Like I already knew she could.
17
Charlotte
My stomach felt as if it were about to take flight with all of the butterflies flapping around in my gut.
This Mr. Porchenzo guy led the way out onto the back porch before he whistled and waved his hand in the air to clear the area. I peeked up at Teo and he seemed calm as a cucumber. But, the look on his face told me he wasn’t okay with someone else commanding the people in his space.
Nevertheless, Teo never spoke up. And it made me wonder who this man actually was.
We all pulled out chairs at the patio table and took a seat. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was about to hear, but I hoped it would intersect with my vision of justice. The last thing I’d do is openly defend men that I knew were guilty of heinous crimes. That was the law I laid down with my mother, and Teo would be no different.
You have blood on your hands, anyway.
A shiver ran down my spine as Mr. Porchenzo washed his eyes over me. He studied me, and I felt myself being dragged into this backwards world whether I liked it or not. And while Teo was beside me with his hands folded in his lap, I made sure to place my hand on his shoulder and cock myself toward him.
Just to send Mr. Porchenzo a message of whose side I was on.
What I didn’t know was whether or not Mr. Porchenzo knew who I really was. On the one hand, sometimes it felt like this entire island not only knew who I was, but knew what happened to me. And on another hand, it seemed as if people simply didn’t care to know who I was outside of being the woman Teo purchased off an illegal auction block. Still, I smiled softly at Mr. Porchenzo while his eyes drank me in. I crossed my leg over my knee, exposing the slit of my dress that allowed the whole of my leg to peek through.
And when his eyes fell to my skin, Teo snapped his fingers.
“Mr. Porchenzo.”
The man whipped his eyes up. “Yes. Thank you for your time.”
I nodded. “And mine.”
Mr. Porchenzo shot me a look. “And yours.”
Teo chuckled. “She’s a spitfire. But, she’s intelligent.”
Mr. Porchenzo nodded. “I’m sure she is if you’ve hired her exclusively.”
Teo drew in a deep breath. “So, what is it you’d like to discuss at this lavish dinner party I’ve thrown to celebrate my lawyer’s hiring?”
But, before the man could start talking, we were interrupted by one of the waitstaff. “My apologies for the intrusion, but I wanted to come out and offer some drinks or some appetizers for the meeting. Are there any special requests?”
I heard Teo draw in a curt breath, but I squeezed his shoulder softly before I spoke. “That is very kind of you. I’d love a nice, dry red wine. Teo here will have a whiskey on the rocks with a lemon twist. Mr. Porchenzo? Would you care for anything?”
I looked over at the man and his nostrils flared. “A gin and tonic.”
I smiled up at the waiter. “A gin and tonic for him, and bring us a small plate of those sausage and cheese balls. They’re fantastic.”
The waiter smiled. “They’re my favorite. I’ll make sure a batch is freshly made up. I’ll get your drinks, then personally see to your appetizer balls.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
I looked over at Teo and saw a look in his eye I’d never caught before. And while my gut reaction as to how he was feeling had to obviously be wrong, I couldn’t shake it.
He looks impressed.
“Are we ready to begin? Or will there be more interruptions?” Mr. Porchenzo asked.
I smiled kindly at him. “I believe that’s it. Continue at your will.”
The man cleared his throat. “There have been some murmurings throughout the community about Island Private Banking.”
Teo cocked his head. “What kind of murmurings?”
We were interrupted briefly when our drinks came to the table. But, the waiter didn’t stick around for long. I reached for my wine and took a sip of it, readying myself for the conversation at hand. And when Mr. Porchenzo settled his drink against his knee, I steeled my gut for whatever I was about to hear.
“So, I take it you haven’t heard about these murmurings?” Mr. Porchenzo asked.
Teo shrugged. “I don’t bank on the islands.”
The man licked his lips. “At any rate, there have been some rumors floating around that the bank is about to go under. When I heard these rumors, I went to go draw out my funds and switch banks. They asked for the reason for my departure, I said that there was another bank that was better suited to my needs. But, I’ve been in battle with them for over a week now and they still won’t allow me to withdraw my funds and switch banks.”
Teo blinked. “First question.”
“Yes?”
“What does this have to do with me?”
Mr. Porchenzo paused. “Come again?”
Teo grinned. “You came up to me because you wanted to speak about a private matter, yet here we are speaking on a matter that has nothing to do with me. So, the first thing you need to be is honest with me. Why does this concern me?”
I knew the answer. “If the bank goes under, it’ll be up for grabs.”
Mr. Porchenzo flickered his eyes my way. “You’re smarter than you look.”
I winked. “And sexier.”
Teo chuckled, but I felt his back tense. “Tell me why you’re really bringing this to me and I’ll let my lawyer give you the best advice she’s got to solve your problem.”
The man sighed. “When the bank goes under--and I know it will--I’d like to usurp the bank and purchase it outright. I figured a businessman like yourself might want to partner up and breathe some life back into one of the oldest institutions on this island.”
Teo looked over at me. “So? What are your thoughts?”
I blinked. “One question.”
Mr. Porchenzo crossed his leg over his knee. “What?”
I leaned forward slightly. “How much money do you have stowed away with the bank?”
He snickered. “A bit of a personal question, yes?”
I shrugged. “You want your money, tell me how much you’re attempting to draw out. What is ‘all of it’?”
There was a long pause before the ‘client’ sighed. “Seven million.”
Now it makes sense. “If the bank is going under, there’s a very good chance they’re not giving you your money because if they do, your withdrawal date will be their closing date. I’ll spare you the details of how a bank works, but all you’d need is a written letter from an attorney stating that if your funds aren’t handed over--no matter the cost to the bank--you can take them to court for double what’s there. It’ll cost them more than they have in court costs alone, and I guarantee less than a week after that letter is sent they’ll be prepared to settle out of court.”
Teo motioned to me with his hand. “There you have it.”
I nodded. “And then you and Mr. Emiliano would be full steam ahead in terms of coming to an agreement on what might be done with the bank itself.”
Mr. Porchenzo leaned back in his chair. “All it would take is a letter?”
I grinned deviously. “Language is everything. And if you string the right words together, even Kings fall to their knees.”
Teo chuckled. “See why I hired her on?”
I clicked my tongue. “Have you considered bargaining with them?”
Mr. Porchenso blinked. “What?”
I slid my hand off Teo’s shoulder. “You want to purchase the bank, right?”
“That’s the plan, yes.”
“Have you considered telling them that instead of withdrawing that seven million, you could use it to purchase the bank outright and pay off the employees.”
The man barked with laughter. “That bank isn’t even worth two million.”
I giggled. “I’m sure a man like yourself can figure out how much they’ve got in the bank at their disposal to give you. Tell them you’ll take all of it, and the rest o
f the seven million they can’t give you will go toward cashing out the employees of the bank. Severance packages and the like. Because if you’re going to start a bank on an island as personable as this one, you want to make sure you cut everyone a good deal in the process.”
Mr. Porchenzo looked over at Teo. “How much would it be to temporarily contract her services for that letter of intent?”
Teo looked at me. “What do you think?”
I peeked over at him. “I think I’d be willing to draft the letter without any cost, provided that I’m the one mediating whatever business deal takes place between the two of you, if any.”
Mr. Porchenzo held out his hand. “Done.”
I smiled as I shook his hand, then my first official international client threw back the rest of his drink. Teo stood to shake the man’s hand, but as I turned to watch the man go back inside Teo forced me to sit back down in my seat.
“Did I do something wrong?” I asked.
Teo looked above my head. “Make sure no one comes out here. And close the blinds.”
I tried to turn around. “Who are you speaking with?”
But, Teo gripped my chin and forced my eyes up to his. “Open your legs.”
I blinked. “Okay.”
I parted my legs and watched him get down onto his knees as my neck flushed with anticipation.
“Teo?” I asked breathlessly.
He slid my dress up my legs. “You did phenomenally just now. And if you aren’t going to accept monetary payment, I’ve got other ways of making sure you get paid what’s coming to you.”
And when he slid my leg over his shoulder, opening my pussy for his eating pleasure, his fingertips pulled my panties to the side before his tongue pierced my folds.
Sending me into a euphoric oblivion right there on his back porch beneath the stars.
18
Mateo
Listening to her muffle her sounds for the sake of the party made me rock hard in my pants. God damn it, this woman tasted like heaven, and as I slid a finger inside of her just to feel her walls clench around me I had half a mind to pull myself out of my pants and bend her over my glass patio table. But, this wasn’t for me. This was for her. Not only did she have an incredible mind for law, she had a great poise for business acumen.
She had been more than useful--more than guiding. She’d been a fucking hustler in the best of ways.
And I salivated over it.
“Shit, Teo. Oh, my God,” she groaned.
She gripped my hair as her body unraveled, her walls clamping against my fingers. I drank her down, making sure no droplet of her arousal was left against her skin before she went lifeless against the chair. I kissed her pussy lips as I slid my fingers out, licking her taste off my skin. Then, I slid her panties back to where they needed to be and smoothed her dress over her legs.
Watching, as her body trembled with the aftershock of ecstasy.
“Jesus,” Char whispered.
I grinned. “I prefer ‘Teo’, but whatever works.”
She snickered. “You would.”
I reached down, fingering her soft tendrils. “I always do.”
Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at me with a hazy sort of adoration in her eyes. And it was a look that made my heart skip a beat. The sensation felt almost surreal, like something out of a book I wasn’t sure I’d ever experience in my life. No one made me feel the way she did. No one affected me the way she did.
But, in the back of my mind, I knew Mr. Porchenzo’s request came with a looming darkness.
Specifically, I knew it was linked to the turf war brewing with the Luccheses.
“What is it?” Char asked.
I drew in a curt breath. “Nothing we need to concern ourselves with right now. Are you okay to stand?”
She pushed herself to her feet. “So long as I’m on your arm, I can lean on you until I get my sea legs back.”
I smirked and offered her my arm. “Wonderful.”
The uneasy feeling I had swirling around in my gut got pushed off to the side. But, the second tomorrow came around, I needed to place a call to Mr. Porchenzo in the privacy of my own office. I needed to avoid this bank deal, but sidestepping a juicy offer like that required tact so as to not offend. I wanted to avoid any big deal that might draw the attention of my wife, mostly because I wanted her to stay out of this shit altogether.
Because some days, I honestly wasn’t sure what side she played for.
As we walked around the party, nodding and greeting people and seeing others out the door, I felt as if someone was watching me. Every once in a while I glanced around the room, trying to figure out who had their stare trained on my back. Everyone seemed to be watching us, though. Studying Char and ogling her dress and watching our connection as she shmoozed the room as the ‘it’ couple for the evening.
I had half a mind to take Char to my private island in order to get her away from all of this shit.
And in the deep recesses of my mind, I fantasized what it might be like to go with her.
As Char struck up conversations and got pulled over for advice, I thought about what it might be like to leave this lap of luxury, abandon the turf war altogether, and live with Char on some private island in the middle of nowhere. I could have a home built for us with three-hundred-and-sixty degrees of beachside where we could catch fresh fish, roast it over a fire, and pick at it with our fingertips while watching storms roll by. A simpler life. One not plagued with shadows, dirty deals, and bloodied suits.
“Some party you’re throwing this evening.”
Her voice stiffened my back as I slowly turned around. “Rosana.”
She clutched her purse in front of her body. “Though, I have to admit, I’m a bit offended that I didn’t get an invite.”
My stare hardened against her face. “What are you doing here?”
She giggled. “Your forget that this beach house is half mine.”
“Not according to the prenup you signed before we got married.”
She waved her hand in the air. “Oh, that little thing? I had it altered by my lawyer before we both signed it. Did you not read it like I told you to?”
I narrowed my eyes. “You did what?”
She stepped closer to me. “I simply wanted to let you know that if I were uncouth enough to smell your fingers, they’d undoubtedly smell like Miss Pettigrew. Wouldn’t they?”
I took a step back from her and she smiled. “Not that I can’t already smell her in the first place. Since when do you not clean up after the extracurriculars?”
“If you want to speak about uncouth-like behavior, showing up uninvited to a party pretty much takes the cake.”
She batted her eyelashes at me. “Even when I own half of this place?”
“I can assure you I will fight you to the death on that one point.”
“I swear, Mateo, you’ve always had a soft spot for this shabby little place.”
I ground my teeth together. “What do you want?”
She closed the distance between us, fingering my tie. “I know you can’t stand me, but the one thing I never thought I’d see was the day Mateo Emiliano fell in love.”
I gripped her wrist and moved her arm back to her side. “No one here is in love.”
“That’s not what it looks like whenever you look at Miss Pettigrew. And trust me, I’ve been watching you guys for the better half of the evening.”
My nostrils flared. “You have absolutely no--.”
She nodded to her left. “And those sounds she was making out back. I swear, those words were practically on the tip of her tongue.”
I felt fire bursting behind my eyes. “I will have you escorted out if you don’t--.”
She snickered. “Save the dramatics. You know I’ve never been one for your kind of flair. So, I’ll cut to the chase and be on my way before these sausage balls give me horrendous gas.”
I loomed over her. “What?”
She straightened her
back. “If you so much as even think about casting me off to the side in favor of pursuing that woman, not only will I divorce you and use our revised prenup to take everything you have, but I’ll inform the authorities about Miss Pettigrew’s interesting circumstances.”
My head started spinning. “What the hell do you want, Rosana?”
She wrapped her hand up in my tie and pulled my face to hers. “I want what is rightfully mine since I agreed to marry your sorry, pathetic self. I understand that our marriage was arranged, but that doesn’t mean you get to go around and flagrantly disrespect me at every turn.”
I grinned. “Says the woman with a different man in her bed every other evening.”
She gnashed her teeth together. “I want you to stay true to your wedding vows. ‘What’s mine is yours, and what’s yours is mine’. Keep playing the game, and you’ll stay in the game. But, if you attempt to take your skin out of the game? I’ll come for everything in this game. Understood?”
I smacked her hand away from my tie and gripped her arm. “Leave, before I throw you out.”
I wasn’t nearly prepared to make any sort of a deal with my wife. And she had caused enough commotion for one evening. While everyone was attempting their best not to watch, I knew they were listening. I knew they were casting side glances to watch as much as they could. To see what would happen. To see who might throw the first punch.
I even saw Char out of the corner of my eye.
Looking shocked and alone, as if someone had just woken her from a pleasant dream.
Rosana shrugged off my touch. “No need to get so defensive, Mateo. I swear, you’re more emotional than you portray yourself to be.”
“Guards!” I exclaimed.
Four men surrounded her in the blink of an eye and she held up her hand. “I know where the front door is. I’ve been here plenty of times to find it.”
I pointed. “Then get. The fuck. Out.”
She glared at me. “Remember your vows, Mateo. And I really suggest you read over our prenup so you know exactly where you stand with me.”
Liar : An Enemies to Lovers Mafia Romance (Sold to The Don Book 2) Page 10