max reassures me. “Come on. Let’s get moving.”

But Max still seems deep in thought as he leads me back toward the foyer. It’s just the two of us, which makes me deeply aware of how much status Max has in this Family.

I would never be allowed to wander around the Villa without an escort.

“Hey,” I say quietly, breaking the silence between us. He glances over. “I meant what I said in there. I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe.”

Max stops me, his eyes searching mine. “Listen,” he starts, but then he hesitates. Finally, he nods. “I know you will,” he says softly. “You’re a good Capo. That’s what good Capos do.”

It’s not just that. I want to protest, explain how much deeper it runs than just being Capo, evenhisCapo, which I’m not anymore anyway, I’m no one’s fucking Capo, I’m a Capo in limbo—but it’s not the time. Definitely not the place, either.

“Let’s get back to work,” I murmur, and we continue the walk, shoulder to shoulder, down the hallway.

I’m happy to see that a certain blond Castellani has vacated the foyer as we reach it, but I counted my blessings too soon.

“Hey, Esposito!” comes a call from above. I glance up, doing a double take when it seems like Julian Castellani is buck-naked, leaning over the banister from the second level. “Take good care of my Pedretti, won’t you?”

“Ignore him,” Max sighs.

But my confidence is returning, and I’m not one to turn down a fight. “Like I told you before, Castellani, he belongs to me right now,” I drawl upward. “So I’ll return him when I’m good and ready.”

That response earns me a delighted laugh from Julian as Max hustles me out of Redwood Manor to where Jack is waiting by that shitty old Pinto he drives.

* * *

Jack drives us back to Anna-Vittoria’s estate in silence, but as we pull up in front of the Villa, he turns around in his seat and looks at Max. “So,” he says.

Max, who seems to know what’s coming, shakes his head with a smile. “You’ve got enough on your plate. Boss gave me the lowdown.”

---