Chapter 6
AIRPORT
DAPHNE
Leo’s text was cryptic. He simply said to be ready at six and wear a dress with heels. He didn’t drop a clue as to where he’s taking me even though I asked many times. He only sent back a quick reply that stated, “You’ll see,” and left it at that.
When I make my way downstairs and open the door to my building, I expect to see Leo, but he’s not here. Instead, there’s a man dressed in a black suit with dark sunglasses, and a fancy car parked at the curb.
“Good evening, ma’am,” he says, dipping his head slightly.
I peer to the left and then to the right, waiting for Leo to pop out of somewhere and yell surprise.
“Mr. Conti is waiting for you at your destination.”
“Where are we going?” I ask with a shaky voice as I pull the door closed behind me and wonder if I’m walking to my death.
I’m headed off to God knows where. Maybe it’s a trap. Anything’s possible with my father now out of prison. Leo could very well be kidnapping me to hand me over to his father in some crazy-ass Chicago mafia coup d’état.
“I’m under strict orders not to reveal a single detail.” The driver walks ahead of me, and I follow like a lamb stupidly heading to slaughter.
“Wait.” I stop and grab my phone out of my purse. I shoot Leo a text, asking what the fuck he’s thinking sending a strange man to my door when I’m already apprehensive about going out on this date to begin with.
The man folds his hands in front of his chest, watching me, not the least bit amused.
Leo: Just get in the car, Daphne.
Easy for him to say.
He’s the one in the know, while I’m clueless and supposed to trust a man I barely know.
Sure, he’s hot as hell, but beyond that, I only know our fathers hate each other.
I punch in a quick reply, trying to take deep breaths before I hyperventilate.
Me: You could be kidnapping me.
There’s a brief pause before he starts typing something back.
Leo: I could’ve done that when you were passed out. Just get in the car. It’s a surprise.
Me: I hate surprises. They don’t mesh well in my world.
The driver’s phone rings, and he turns his back to me before answering the call. “Yes, sir,” he says quietly. “I understand.”
I tap my foot, waiting for someone to give me a straight answer or I’m turning around and calling off the big date. “Well?” I say as soon as he faces me again.
“Mr. Conti has instructed me to tell you we’re going to the airport. But beyond that, he’d like to keep it a surprise.”
“The airport?” I nearly choke.
“Ma’am, Mr. Conti has chartered a private plane for the evening. Now, if you’ll please.” He motions toward the car. “I don’t like to keep him waiting.”
“I’m sure you don’t.” I walk past the super stiff driver and head toward the car.
He rushes in front of me, grabbing the handle before I can and opening the back door. “Ma’am.” He pauses and straightens, somehow looking even stiffer than before.
I slide into the back seat and look around the sleek, black-leather interior, kind of impressed with the lengths Leo’s going to for our date.
The driver gets in and doesn’t say a word as he pulls away from the curb. I stare out the tinted windows, wondering if I’ll ever make it back home again and know I have to tell someone where I’m going just in case.
Me: Leo’s taking me on a plane ride. Private jet. If I don’t come back, he did it!
Michelle’s going to have something to say about the unplanned trip. She was already pissed I was going out with Leo, but now that I’m taking a plane ride to God knows where, she’ll be livid.
So instead of reading her text messages chastising me for being an idiot, I tuck my phone back into my purse and enjoy the view from the seclusion of the back seat of the luxury sedan.
My hands are practically shaking as we pull into the airport on the outskirts of town.
The sun’s setting behind the trees, splashing the sky with vibrant yellows and stunning oranges like something out of a painting.
Leo’s standing at the base of the stairway, looking just as handsome as ever in another expensive suit.
There’s no smile on his face until the driver opens the door and I step outside.
“You made it.” He walks toward me. “Decided I wasn’t going to ransom you off or kill you?”
I laugh nervously, knowing I had been ridiculous. “I’m trusting you, Leo.” I peer up into his deep, rich eyes. “Don’t break that trust. I don’t give it easily.”
Leo places his hands on my upper arms, and the spark I felt before zaps me again. “I promise to have you back before the sun rises and in perfect condition.”
I wouldn’t mind a little imperfection if it included a round in the sack with Leo as a parting gift, of course. But then I remember having sex with him will only complicate matters even more than they already are, and I decide I will not sleep with Leo Conti.
I place my palm flat against his chest, feeling his heart beating out of control just like mine. “Something has been bothering me.” I keep my eyes locked with his. “I need to know one thing before I get on the plane with you.”
“Ask me anything. I have nothing to hide.” He doesn’t blink.
I glance toward the waiting jet and clear my throat. “My brother’s wedding.”
Leo nods, bringing my attention back to him.
“Why were you there? I know you weren’t invited.”
He slides his palms up and down my arms, stirring the lust seated deep in my belly. “It’s a long story. Why don’t we get on board, and I’ll tell you everything? We have an hour before we land.”
“Not good enough,” I tell him, but I don’t back away. My mind is telling me to run, but my body’s not listening.
Leo’s palm slides down my arm before covering my hand resting on his chest. “I was in the hotel and just stopped in. I never meant to talk to anyone or be seen. I promise to tell you whatever you want to know once we’re on the plane, but we’re going to be late.”
“Late?”
“For our dinner reservations.”
“Which are where?”
I know I’m being difficult and I’m fishing, but damn it, surprises have never been my thing. I’ve had too many in life, especially when it comes to my father. I like to know what I’m walking into before I’m smacked in the face with reality.
“Nashville,” he says finally. “Figure there’s no chance of the old guidos seeing us there.”
“We could’ve just gone to the Little Village for some margaritas.”
Leo shakes his head and sighs. “Their reach is everywhere in Chicago, even with the Mexican cartel.”
I open my mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. Leo’s been dropping information left and right when I’m with him, and it’s all news to me. I figured my father’s business was far-reaching, but I never really thought about how vast his network could possibly be.
Leo holds my chin between his fingers. “I promise you won’t regret tonight.”
I stare into his eyes, looking for any reason not to go. “Okay,” I say when I don’t find any.
Leo leans forward, still holding my chin, our eyes locked. “I promise you’ll have a good time,” he says softly with his lips practically touching mine.
My breathing slows, and time almost seems to stop as he hovers just out of reach. His brown eyes darken, and the way he stares at me leaves me nothing short of needy.
“Not here,” he whispers before backing away.
My hand falls from his chest, and I’m left gasping for air, trying to recover from the nearness of him.
I’ve never felt this way with anyone.
No one except Leo Conti.
I think back to the moment I met him up until now. I haven’t stopped craving his touch, his kiss, his everything.
His hand is on the small of my back as we walk on to the plane. He greets the pilot, introducing me, but leaving my last name out of the entire brief conversation.
There’s just the three of us for the short flight. A bottle of chilled champagne is waiting near the leather sofa that runs down one side of the plane.
Leo motions for me to sit before he pours two glasses. “Buckle up,” he says with a smirk as the plane starts to taxi down the runway. “It may be a bumpy ride.”
No truer words have ever been spoken. There’s nothing smooth about the storm that’s brewing inside me and the hurricane barreling our way if I don’t put an end to whatever this is before we touch down again in Chicago.
The takeoff isn’t as smooth as I’d hoped or am used to in a commercial airplane. I’ve never been fond of flying, and being in a small private plane doesn’t alleviate the anxiety that has settled deep in my core.
After I quickly polish off the first glass of champagne, I pour myself another and pray it will be enough to calm me down.
Leo places his hand on my knee, which hasn’t stopped shaking since the moment the plane lifted off the ground. “Are you okay?”
I smile nervously and wave the champagne flute between us, almost spilling the contents in his lap. “I’m great. Fine. Never been better,” I blurt out, making it quite obvious I’m a hot mess.
He squeezes my knee. I take a deep breath, trying to focus on my breathing along with his deep, penetrating gaze instead of the fact that we’re high in the air.
He turns on the couch next to me, bringing his knee against mine, connecting our bodies once again.
“You asked why I was at the wedding.” He pauses as he sets his champagne flute on the table at his side.
“For weeks, I’d heard rumors your father was being released from prison.
When I saw the last name for the wedding party in the grand ballroom, I thought I’d stop in and see if he was there. ”
My entire body rocks backward. “You were stalking us?”
“No, no. It’s not like that.”
I raise an eyebrow and cross my arms, carefully holding the champagne flute in front of me. “It sounds exactly like that.”
“I’m like you, Daphne. I have nothing to do with my father’s business, but somehow, his world bleeds into mine. Especially when one of his enemies is after him. We both know the bloody histories of our fathers’ business endeavors.”
I nod, but I’m not quite sure I have a firm grasp on it like Leo does.
“I needed to see with my own eyes if Santino Gallo was really out, walking the streets again.”
“You think my father would order a hit on yours?”
“I have no doubt my father would order one on your father if he deemed it necessary. Why would your father be any different? Hell, they’d probably kill us and not even blink.”
I open my mouth to speak and close it again. I’m in complete and utter shock. None of us is involved in my father’s hustle. Not in any way are we even remotely tied to his business dealings besides the simple fact that we were born.
“That’s ridiculous,” I tell him.
Leo moves even closer. “I needed to know if your father was released and if I had to increase the security around my sisters and myself. We’re not part of their world, but it’s very easy for us to become casualties.”
I think back to the wedding, the moment I tripped, and how Leo caught me. “You swear you didn’t know who I was when I left the ballroom with you?”
He holds his hands up. “I didn’t know at first. I never went to the wedding with the intention of sleeping with Santino’s daughter. After you fell into my arms, I wanted to talk to you.”
“When you asked me to go somewhere quiet, you were going to fuck me, weren’t you?” I’m straightforward with my questioning.
His hand is back on my knee, stroking the spot that makes my belly tighten.
“There was a spark between us from the moment I touched you, Daphne. I’ve never felt that with another person.
Maybe it’s your fiery mouth or your beautiful lips, but I can’t stop myself from wanting you.
Couldn’t keep myself from taking you home that night and thinking about you nonstop since the moment you walked out of my place, leaving your scent in my bed and turning my world upside down. ”
I swallow roughly, knowing exactly what he’s talking about.
From the moment I first heard his voice, my body has responded to him in every way.
Even his touch sends goose bumps across my skin.
I should hate him. I should stay away, but Leo makes that impossible, and my body’s reaction isn’t helping.
“Our fathers are enemies. You said it yourself, neither would think twice about offing one of us. Normal people don’t hop on private planes to fly to a different state to stay under the radar for a date. There’s so much wrong with this, Leo. So much is fucked up about the entire situation.”
Leo’s grip tightens on my leg. “And yet, somehow, there’s so much that’s right. Tell me you don’t feel it.”
God, I want to tell him he’s wrong and to go to hell, but I can’t seem to get the words out of my mouth. I’m having trouble even thinking. Leo’s too close, his skin on mine, and the plane’s vibrating, reminding me we’re high in the air.
Leo Conti could very well be my undoing.