Chapter 3 – Penelope
“ I can’t find my charm bracelet.” I frowned, looking once more through my leather crossbody purse. “I swore I didn’t take it off.”
“It’ll turn up,” Poppy assured me.
I hoped so. The buzz from the plane had disappeared before I climbed into Enzo’s SUV, but it was hard to say where the piece of jewelry had gone. Without it hanging from my wrist, it felt as though a piece of me was missing.
And I needed every bit of my armor in this strange new world.
The sundress was barely appropriate in the nanny’s estimation. It came down to the woman not wanting my cousin to leave the house so close to supper time and risk being late. Instead of a trip to the mall, we wrapped a beautiful Hermès scarf—a fancy French word that my cousin used like I should know it—around my bare shoulders. The silky soft material kept slipping down my arms. The pattern was wild and exotic. I honestly didn’t care for it, but from the way Poppy kept smiling, I pretended to like the darn thing.
“Which one is he?” I whispered conspiratorially as we stood at the great window in an unused bedroom that overlooked the front drive.
Poppy chewed her lip. “The one they’re all gathering around.”
Since the sun was behind the house, thick shadows fell across the circular drive. Three blacked-out SUVs were parked on the flagged pavers and nearly two dozen men milled about as she’d said. The way the dark and light played tricks on the eyes, I couldn’t make out the features of any of the men. But there was one undeniable source of their focus. He was one of the taller specimens and was built like a linebacker.
It was more than his size that set the fiancé apart.
It was the energy. Black and dangerous, I could almost see the invisible forcefield swirling about him. He commanded the herd. Even though all he’d done was exit the middle vehicle, it was undeniable that he was their leader.
Why him?
I scrunched my brows and peered down at the group now mingling with my uncle’s friends and associates. It was hard to see my teeny tiny cousin with such a bullish brute. How the hell did she even meet someone like that? Probably some fancy party Uncle Tito threw. I peered harder at the man. Lord, he was big. And probably older, not that a few years mattered too much, but those weren’t teen muscles. No, he was definitely a man-man.
Another drop of unease slithered through me. Something wasn’t right about this situation. All afternoon, little tidbits kept dropping about the fiancé. I was missing some glaringly obvious piece to this puzzle. It danced right outside my understanding.
And that made me mad.
I didn’t like being the one left out.
“Signorina Caravello, come downstairs this instant and welcome your guests,” the nanny barked.
Poppy…trembled.
I looped my arm through the crook of her elbow and gave her a tight squeeze. “Don’t let her ruin your night.”
My cousin gave me a small smile.
Shouldn’t she be excited to see the man she was engaged to? A kernel of anger pulsed deep in my gut at the nanny for making her feel so miserable.
Or maybe it wasn’t just the drill sergeant, but rather the entourage storming through the front doors. I wouldn’t want to have dinner with the goonish strangers, when a nice, quiet meal with the family would be far more preferable.
I held tight to Poppy as we descended the stairs.
Not all the men had come inside. In fact, there were only a handful with Uncle Tito and Cousin Massimo being two of the group.
“Max!” I called out and gave him a big wave. “Where have you been all afternoon? I’ve been waiting!”
A shit-eating grin spread across my cousin’s face. Whereas I was the second oldest of seven siblings and had an extended paternal family that made up a large chunk of the population in our small corner of the world, I only had two cousins on this side of the family.
And Massimo was trouble, my favorite kind of cousin.
“I heard you snuck into town, mimma,” my cousin boomed, jogging up the flight of stairs to meet us half-way.
We exchanged a quick hug. He smelled like stale body spray and…gunpowder? I took another whiff. I knew that scent anywhere.
When he pulled back, I gave him a sharp once over. He didn’t look like he’d been at target practice. Had he been doing…something else? I quickly gathered my wits and didn’t let him see the unease that made me want to squirm. That was the part of the mob life I couldn’t yet wrap my head around. If the rumors were true, mobsters were notorious for handling disputes as judge, jury, and executioner, killing without remorse.
But I was here, ready to pledge to that life in spite of the death and destruction. It was the only opportunity for me.
“Come on, let’s go introduce you to my future brother-in-law.” Massimo’s eyes twinkled.
Sticking close to Poppy, we scrambled down the stairs, murmuring a fast conversation that only people who were the best of friends could have after an extended period of separation. Granted, I texted these cousins every so often, but it was only when we were together that time seemed to hold no meaning, and we picked right back up where we left off.
Engrossed in the side conversation, it wasn’t until we stopped right in front of the other four men that reality snapped back into place and time seemed to resume.
I shot a glance over the group—and my heart fainted.
No…no no no.
“Penny, I want you to meet Alessandro Mancini,” Massimo said with a sweep of his hand.
Oh, shit on a shingle! This couldn’t be happening.
The world tilted. The ground shifted under my feet. I froze in place, ludicrous smile stuck on my face. It was like a freeze frame in a movie, the bold heroine stopped mid-motion as calamity encroached around her.
I wasn’t able to draw a proper breath before the man speaking to my uncle deigned to tear his gaze away and acknowledge my cousin’s attempt at polite manners.
Black eyes, the color of a starless night, collided with mine. Something crackled deep in those inky pools, but there was no other visible reaction. This man might as well have been made of stone.
I, on the other hand, was suddenly too hot. Energy crackled over my skin in response to his hard stare. Damn, he looked good if it wasn’t for his icy exterior.
I do not find my cousin’s fiancé attractive! I struggled to shove that reaction deep in the back of my mind.
But it was difficult with his intense focus lasered on me.
“Signor Mancini, my niece and my daughter,” Uncle Tito intoned, going to stand beside Poppy.
Three more heartbeats passed before the wretch from the airport lounge broke our staring contest. I sucked in a gulp of air and shook myself. The tingle of warmth in my veins ebbed slightly. At least he wasn’t hideous to look at, a small blessing for my little cousin.
“Signorina,” Mancini intoned, stepping toward Poppy. “A pleasure.”
I didn’t miss the way the wolf looked at her.
And what if he tells on me? I gulped. While I was perfectly justified in my actions, it probably wasn’t the smartest idea to start off on the wrong foot with someone from Tito’s world. And this businessman was undoubtedly on the down-low with the shady business dealings my uncle was part of. He had to be if he was marrying into the family.
Marriage…. I blinked at him as he lifted Poppy’s hand to his lips. Nope, I don’t get it.
What would my sweet, innocent cousin see in someone like him other than his dark good looks? And how the hell old was he? I studied that sharp jawline. While he had nice bones under that olive complexion, his mouth was set in a hard line. There were no smile lines or crow’s feet, but something about his too serious air made me think he was older than he seemed.
Unlike at the airport, there was no teasing in his voice nor smirk on his lips. He was stoic, with hard edges, as if this was a business meeting, not a family dinner with his fiancée.
If I didn’t already dislike him for being a rich, entitled asshole who could do whatever he pleased, I wouldn’t have been impressed by this meeting.
Poppy cleared her throat and murmured something.
Oh, the poor mouse!
“I agree! Into the dining room, I’m famished,” I said brightly, coming to her rescue. “Massimo, you’ll sit by me?”
“You know it, mimma,” he said, reaching to ruffle my hair.
I squeaked and ducked.
As the group moved toward the dining room, Uncle Tito stopped to pull me aside. Too much cologne choked me, but the hug was genuine. “It’s good to see you, Penny.”
“Good to see you too.” A flutter of nerves broke out in my stomach. He didn’t seem displeased with my sudden trip. In fact, he didn’t even seem surprised. “Thank you for having me,” I added.
“Always! Family is the most important thing. We’re honored that your visit coincides with our celebration of this milestone.” With a pinch on my cheek, he made to move along with his guests.
Determination pushed me into action. “Uncle Tito, actually, there’s a reason I’m here.”
Massimo moved along after a nod from his father.
I shifted on my feet, suddenly keenly aware of being alone with one of the men who my mother ran away from nearly thirty years ago. But she’d sacrificed so much for us, it was the least I could do to face the life she’d fled. Besides, the reason she remained in contact with her only sibling was because he wasn’t the demonic sonofabitch their father was purported to be.
From the few things Mom had said, I didn’t think I could have summoned the courage to face my grandfather, not that I’d ever met him, but his reputation was bad enough.
“What is it, nipote?” Tito slid his pudgy hand into his pocket.
“It’s a business proposition,” I said slowly, hesitating over the words. “I would like to talk to you at your earliest convenience.”
“Ah, well, we have guests. I’ll look at my schedule and find a free hour tomorrow or the day after. Can it wait that long?”
No. But right now was clearly not the time with the guests here. “Of course.” I swallowed and gave him a smile I didn’t feel. “Let’s eat.”
Tito clapped his thick palms together. “Agreed! And what do you think of my future son-in-law?”
I hid the stumble in my step as I walked beside my uncle, who was barely taller than I was. “Um, he’s interesting?”
Tito hummed. “I thought you might have an opinion on the matter, since you seemed to have a moment there.”
There was a question under his observation.
Did I tell him that I pushed his dinner guest into a fountain? I chewed on the inside of my cheek. I needed my uncle to agree to my terms. If I hid what I’d done, and he found out, it could go bad. But telling him that wasn’t a great way to start my trip here.
I was saved from answering by my stomach growling. “No opinions! Just famished!”
He laughed. “I’m hungry too.”
I scurried to the empty seat beside Massimo and some scowling man who looked like he should be a death eater come to kill Dumbledore.
“Hi, I’m Penelope, but you can call me Penny.” I stuck out my hand, ready to show the sworn servant of he-who-shall-not-be-named that I wasn’t scared.
Not outwardly at least.
The man slid a look over me and then flicked a glance to the suit sitting across from me. A silent exchange passed between the death eater and the lupine businessman.
I refused to look at the fiancé. It wasn’t just the smoking incident, but something…else. I watched him from my peripheral, thinking about wolves in sheep’s clothing. Here he was, dressed in what was probably a custom suit, a good-looking guy, but it was all pretty trappings that couldn’t hide the nasty man underneath.
“I’m Dante,” the scary man beside me finally menaced.
Okay, then. “Well, it’s nice to meet you,” I insisted, showing these men that I wasn’t bothered by them.
I turned to Massimo, who was sipping his wine. “You would not believe the last rodeo. I took first in the barrel races, but Mikey stayed on a bull for the full count!”
“You never sent any pictures!” my cousin protested, nudging me with his elbow.
Purposely avoiding whatever creepy tension was pulsing in the room, I entertained my cousin with tales of the Wild Wild West. While no one back in my hometown would think the mob was alive and well, it was equally as hard for these cidiots to understand the rural day-to-day of small town life in a ranching community.
Sadly, while Massimo and I started to have a wonderful evening, I doubted very much little Poppy was enjoying her time with the businessman. Who I liked less and less.
Mother of God! Why was he so cold to her? He only spoke to my uncle, seeming to barely acknowledge Poppy’s existence. If I didn’t care for him before, by the time the first course was cleared, I really hated how he treated her. The unease I felt never really went away.