Chapter 35 Angelo
Angelo
My father drones on, happy to listen to his own voice. Like always. I nod and make noises occasionally, while Fina stares blankly at the table and Chiara slumps in her chair.
We’re all bored, but until my father indicates we can leave, we’re stuck here.
What a waste of an evening. I have a million and one things I need to do, but Father insisted we all show our faces.
This isn’t the first project we’ve completed this year, but it is the most high profile.
The Aurora Luxe Casino Hotel is an important step in legitimizing our family business.
Even though we’ll use the hotel to launder money from the side businesses, its presence reinforces our status as a powerful chess piece on the board.
We don’t have as big a market share as, say, MGM Resorts, but in time, we’ll give them a run for their money.
Once my father has finally grown tired of preening in public, Fina and I rise from our chairs and mutter polite platitudes.
“Keep me posted, son,” he says, referring to the recent difficulties we’ve had with suppliers. “And remember what I said.” I haven’t forgotten his warning about reining in my wife, and from his scowl in her direction, which she pretends to ignore, neither has he.
“Of course, Dad.” We watch him leave, a phalanx of guards protecting him on all sides, before Fina exhales in relief.
“That was fun,” she mutters.
“Awesome.” Chiara picks up her glass and drains the last of her champagne. It’s her fourth glass, and I’m shocked she’s still standing based on her previous outing.
“Let’s go,” I bark at her while Fina makes a call. “I have work to do.”
“I need to use the bathroom,” she huffs, folding her arms across her chest. The restaurant has filled up with celebs and people eager to check out the latest nightspot, and from what the manager told me an hour ago, the casino downstairs is already doing a roaring trade.
If I were here alone, I’d probably spend some time in the basement club. Pick up a woman. Burn some energy.
But not tonight.
“Maybe you should have stuck to water, darling, instead of guzzling champagne all evening.”
“Maybe I would have if I hadn’t been so fucking bored, darling.”
Several people turn their heads at her raised voice, so I grab her wrist none too gently and haul her toward the bathrooms. Fina smirks and leaves us to it. She’s anxious to escape with Matteo.
“Be quick,” I hiss, shoving my wife into the damn bathroom. Then I turn toward Kane, who’s followed us. He frowns, apparently unhappy about me manhandling my wife. Not that I have any fucks left to give. “Go fetch the car.”
“Yes, boss.” He dips his head while scowling, making it clear he doesn’t appreciate me treating him like one of my minions.
Damn woman. She brings out the worst in me. I’m not normally such a short-tempered asshole, but it’s as if she knows exactly what buttons to press, while going out of her way to press them. If I weren’t so damn obsessed with her, I’d be questioning my life choices by now.
My phone rings. When I pull it from my pocket, it’s a number I don’t recognize. “Yes?”
“Is this Angelo Di Rossi?” a female voice asks. I can hear beeps and strange sounds in the background.
“Yes. Who is this?”
“I’m Dr. Ransom from Mercy General ER. We have a Ronald Conti in the ICU. You’re listed as his next of kin. Is this correct?”
Ronald’s our CFO. The man’s a workaholic. I don’t think he’s taken a vacation in at least a decade.
“Yes. What’s the problem?” Ronald never married, from what I know about him. I honestly have no clue about his personal life. He is way more comfortable crunching numbers than having an actual conversation, but he is very good at his job.
“Mr. Conti has had a heart attack. He’s currently on life support.” A band strikes up in the restaurant, which makes it hard to hear what the doctor is saying, so I move down the corridor toward the fire exit, where it’s quieter.
Finding out Ronald is on death’s door is not what I need this evening. If he dies, we’re fucked because there’s nobody else I trust to manage our finances or keep the IRS out of our business.