Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 26645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Dominic is standing in front of his desk, facing the door, and talking to a shorter, stocky man who I don't recognize right away because he's facing away from me. Dominic looks over the man's shoulders briefly at me but doesn't acknowledge me in any other way. My cheeks feel hot as the memory of the dream I had in the bathtub resurfaces. It almost feels like he can tell I thought of him that way.
The man in front of him is flailing his arms wildly as he speaks. I try to listen to what he's saying, but the soundproofing in the office is far too good. I make a mental note to possibly get some kind of sound recorder into Dominic's office.
I busy myself behind the desk, pretending like I'm not paying attention to what's happening, but I keep a close eye on it. Eventually, the man turns around and storms out of the office. As he's leaving, I get a good look at his face and recognize him. He’s Dominic's uncle, Giovanni, and he's been working with the family for decades. He's one of the higher-ups in the DeLuca family, though he's never been very influential. Giovanni is actually one of the few DeLuca family members with criminal records. He's been brought in several times for assaults and racketeering. He's a fall guy.
I smile at him politely as he stares at me, as if I am just doing my job. Our gazes meet, and there’s no kindness in his. He lowers his eyes to glare at me and speeds up as he walks by. I watch him walk away and stand by the elevator, looking over his shoulder at me one last time.
My gut feeling is telling me that he knows. I don't feel like I can brush off his reaction to seeing me. They know who I am.
7
DOM
Why did I have to open the envelope with Gio right there?
I know how hot-headed he can be and how protective he is of the family's secrets. I never thought the officer would be her. Part of me feels betrayed that she lied to me about who she is. My brain tells me that she can't be trusted and that I should do something to get rid of her, as I would any other person who tried to spy on the family. But I can't do that.
I need to protect her. Gio knows who she is, and I can only keep him from telling others for so long. I think I managed to convince him that I would take care of it, but when he sees that I haven't, he's going to start talking. Daniella is potentially in danger here. I can't let anything happen to her.
A few minutes after Gio leaves, she knocks on my door and I motion for her to come in.
“Is there anything you need me to do today?” she politely asks, standing right in front of my desk with her arms behind her back.
It's hard not to notice that her blouse has an extra undone button today and her skirt is just a little bit shorter. She wants me to look at her, and I know now that she wants to take advantage of my attraction to her. I don't know how far she’s willing to take it, but she's undercover and here on a mission. I have to be careful about what I say around her.
I tried telling Gio that she could be helpful to us. I know for a fact I'm innocent of killing that police officer, and she's here to prove I'm guilty. I could use her help to prove my innocence. The more she investigates, the more she'll realize that I was framed. There's some kind of rat in the family, and she could help me smoke them out.
Gio thinks it's too risky, but he's not in charge of the family. I am. I think Daniella is my best bet at finding whoever is trying to send me away.
I think about it for a moment, wondering what I should do. The longer she's here in the office, Gio is going to start worrying, despite anything I've said to try and comfort him. But if I can get her out of the office, I might be able to assuage some of his concerns.
“I’m actually going to be at home today. I just stopped in to talk to Gio,” I say, standing up and grabbing my briefcase. “I have a contractor coming to do some work. I do need a hand handling some stuff there. You can come along with me.”
Daniella hesitates for a moment before responding. She blinks rapidly and chews on her bottom lip. After all, I am a criminal she's investigating, and I've just asked her to leave the place she's supposed to be and come to a private location with me. I would be nervous if I were her.