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“Maybe they have signed a contract?” Bruno offers.

“Maybe they’re exchanging business already, and we didn’t know?” Cosimo says.

“I don’t know,” I say. “But Russo’s just bought a stash of guns off the Shifty Left gang, so I don’t know why he’s interested in a casino. He can’t run gun smuggling through the books of this place.”

“Maybe he’s looking to turn a profit,” Bruno says, watching them and sizing them up.

“They still won’t match our bid,” Cosimo says confidently, but there’s that look on Andrea’s face while he talks to Russo and they laugh and shake hands that has me feeling uneasy.

I hear more footsteps, but this time it’s definitely heels. I glance over my shoulder and my heart beats hard in my chest as that Bianchi girl walks toward her brother.

Briefly our eyes meet, and she frowns before turning back toward Andrea and making her way over. Instead of standing with her brother, though, she goes to stand with Russo’s son Michael.

She doesn’t look happy about being next to him, but it doesn’t look like she has much of a choice. Michael slings his arm over her shoulders, and she looks absolutely repulsed. I see his hand is bandaged, three fingers strapped together, and I wonder what he did to warrant that, and to whom.

The girl is sexy as fuck, and I wouldn’t mind having my arm around her shoulders, showing her off proudly. Not like Michael is, being a sleaze.

Bruno edges closer to me and is staring at the girl as well. She’s wearing a long black dress and tall open-toe heels. Her eyes meet mine, and there’s a story behind them, an angry one. She glares at me as though Michael touching her is my fault.

I lean over to Bruno when he nudges me, and he murmurs, “Looks like Bianchi sold his sister to Russo to seal the deal.”

Anger bubbles up inside of me. I want to punch both Michael and Andrea. How could Andrea do that to his sister? You never sell out family. I will never understand someone’s need to do that.

I want her by my side, where I can take care of her and treat her like royalty, and fuck her like a backstreet hooker. I can imagine diving between those long legs to taste her. I want to hear her scream out my name as I make her cum.

Instead I’m standing here staring at her miserable face as Michael schmoozes over her.

Bruno looks at me. “Penny for your thoughts,” he asks.

I shake my head. “You don’t want to know what’s going on in my head at all.” I smirk.

Bruno chuckles. “Is something distracting you?”

“Nothing at all.” I stand straighter. I don’t want my brother thinking I’m fantasizing about the enemy’s sister.

We’re called to attention by the auctioneer who starts explaining what the casino is offering. He doesn’t explicitly say that it’s been used for nefarious reasons previously, but the insinuation is there.

He outlines the value of the slot machines, the card machines, and the chips, but I’m only listening with half an ear.

My focus is on the girl. I want to know her name, so I can call it later when I’m thinking of her while I attend to my own needs. I lean over to Bruno. “What’s the chick’s name?”

“Guilia,” he whispers back.

Guilia. It’s like heaven as it rolls off my tongue silently. She looks utterly miserable as Michael holds onto her like she’s some prized possession of his.

Despite that, she is drop-dead gorgeous. She keeps shooting venomous looks Andrea’s way, and I don’t blame her. Michael is neither good-looking nor has a personality to make up for it. He has money, that’s true, but it’s not like she needs it.

We’re richer than them, but they live a comfortable life nonetheless. This is a bold move on their part and one I won’t forget about.

This feeling develops inside of me, and I muse over it while trying to pay attention to the auctioneer. Bruno notices I’m distracted but says nothing further. Cosimo is on his phone. I lean over and tap his shoulder to get his attention.

He doesn’t look away from his phone, but leans toward my direction.

“I want you to follow Michael Russo for a few days and report back what he does,” I whisper into his ear.

“What are you hoping to learn?” he mutters under his breath.

“I don’t know yet.”