Regardless of how I felt about the temporary nature of Matteo in my life, I appreciated the discretion for my family's sake. They wouldn't take well to having my boyfriend's conquests rubbed in their faces.
Especially not with my history with Matteo.
"Lead the way, Ms. Favre," Matteo gestured, and it was a horrifying realization that he hadn't just stopped by but had every intention of staying for dinner.
"Matteo," I whispered, catching his attention as he guided me in to follow the hostess. "This is not an appropriate time. You can't just insert yourself to dinner with my family, especially not on the rare occasion I get to see my uncle."
"Ah, so you were intending to invite me to meet him another day during his visit?" he asked, guiding me to one end of the table. He sat me in the seat to the right of the head, smoothly lowering himself into the chair at one end. That in and of itself made a statement.
"Well, not exactly," I sighed.
"I thought as much. As you don't seem to want to make the introductions, I took the liberty myself." I could feel my uncle's eyes on me as he took his seat at the opposite end of the table. Normally he didn't care about posturing, and he would have taken the seat next to me.
I knew besides challenging Matteo; he took that seat precisely for the purpose of keeping tabs on me through the meal. Next to me, he might not see everything, but on the other end of the table, he saw Matteo and I perfectly.
I resisted the urge to bash my head on the table, staring at my empty wine glass in frustration.
I needed alcohol.
Lots and lots of alcohol.
My mom and dad sat next to Adam, leaving the seat between my mom and Matteo unoccupied. He didn't seem bothered when he took my hand in his, holding it openly on top of the table for my family to see.
A waiter came, delivering wine into all our glasses without being ordered, and I narrowed my eyes on Matteo's high-handed bullshit. Then I took a few very unladylike swallows of the delicious bordeaux. Matteo's jaw clenched as he watched me drown my inhibitions in my glass.
"So, Matteo, how's business?" My uncle asked, his voice sounding cordial. I knew better. Knew that beneath that fake veneer was a man who would kill Matteo if he thought I was in danger.
And he'd never go to prison for it.
I realized that was why I couldn't let on to my family that I was anything other than a thrilled participant in the ruse of a relationship Matteo crafted. As much as my feelings conflicted over Matteo, I just couldn't live with him being dead either.
That was why I'd never even considered calling Adam in the first place, but his sudden, unplanned visit did suddenly seem all too convenient.
"Business is booming. I own several properties, restaurants, nightclubs. I do very well. Your niece will never want for anything." Matteo smiled, the edges fraying as he addressed my uncle. Knowing Matteo, he knew exactly who Adam was—knew what he'd done. He knew that Adam likely had a thorough understanding of whatever illegal dealings Matteo had, and I knew the two men were on opposite sides of the law. In Matteo's defense though, Adam had never truly operated within the realms of the law either.
How you went about saving lives was insignificant, as long as you did. That was his philosophy, and it always had been.
"What made you come visit?" I asked, turning a beaming smile Adam's way. "It's not like you to just drop in without planning." His lips crooked in a bemused smile, and he shook his head at me in the same way he did every time he told me I was too smart for my own good—too good at reading people to waste away in my own kitchen. He wanted me working for him, always had. Getting a feel on his potential clients. For the first time, I considered it.
I had a feeling I'd want to leave Chicago whenever Matteo decided he was done with me.
Too many memories.
"I had a case end sooner than planned. Figured I'd come surprise you all."
"Coincidentally, as soon as you could get away after I was involved in a robbery?" I smirked, and he grinned at me.
"Complete coincidence," he lied. "I would like to know what they have done about it. Have the police found them?"
My father snorted.
Ah that was where I got my refined behaviors from.
"I suspect you know more about that than us," Mom laughed.
"Wasn't asking you," my uncle said, turning raised brows to Matteo. I turned to face him too, watching as he lowered his Bordeaux to the table after a generous sip.
"It's been handled." He shrugged, and my father stilled at the table, taking it as further confirmation that Matteo was dangerous.
Mom looked to Adam like she expected him to protest, require information about how it had been handled. But Adam merely looked thoughtful for a moment, before turning his attention to the menu in front of him.
"Good," he murmured. "Good to see someone around here is at least capable of getting shit done." Mom's horrified eyes looked from me to Adam, finally stopping when my dad cleared his throat.
"I think I'll have the lasagna," he muttered, and the conversation ended there.
I turned to Matteo, panic coursing through me.
What the fuck did he mean it had been taken care of?
He shook his head, signaling me to hold my tongue for the moment.
For once, I listened.
I listened, and I guzzled more wine.
I didn't need alcohol. I needed to be shit-faced to deal with that hell of a dinner.
Eighteen
Sadie
My fingers hovered over the keypad on my phone.
Could I really do this to her?
The answer was easier than it should have been.
I could, and I would.
Ivory was far too stuck in her own little world to realize that she had two men on her hook. She couldn't just bury her head in the sand and pretend they didn't exist while she added another man to the mix.
Hopefully, this would be exactly what she needed to pull her head out of her ass.
I dialed the first number, tossing back a shot when it rang.
"Yeah?" Duke's voice grunted on the other end of the line.
"Ivory's going on a date," I blurted, determined to keep my voice strong. I knew Ivory would be pissed if she ever found out, but I would always do what it took to protect her.
Even from herself.
"I told you, I don't want to hear about that shit," he snapped and slammed something around. Undoubtedly some metal scraps in his shop as he worked off his rage.
"It's not with Matteo. It's someone else. You should go, stop her from doing something stupid. She doesn't see you that way; it just doesn't come naturally after being your friend for years, so you need to make her see you that way if you want it to go anywhere."
"Is this one of those grand gesture things women are always talking about?" he returned, a smile in his voice. The metal stopped clanging, and I knew he was considering it.
"Grand gestures, come to Jesus moment. Just get your ass to Indulgence." I hung up, giving him a ten-minute head start before I dialed the number Scar had been all too willing to give me.
"Bellandi," the voice on the other end said.
"Matteo?" I asked.
"Who is this?" His voice went taut, and I took it he didn't get very many phone calls from women. That pleased me.