Impossible Odds

28

Well, f**k. In an instant, my entire plan went up in flames. I had hoped to go to Naz’s house and discuss things with him in private. It was crucial that I introduce the subject properly before he set eyes on her. Before he saw the way she looked at me. And I couldn’t allow her to hear my explanation if my plan was to succeed. The situation was quickly devolving to a total cluster f**k. “Thank you, Santino.” My words were clipped. “Giada, I need you to go upstairs until I come for you.” “What? Why?” She looked at me with confusion, and though she wasn’t trying to be difficult, my frustration boiled over. I slammed my hand down on the granite. “Just go!” My burst of temper caused her to flinch, but I didn’t have time for her questions. She slipped from the bar chair but only made it a few steps when a voice froze her in her tracks. “What’s all the fuss?” The message must have been slow arriving from the gate because Naz was already here. He strolled into the room dressed in a pale linen suit, professional grin in place. He didn’t look particularly intimidating to the casual observer. His salt-and-pepper hair was neatly trimmed, and he was always impeccably dressed. At five-foot-eight, he was several inches shorter than me and stayed lean with daily swims in his lap pool. He could have been anyone’s grandfather or favorite uncle, judging purely by looks. The only hint at the violence lurking beneath the surface was the unnerving quality of his eyes. So dark, those twin orbs looked as though they were crafted from shards of gleaming obsidian and could be equally as sharp when he cut you with a scathing gaze. “Primo, welcome home. I see you’ve brought a guest with you.” I crossed to the doorway, shaking his hand with a confident, firm grip. In my world, you never allowed anyone to detect even the faintest weakness, even your allies. No matter how upset I was on the inside, I would never let it show. “You’re welcome to join us for breakfast. I’m sure Alma can throw a plate together.” “No, no. I’ve already eaten. I was headed into town and decided I’d check in and see how your trip went.” He eyed Giada like a child assessing a plate of vegetables. “I can see things didn’t go as expected. I’m surprised I’m only learning of this now.” He turned back to me, the gleam in his eye a lashing across my cheek. He was livid, but he’d never let that show until we were alone. I didn’t always agree with Naz’s decisions, but he was the consummate businessman. Private matters were never handled in the company of strangers. “Naz, this is Giada Genovese, daughter of Edoardo Genovese.” I motioned to Giada, who looked at me warily before crossing to where we stood. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Señor Vargas,” she said warmly, extending her hand and exhibiting exemplary manners. I was sure they were well ingrained, but I wished she hadn’t. Naz accepted her offering with feral grace. “Well, this is a surprise. And I must say, you seem to be handling all of this rather well.” I watched helplessly as Naz laid his trap. Giada flushed and smiled, totally unaware that the ground was about to fall out from beneath her. “It was all rather sudden, but sometimes that’s how these things work.” She wrapped her delicate fingers around my forearm, whether for reassurance or as a statement of belonging, I wasn’t sure. Either way, the movement turned Naz’s smile into an icy grin. His eyes cut to me. “Was it sudden, Primo? Is that why you’ve brought me the wrong girl? Was there a problem while you were in the city?” The melodic tone of his voice gave his accusatory words a maniacal edge. Giada looked up at me in confusion, then back at Naz, her hands slowly falling away from me. “She’s Enzo’s niece,” I explained coolly. “She will serve the same purpose.” “Purpose?” Giada questioned. “What purpose?” She looked at me for answers, her fiery anger igniting beside me. A vicious chuckle tumbled from Naz’s lips. “Oh, dear. Hasn’t he told you? Did you think you were here on some sort of vacation? That this was some kind of … love connection?” He spat the words, all traces of the gracious businessman slipping away. Naz glared at her with oily disdain. “Primo here was supposed to retrieve one of your cousins as leverage. But now, it seems he thinks he makes the decisions around here and has brought you instead.” He began to pace, hands clasped behind his back. I had debated telling her the truth while I lay awake the night before, but I realized if I got to Naz first and explained things, there would be no reason to tell her. She would believe she was here with me voluntarily throughout her stay. It would make security far easier and would be just as effective getting what we needed from Giada’s family. Eventually, she’d learn the truth, but after I found a way to explain. Instead, Naz had to check in and overreact, f*****g over my plans. “So, what is this?” Giada shot at me. “I’ve unwittingly gone off with my own kidnappers? I accepted candy from the unmarked van, didn’t I?” She smacked her hand over her forehead and began to pace. “This is utterly perfect. Now, they’ll all get to say I told you so. Motherfucker.” Naz paused his own mental tirade to watch her with a curious eye. He would quickly detect she was different than most women if he spent any amount of time around her, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted that. He was married, but that didn’t stop his voracious appetite for women. Just the thought of him growing interested in her caused my jaw to clamp down so hard I’d need a tire iron to release it. Giada suddenly stopped her pacing and whipped around in my direction. “How long am I stuck here?” She bristled with injustice and outrage. “As long as it takes,” I growled. Her green eyes blazed. “Excuse me, I think I’ve lost my appetite.” Giada stormed off toward the stairs, leaving Naz and I bobbing in her turbulent wake. “I wish you hadn’t done that,” I told Naz, knowing I was walking a fine line. “And allow you to let some woman f**k up our plans? This has been in motion for years, Primo. Years. And you let your d**k derail everything. That’s inexcusable.”