Chapter 18
AMALIA
THIS DRESS NEEDS TWO people to get into, which I didn’t think about when I bought it.
I’ve got the zipper halfway up my back, and now it won’t budge.
I twist my arm behind me and reach for it again, but my fingers can’t quite catch the tab.
Great. This is exactly what I need an hour before we head into Dominic’s gala.
I tug at it one more time and feel the fabric pull.
If I yank any harder, I’m going to rip the whole thing, and then I’ll have to wear something else, and we don’t have time for that.
We already know tonight is mostly a waste.
Dominic will be there, and so will half the people worth knowing in this city, and we probably won’t learn a single useful thing.
But that’s the point. We need to be at whatever events he’s at. We need people to see us with him.
“Matteo,” I call out, because I heard him in the hallway. “Can you come here for a sec?”
He pushes the door open and stops when he sees me holding my own arm behind my back like a fool. “Problem?”
“The zipper’s stuck. Can you get it?” I turn around so my back is to him.
He comes closer, and his fingers brush the small of my back as he takes the tab. He gently works it free of the fabric it caught on, and then he draws it up the rest of the way. His knuckles graze my skin the whole time, and I tell myself to ignore it, but my breath gets stuck anyway.
“There,” he says.
I glance over my shoulder at him just as his gaze lifts to mine, his hand still resting at the top of the zipper. I should step away. Probably.
“Thanks,” I manage.
He clears his throat and takes a step back. “You look good. Dominic’s going to be all over you.”
“Don’t remind me.” I grab my clutch off the bed and check that the lipstick and my phone are inside. “Let’s just get this over with.”
THE GALA IS IN A BIG hotel ballroom, and waiters with trays of champagne move through the crowd. Matteo settles his hand on my back as we come in, like he always does. There are so many people here, including politicians, businessmen, and a few faces I recognize from Dominic’s other parties.
It doesn’t take me long to spot Dominic.
He’s across the room near the far windows, a drink in his hand, and there’s a cluster of people around him.
Important ones. I recognize a city councilman, and an older man I’m pretty sure runs half the port.
Dominic’s saying something, and they’re all listening carefully and nodding along.
He touches one man’s shoulder, says something to the woman next to him, and the whole time he looks completely at ease, as if these people came to see him and he’s doing them a favor by showing up. He makes them want to be the ones he’s smiling at, but his charm is the trap.
“Let’s go remind him we exist.” I take a deep breath.
Matteo and I make our way over to him, and the closer we get, the tighter my chest feels. Dominic notices us before we reach the group. His mouth spreads into a grin and he lifts his glass a little.
“Ah,” he says, breaking away from his circle to greet us. “The Petrellis. I was starting to think you weren’t coming.”
“We wouldn’t miss it,” I say, giving him my warmest smile.
“Of course not.” He looks me up and down, and then he turns to Matteo. “And you. Still staying out of trouble?”
“Trying to,” Matteo says with a grin.
Dominic waves a hand at the two men next to him. “You should meet these gentlemen.”
We do the introductions and shake hands, and I do my best to remember their names.
“So tell me,” Dominic says, turning back to us, “what is it you two actually do? You show up to my parties and charm everyone in the room, but I still don’t have a clear picture.”
“A little of everything,” Matteo says. “We like to leave our options open.”
“I like options too.” Dominic nods.
I take a sip of champagne. “What about you? Everyone here seems to want a piece of whatever you’re doing.” I tip my head toward the men he was just talking to. “You must be doing something right.”
A smile spreads across his lips. “Same as you. I’m a very busy man. Schedules change. People get impatient.” For a moment, he sounds almost tired, but he’s probably faking it.
Or maybe not. The man Matteo and I overheard in the restaurant was impatient about shipments, so Dominic might be juggling more than he wants to, and it’s wearing on him. Then again, someone else could be taking care of it all for him.
“Well,” I say. “We’re still open for a partnership. With the right people by your side, you could even take a vacation.”
He studies me for a moment, then Matteo. “Partners. That’s a big word.”
“It doesn’t have to be,” Matteo says. “We’re just saying we’re open to it. No pressure.”
“I’ve been burned before,” Dominic says with a smile. “But I won’t say no either. Let me think about it. We’ll see.”
“That’s all we ask,” I say.
“Good.” He claps Matteo on the shoulder. “Now go enjoy yourselves. Don’t let me keep you in the corner talking business all night.”
Matteo and I smile as we stroll away, and I let out a breath once we’re far enough away. He didn’t give us a yes, but it’s not a no either, and from a man like Dominic, that’s about the best I could’ve hoped for tonight.
“That went better than I thought it would,” I say under my breath.
“He seems interested but doesn’t want us to know how much,” Matteo says. “Or he’s waiting to see what will happen, since we were caught in his office and all.”
“Right. It could all be a test.”
People are already dancing, and Matteo holds out his hand to me. When I look at him, he tips his head toward the others.
“Dominic’s watching,” he says.
I take his hand and let him lead me out among the others. He settles one hand at my waist and holds my other hand up, and we move together with ease. Why are his eyes so mesmerizing?
“You’re staring,” he says, a grin tugging at his mouth.
“I’m making sure you don’t step on my feet.” But I’m not, and we both know it, so I lower my gaze.
I look around the room. Dominic’s back with his group near the windows, one of his men right next to him saying something close to his ear. Dominic’s smile vanishes in an instant.
“Look,” I breathe, tilting my head.
Dominic sets his glass down hard on a nearby table.
His jaw tightens and he leans in toward the man, saying something, and even from across the room, I can tell something’s wrong.
The councilman next to him takes a small step back.
Two more of Dominic’s men move in close, and one of them heads for the doors quickly, as if he’s been sent to deal with something.
“What do you think that’s all about?” I whisper.
“No idea, but he’s furious.” Matteo’s forehead creases. “It has to be bad because he’s not hiding it.”
The guy who brought the news goes pale as Dominic says something to him. He’s getting chewed out, and Dominic doesn’t lose his temper in front of people unless he can’t help it.
“Somebody messed up,” I say. “Or said something they shouldn’t have.”
Matteo’s eyes meet mine. “Yep, probably.”
I don’t think all this drama would be just because of a missed or lost shipment. It has to be something more important and unexpected. “If one of his people is feeding information to someone, or stealing, or whatever’s got him this worked up, then that’s a weakness we can exploit.”
“If there’s a mole, we could definitely use them,” Matteo says.
“Or we could be the ones who hand Dominic the head of the person who crossed him and gain favor.” There are so many options and possibilities.
We just have to figure it out.
Matteo’s hand tightens a little at my waist as he turns me again. Dominic’s face is expressionless now, but it’s a little too late.
“Keep dancing,” I say as I smile at Matteo as if there’s nothing in the world on my mind but him. “We don’t want him to know we noticed anything.”
As we move with the music, both of us watching Dominic as much as we can without being obvious about it, I try to figure out how to turn his bad night into our way in.