“I’ll wait,” I tell her as I relax, bringing my leg up and casually resting my ankle on my knee.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” Her lips say one thing, but those eyes say another. I can read people like a book and she is interested.
“And why not? I’d like to have dinner with you. No strings attached.” I watch those eyes like they may call to me. Hell, they are calling to me.
“I... I don’t know. I mean, I guess I can.” The stutter in her voice does nothing more than make me harder by the second. What is it with her?
“Great. I’ll be here.” She smiles before she turns and leaves the room. I look to Angelo where he stands near the door and say, “Angelo. Cancel my meetings for tonight.”
Chapter 9
I glance at my watch as the minute’s tick by. I’ve paced the sidewalk in front of her work for almost an hour now. When I finally see Angelo opening the door, she walks through it. Her hair blows around her shoulders as she shakes her head to move it out of her face. I plaster a smile on my face as I walk towards her, extending my hand.
“Shall we?” Ava swallows nervously, taking in the limo that sits in front of her. I never used to like the limo’s all that much, but my uncle would always insist that I go everywhere in it. Now it’s just a part of who I am.
“I have my car,” she says softly, trying to pull her hand free of my grasp. I don’t give her the chance.
“Give me the keys.” Holding out my free hand, she looks at me as if I’m going insane. Too bad for her, I’ve already been there.
“What? Why would I give you my keys?” Again she tries to pull her hand away, but my grasp only tightens.
“I will have one of my men bring it to the restaurant, Miss Sinclair. I can assure you they won’t harm it.” Her eyes dance with the unknown before sliding her hand into her pocket brandishing the keys. She gently sets them in my hand as her own trembles.
“Angelo. Get Roman to drive Miss Sinclair’s car please.” Angelo steps forward taking the keys before I usher Ava into the waiting limo. I can’t stop watching her ass as she climbs in either. I’m only human. A man has needs. I slide into the seat next to her before the door closes and Ava jumps.
“Are you nervous?” She’d be lying if she said no. I can practically feel her tremble from across the seat.
“I don’t know you. It’s a little strange for me.” Catching her gaze with mine, it strikes me that I’ve never introduced myself.
“Please forgive me for being rude. I’m Cordae Vitale. You can call me, Cord.” Her eyes sparkle before the car starts up.
“I would introduce myself, but it seems you already know who I am,” she says, trying to remain as calm as possible. I can tell that makes her nervous. The fact that I know all about her before she knows about me. Those eyes might have shaken me when I first saw her here, but I do know of the daughter of the Governor. Although I never realized that this woman was her.
“This is true. You are Ava Sinclair. You are currently going to the local nursing school. You are the daughter of the Governor of this state, although he means nothing. You live with your roommate Taren, whom you’ve known most of your life,” I rattle off a few of the things I know about her. I can hear her gasp as she scoots slightly towards the door.
“How do you know all that?” Her voice quakes, which does little more than give me pleasure.
“I’m Cord Vitale. I know everything about everyone that crosses my path.” We arrive at the restaurant where I help her out of the car and usher her inside. Sitting in the back of the restaurant, Ava can’t seem to sit still. She nervously shifts and fidgets in her seat while I watch. Angelo cleared the restaurant before Ava and I came in, so there wouldn’t be any interruptions. I placed our order before the waitress that has been eyeing me sets my bourbon on the table in front of me.
“Miss Sinclair, do I make you nervous?” Her eyes jerk to mine as her mouth opens and closes.
“I don’t understand why you know so much about me,” she replies with a tremble in her voice. Clasping my hands together, I rest them on the table in front of me.
“I told you, it’s my business to know things. If I cross someone that intrigues me, I learn about them. That shouldn’t make you nervous. Besides, I didn’t technically know about you per se. I knew of you being that you’re the daughter of the Governor.” Her eyes never leave mine. She wants to get a read on me but that won’t happen. I’m a closed book. No one gets to turn my pages anymore. I went down that path once but never again.
“When did we cross paths?”
“Well, today of course. I also saw you around a year ago.” Confusion etches across that beautiful face of hers before recognition hits her.
“I remember you.” Her voice is no more than a whisper, her eyes slightly smiling.
“You were a fighter. You look so different.” Her pouty lips curl into a small smile as she remembers me from the past.
“That was me,” I agree. Her eyes come back to meet mine before she gives me a genuine smile.
“You hit my ex-boyfriend.” Ava brings her small hand up to cover her mouth as she remembers and laughs a little.
“He deserved more. I didn’t realize that he was your ex at the time.” Ava lowers her hand as she nods her head.
“He was. I never saw him after that.” I know she hasn’t. I made sure of that. He was to take the orders to stay as far away from her as possible. Clearly my threat wasn’t taken lightly which makes me happy. She was not a bargaining chip when business between us and the Gambino family was going on.
“Are you still a fighter?” Her eyes tell me stories of her past. A haunted one. Not one that I’m sure she would share openly but I find myself wanting it anyway.
“When needed but not in a ring anymore.” She licks her lips as our dinner is set in front of us. She’s clearly intrigued, and I find myself comfortable in her presence. This should be interesting.
Chapter 10
Dinner was nice. I don’t think I’ve had an enjoyable dinner in quite some time. Especially one with conversation not related to business, but the more I talked with Ava, the more comfortable I was.
“So did you know about Amelia?” Ava’s eyes find mine once again as she sets her glass on the table.
“Amelia?”
“The little girl that is being tested. She’s beautiful.” Ah, she has seen her. I wondered if she had been the one that tested her as well.
“I wasn’t close with my father. My mother passed away when I was born. I knew my father was a piece of work, but I never imagined having a sibling.” For some reason I want to tell her everything. Every last shitty detail of my depraved childhood but I know there is no point. That has little to do with why I’m here with her today.
“She seems like a good kid. She’s just had a bad start in life. It would do her good to be with a caring family.” Leaning my elbows on the table, I examine the woman in front of me. So lost in her own fairy tale of life that she forgets I know who she is. Her life wasn’t perfect. I may not know what happened behind closed doors in her home, but I know what I know of her father.