“Read?” he echoed. “Read what?”
Again, the kid raised his shoulders nonchalantly and pointed toward the French doors leading into the gardens. Ariano slowly made his way toward the cobblestone pathway, his interest piqued.
Why do I feel like I’m walking into a trap already? he asked himself. But he didn’t slow his gait, his head swivelling around to search for his prey.
Even before he saw her, his body could sense her nearby, almost like an instinct.
As if guided by an unseen beacon, Ariano’s head turned to look at a stone bench to his right. At first, he didn’t even recognize her.
Her long, white-blonde hair was swept off her shoulders into a messy bun as she sat cross-legged on the seat, her body in a graceful yoga pose, a thick hardcover book in her lap.
Somehow, she had managed to change from her revealing sheath dress into a blue Nike tracksuit, the hoodie zipped up just over her luscious breasts.
Gone was the mafia princess with red lipstick and bejeweled nails, as if she had melted away over the interstate and left behind a natural, beautiful woman.
Here, she could have passed as a college student, oblivious to everything around her but the pages of her book as she read, engrossed.
She looked so…innocent, and for a moment, Ariano could only stand there, gaping at her, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.
He could just barely make out the title of the book, a literary classic, and he wondered if he was being played.
Nothing about the woman sitting before him was the Celina DiMarco he had been told about.
Is it all an act? Something in him asked. Am I looking at the real Celina right now?
A small voice in his head told him to leave her.
She doesn’t know you’ve seen her, he told himself. She came here on purpose, hoping that you would drive all around Miami trying to find her and then report back that you had lost her.
Very slowly, he backed away from Celina, careful not to arouse her attention but at the same time, he half-hoped that she would look up and meet his eyes. He didn’t know why he wanted it, maybe just for the connection he sensed it would form?
She continued to read her book and Ariano retreated through the lobby.
“Did you find her?” the young man at the counter asked, and Ariano whirled to stare at him, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
“I was never here, you got it?” he said to the kid and the boy stared at him uncomprehendingly.
“Huh?”
“I was never fucking here. Don’t tell Miss DiMarco you saw me.”
The kid’s mouth gaped and Ariano took a step closer to the attendant, threatening him simply with his imposing presence.
“Do you fucking understand?” he growled again and the teenager’s face paled as he nodded.
“Yeah, yeah,” he mumbled, his voice catching worriedly. “I never saw you.”
Ariano retreated into the parking lot, trying to reconcile what he had seen with what he knew of the mafia princess.
Well, it’s good to know Celina is already underestimating me. She believes the illusion that she has one up on me, he decided, backing the Audi out of the garden’s lot and disappearing down the street to wait for her to make her next move.
But as Ariano waited, he couldn’t shake the image of Celina lost in her book, oblivious to the world around her.
She hadn’t expected to see him there, so it wasn’t a show she had put on for his benefit.
And Ariano had certainly not expected to see her looking so beautiful and vulnerable.
Sighing, he dropped his head back against the leather back of the driver’s seat.
There was nothing he could do for now but wait and see what other surprises Celina had in store for him.
Six more months, he told himself, repeating the mantra. Six more months and I’ll be capo and Celina will be someone else’s problem. Maybe Alex’s.
The idea filled him with a mixture of satisfaction and contempt.
They deserve one another, he thought, but even as the thought flittered through his mind, he couldn’t shake the sense that he might be selling Celina short, lumping her into the same category as his work nemesis.
Whatever, he told himself again. In six months, this will all be over.
Chapter Four
Celina sat in the spot beneath the palms, flipping the pages of Dumas’ “The Count of Monte Cristo.”
She had read the tale hundreds of times since childhood, but it never lost its magic to her and as the morning sun blazed into mid-afternoon, she suddenly realized she had been in the garden for hours, lost in the story.
Is it the revenge which gets me every time? The fact that Dantes never stopped fighting for Mercedes?
Celina couldn’t say for certain, but like all literature, she tried not to over-analyze what she was reading.
The fact that it made her feel was good enough.
In a world where I’m discouraged from having emotions, it’s nice to know I can still feel, she thought wryly, putting the book aside.
Blinking, she looked around Vizcaya, half-expecting to see someone staring at her.
She felt as if someone had been watching, but she was alone.
There was no one and for a moment, Celina felt a fission of alarm as if she was expecting the other shoe to drop.
It was eerie being alone.
Eerie good, she reminded herself, reaching for her purse which was tucked beneath the stone bench where she had situated herself.
A quick glance at her cell told her that she had not been texted nor called since her arrival.
It bothered her, as if it was too simple.
By now, Ariano must have realized he had lost her trail. Why hadn’t he called, demanding to know where she was?
She had no immediate answer and as she rose, stretching her long but cramped legs, she wondered where he had ended up on his wild goose chase.
I have years of practice with this, she thought smugly, re-entering the museum through the back entrance of the gardens.
And it was a fact.
For twenty-four years, she had been the girl whose father’s bodyguards escorted her to and from school, waiting for her outside dance recitals and Christmas concerts.
Papa couldn’t ever make it to my events, but the goons were always there, she thought sadly to herself, and there was only sadness in her memories.
Her childhood had not been amusing in the least.
Celina had learned young that what her father’s men possessed in brawn, they lacked in brains, and she took a special joy in illustrating that fact.
It had started as a way to demand her father’s unavailable attention.
She reasoned that if she could show Giovanni that her security was incompetent, he would see that he was the only one good enough to take care of her.
In her eight-year old mind, she and her father would be together always if she could just make him see how useless her bodyguards were.
At first it had been a simple matter of losing them in crowds and going home to explain to Giovanni how they had abandoned her, but as she got older and it became obvious that Giovanni had no intention of being the father she wanted him to be, the schemes to make her security’s life hell became more impressive.
On occasion, she would turn the tables and follow her men to their mistress’ houses, snapping pictures with her camera phone and blackmailing them into letting her do exactly what she pleased, lest she tell their wives.
Other times, she would tamper with their vehicles and leave them in her dust while posting pictures on Instagram while they tried to figure out where she was.
It was all a game to Celina, who understood that they were meant to protect her, but it was difficult to feel safe among men who were so much stupider than she.
For her part, it never really occurred to her that she was still rebelling against Giovanni all those years later.
All her detail could see was a petulant brat, a m
afia princess who could not be abused, but could she be fucked?
Blossoming into the stunning beauty she was had brought on a brand-new list of challenges for her - and a whole new world of trouble for the unsuspecting men left to keep an eye on her.
She passed Colin at the reception desk, who cast her a nervous look as Celina paused, eyeing him.
Why is he looking at me like that?
Before she could catch his eye again, he lowered his gaze back to his computer screen as if to deliberately stop her from speaking to him.
“Bye, Colin,” she called.
He barely glanced up, offering her a small, tight smile.
“Bye, Miss DiMarco.”
Slowly, Celina made her way into the parking lot, her eyes scanning the area.
Something wasn’t right. She could feel it in her bones, but as she looked, she saw nothing to cause her alarm.
Not until she slipped into the driver’s seat and started the car.
“I would prefer if you didn’t take off on me. It’s for your own safety, you know.”
A small gasp escaped her plump lips as she looked up at Ariano looming over her car, casting a shadow over her.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded before she could stop herself. Instantly she was furious with herself for showing weakness.
“I believe your father entrusted me with keeping an eye on you, Celina,” he replied dryly. “I thought you were paying attention.”
She stared up at him, her vivid eyes clashing with his as her mind raced.
Did he track my cell phone already? Usually it takes them a week to figure that out.
Celina realized she had underestimated Ariano, but she vowed not to make the same mistake again.
Sexy or not, he’s just another one of them.
Still, she couldn’t deny the unmistakable spark of arousal she felt when their eyes met and Celina idly wondered if he was a good lover.
Probably not, she thought firmly, partially surprised that her mind had gone there at all. The good-looking ones are far too selfish. But I could probably take him down a notch or two.
Celina grinned up at him disarmingly.
“I’m sorry,” she purred. “I didn’t realize I had to slow down so you could keep up. I’ll let my father know you’re having a hard time already.”
She turned her head back toward the rear-view mirror, putting the car in gear before he could answer, but to her surprise, he slapped his palms firmly on the door.
“Celina, let’s get one thing straight,” he said and she turned her head toward him in amused surprise.
She tried not to show it, but her pulse quickened at the movement.
He wouldn’t be the first to try and assert his authority with her but there was something different about Ariano.
He wasn’t afraid. And he wasn’t blustering. The steel in his gaze radiated dominance and her pussy clenched in awareness.
I can change that, she thought, but as he stood firm, she wondered if that was true.
“Hmm?” she asked sweetly, deliberately examining her lips in the glass, as if to check her make-up – even though she had cleaned off every last speck of the stuff immediately after arriving at the gardens.
She wasn’t a lash extension and mascara kind of girl, after all, but no one needed to know that.
Least of all Ariano.
Again, she was baffled by her thoughts, her awareness of him disrupting her usually strong resolve.
Who cares what he thinks about you? He’s no one to you.
Was there laughing in her head?
“I know you probably don’t want me following you,” he continued. “And trust me, this is not my first choice in assignments. But here we are.”
Celina’s head turned slightly, the words affecting her strangely.
None of them had ever tried to empathize with her before.
He’s slick, she thought, her mouth pursing into a grimace. But I’ve dealt with slick before.
“Noted,” she sighed, turning her bright eyes back toward him.
Again, she felt her cheeks get warm as he stared back at her, his blue-grey eyes seeming to penetrate her soul.
“I think we can make this work,” he offered tentatively and Celina stifled a sigh.
He’s going to have to do better than that, she thought, angry that she had experienced a moment of weakness. For a second, I thought maybe he had just an inkling of what it was like to be shadowed for my whole life. To be deserted by my father, and to be simply a tedious job to his employees.
“Let’s get another thing straight,” she answered, looking down at his splayed hands as if they were contaminated. “No one touches my car.”
She reversed the convertible, not caring if he moved or not. Causing bodily injury was just another skill on her resume, after all.
As she drove away, she couldn’t help but cast him one last look as he watched her go, a familiar sense of victory sweeping through her.
They all started off so optimistically, thinking that the stories of their predecessors were greatly exaggerated, but Celina was quick to show them their new reality.
None of them was a match for her.
But that didn’t stop them from trying…and failing.
She wondered why she felt a spark of guilt when Ariano disappeared from her view and she made her way toward her condo in Cutler, just north of the city.
Whatever the reason, she shoved it out of her mind and focussed on the road, thinking of what she had to do that day.
She cursed herself for having wasted so much time already.
You have a life that you need to put on track to business development and ownership, remember?
In fact, the four months she had spent in Europe had taught her a great deal about entrepreneurialism. Her dream was going to come true – she just had a lot of work to do to make that happen.
The time for procrastination was over.
She had spent enough of her life being a pampered princess. Her life was about to change for the better, the way her mother had always wanted for her.
What the heck is wrong with me today? She asked herself, scowling as she exited the Alfa. I’m thinking about Mom, feeling sorry for my idiot detail. Hormonal much?
Celina used her fob to enter the elevator and pressed the button for the penthouse, mapping out a plan for the rest of her day.
She needed to get online and attack the social networking platforms, find a web designer and maybe a marketing agent.
“The key to success is maintaining an illusion that you are already successful,” Drogon Capri explained in his seminar. “It does not matter if your bank account is in the red. If the public sees you in an expensive auto and dripping in diamonds, they will see you as a success.”
There was a round of nervous laughter as the less fluidly affluent people in the crowd wondered how to make that happen.
Appearance is everything, Celina thought to herself. You of all people should know that. You grew up around mobsters. You know how delicate a balance work and personal needs to be.
As the metal elevator doors slid open, Celina stepped into the corridor outside her penthouse, reaching in her pocket for her keys.
Social media, website, marketing. That’s what I need to get done today. And then I -
“I already unlocked the suite for you.”
“What the – ?”
Her eyes darted up to Ariano’s face and her mouth dropped open in shock.
“What the fuck am I doing here?” he offered pleasantly.
She nodded dumbly.
Obviously, I have to get a new GPS for my phone. How the hell did he beat me here? And now he’s going to gloat. Asshole.
The novelty of the new guy was already wearing off, but she admitted she had a grudging respect for him.
He just might be… hard…to beat, she thought, giving herself a mental shake while her eyes traveled toward his crotch as she pictured him standing before her with an impressive
hard-on.
A hot flush stained her cheeks.
What the hell is wrong with you? He’s someone to get away from, not invite into your bed.
Yet she couldn’t help but wonder if sleeping with him might solve her growing issue with this man.
Or at least that’s what she pretended her motives were.
In truth, she couldn’t deny that Ariano Francisco had an affect on her which was shocking and confusing.
“Celina, you’re not going to be able to shake me,” he assured her as she brushed past him angrily. “Better people than you have tried…and failed.”
“Great,” she replied, opening the door to her unlocked condo. “Now give me the key to my apartment.”
He shook his head.
“Sorry,” he replied in a tone which told her that he was not at all remorseful. “Boss insists we keep a copy on hand.”
“I suppose ‘boss’ has never heard of a locksmith,” she retorted aloud as she allowed the heavy door to fall closed behind her.
She wondered if he was going to follow her inside, her heart beginning to pound slightly at the idea.
Ariano jammed his foot in the frame but remained in the hallway, shaking his head.
“I think we both know you’ve tried that before and it doesn’t make a fucking difference.”
“Is that why you’re here, Ariano? You’re trying to show me that you have the upper hand? That you can come in to my apartment anytime?”
“Celina,” he sighed. “I really don’t want to fight with you. I just want to do my time, and then you can move on to busting someone else’s balls.”
She paused and turned to him, her cerulean eyes narrowing, her back stiffening at his phrase.
Do his time? I’m a freaking prison sentence to him, huh?
“You think I’m breaking your balls?” she asked, a smirk forming on her lips. “You have no idea.”
“That wasn’t a challenge,” he grunted, folding his arms across his chest. “Doesn’t this ever get old to you?”
For a second, she thought he was going to follow up with another sarcastic comment, but he didn’t. Almost as if he cared about her response? No, don’t be stupid, Celina. I’m just a job to him, remember?
MAFIA BOSSES - The Box Set: An Enemies to Lovers Trilogy Page 4