Giovanni
“There are reasons people do things and you don’t know anything about mine.”
These are the words that go around and around in my head as I watch Sienna look through the new clothes on the racks in one of the spare bedrooms.
I had all the designer stuff taken away, well, most of it. She still needs some evening dresses. In their place, the racks are stuffed with more casual clothes, still good brands, but not the best designer labels money can buy.
“Better. Thank you,” Sienna says, picking out every pink item and shoving each into my arms. “No pink though.”
I take the hangers, curious about this peculiarity, but she turns away, her attention back on the clothes.
“You’re welcome.” My phone buzzes. I drop the clothes she handed me on the bed and step out to take it. It’s a file from Jack with more details on Sean Williams and I’m starting to figure out why Sienna accepted my offer. What some of those reasons are that she thinks I know nothing about.
She’s been leaving breadcrumbs almost like she wants me to figure it out and I can’t shake one comment in particular. The one that there are worse men than me out there.
I leave her there to get dressed and pour myself a whiskey in the living room. I read the file and it’s not specifically about Sienna, this one. More about what a dick Sean Williams is.
“Get me financials on the shop too. Wrinkles in Time,” I text. I heard what the woman said about donations to the shelter. That shop can’t be taking in enough for her to live on and donate regularly.
“I’ll have that for you tomorrow,” Jack replies.
I’m just tucking my phone back into my pocket when I see a message pop up about a voice mail. I check my missed calls. When I see the number and realize who it is, I ignore the voice mail.
My brother can fucking wait.
Fifteen minutes later, Sienna appears wearing the deep crimson dress I laid out for her. The silk hugs her close displaying just enough skin to leave you wanting. The color is perfect with her olive coloring and tonight, with her long hair loose down her back, she’s magnificent.
She’s slipping on the matching four-inch sandals and has a small clutch tucked under one arm.
“How do women wear these?” she asks as she gets the second one on and walks toward me.
I don’t think she has any idea how she looks.
“You’re beautiful,” I tell her, unable to drag my eyes from her.
She stands in front of me. “Thanks,” she says. “Again, I feel mostly naked.”
I finish my drink and put the glass down before pushing the button for the elevator. “And like last time, everyone will be wishing you were when they see you. One thing,” I say, and reach into my pocket to take out her driver’s license. A better forgery.
“You made me a new one?”
I nod. “Yours was crap.”
She looks at it, reaches out her hand to take it, but I snatch it away.
“I want to know why you need this,” I tell her.
She looks suspiciously at me. “No personal effects. Terms, remember?”
She’s using my own rule against me.
I concede, holding out the fake license to her. I’ll find out. I always do.
Cautiously, she takes it and slips it into her clutch.
“One day you’ll tell me, Sienna.”
“Why are you so curious?”
“Because you make me curious.”
“I’m not that interesting,” she says.
“I think there’s more to you than you let on.”
She studies me, her eyes searching mine as if trying to glean what I know. But just as she won’t tell, neither will I.
The elevator arrives and, with a hand at her lower back, I guide her inside, take my key out of the slot and tuck it into my pocket then push the button for the lobby.
“Why are you taking me with you?” she asks as she watches the city and I watch her.
“It’s more fun than going alone.”
“Why go at all?” She turns to me. “I don’t get the feeling you’re looking forward to it.”
“I’m not. But I need to talk to a couple of people.”
We get to the lobby where Axel is waiting beside the elevator. He’s on a call but when he sees us, he nods, and disconnects.
We walk out to the waiting sedan and I open the back door for Sienna. Once she’s in, I sit in the passenger seat beside Axel.
“How’s your brother?” I ask him.
Ever since the other night when one of the men at the quarterly draw caught his attention, he’s been talking to his brother almost daily and I want to know what’s up. Axel is my most trusted man. With Hugo living on the east coast, I don’t want to take a chance on losing him.
“Good. Same.” He looks over his shoulder as we head out of the parking lot and merge with traffic. “I may need to head east in a few weeks.”
“How long?”
“A month at most.” He keeps his eyes on the road.
I see the red of a new tattoo creeping up along the collar of his shirt.
“This have to do with that errand you ran the other night?”
He nods once.
I look ahead at the blinking lights of cars as we slow for a traffic light.
“Let me know when your plans are confirmed. And if you need my help…” I let that drop.
He glances at me. “Appreciate that, but Hugo and I will handle this one. Looking forward to it, in fact.”
I see how his jaw tightens, how his eyes narrow as he says it.
“I pity the man,” I say.
He gives a short smile.
Twenty minutes later we’re at the house where the party is being held. I climb out, open the back door for Sienna.
Axel lights up a cigarette and leans against the hood of the car.
Sienna eyes the cars parked along the drive as we walk to the front door. The men nod when they recognize me and noise swells when they open the front doors.
There must be two-hundred people in here.
We stand in the foyer for a moment and I take it in, scanning everyone on this floor and those I can see upstairs. I check my watch just as a man I recognize comes to my side. I don’t know his name, but his boss is the one I’m here for.
“Mr. Adams,” he says. “I’ll show you to the study.”
“I know where it is. Give me a minute,” I tell him, and turn to Sienna.
She looks so completely out of place here. Maybe not to the casual observer because it’s not that she doesn’t fit in physically. It’s in her eyes, they’ve taken on the same look they sometimes do with me when she’s creeping into her shell.
“Let’s get you a drink,” I say, walking her to one of the bars. “What would you like?”
“Vodka tonic, please,” she says.
I order and tip the bartender as she takes her drink. We walk to a quieter corner.
“I need ten minutes. Then we can leave.”
She looks up at me. “I’m fine,” she says. “You don’t have to babysit me.”
“Axel will be in any minute.”
She smiles. “I think I’d rather be alone than make small talk with Axel, but thanks.”
I nod and walk through the crowded room to the study which is at the far end of the last hallway. Scanning the room as I do, I note the man who’s already got his eye on Sienna.
“Giovanni,” comes the gruff voice of James Douglas as one of the men guarding the office door opens it and the smell of freshly lit cigars pours into the hallway.
I enter, take in the older man behind his enormous desk. He’s my father’s age. And my father’s enemy. Which in a right world, would make him my enemy. But in my world, he is my ally. Not friend. No. I don’t make that mistake. But at this moment, our goals are aligned. They won’t be for long, but right now, I need this bastard.
“What happened on the vote?” I ask as the door is closed behind me. “How the fuck did we lose our advantage?”