Page 22 of The Mastermind
Ping.
He ignored this one, rising to approach where I stood. ‘Oh, you’ll end up on your knees one way or the other, Maddelena. And since I’m a betting man, I’m willing to place a wager on you absolutely gagging for that when it happens.’ He jerked his chin at the door. ‘Fist will drive you back.’
Almost on cue, the door opened behind me, the giant soldier waiting with his long arms crossed in front of him.
He was dismissing me like I was a common little nobody. Much the same way he’d done back in high school for years. Until that night.
I watched his broad back and the ripple of muscles beneath his shirt as he scooped up his phone and activated it. Did heremember every detail of that night like I did? Or did he dwell only on the violent parts?
What the fuck did it matter?
I followed Fist back down the hallway and into the lift. Again, he ignored me, his long no-nonsense strides when we reached the lobby telling me he wanted this task to be over almost as much as I did.
My insides churned, fuelled by disgruntlement and anger and weird arousal.
Just to be contrary, and to claw back some power,dammit, I changed course and stopped at the front desk. The receptionist looked up with a bright smile that wavered a little when she saw me. Whether she recognised me, or if it was due to the unholy light probably burning in my eyes, I shrugged it off.
‘I’ve just had a room service meal delivered to the Presidential Suite. Can you tell me what the charge is, please?’ I asked, aware of Fist hovering three feet away.
She blinked, then frowned as she tapped the keyboard. ‘Umm, including the red wine, a charge of six hundred and sixty-seven US dollars has been added to the room bill.’
There was nothing special about a billionaire mobster buying me a five-hundred-dollar steak. Both our families were obscenely rich, and I was used to the finer things in life. And yet, I couldn’t stop my belly fluttering in secret, unwanted delight. Cesare could’ve insulted me with a shoe-leather-textured twenty-dollar steak and a withered salad without breaking a sweat. He hadn’t. Because…?
I shook my head and slid my black Amex Centurion across the counter. ‘Charge it to my card, please.’
‘Oh… but?—’
‘Can you do it right away, please. I’m in a hurry.’
With a puzzled nod, she hit a few more keys then put through the transaction. I slid my card back into my purse. ‘Can I borrowa paper and pen?’ When she handed the items over, I scribbled my note and folded the paper. ‘Have this delivered to the suite’s occupant, if you don’t mind.’
She took it, placing it on a tiny tray. Her gaze darted to Fist and she swallowed before nodding. ‘Of course, madam. Right away.’
I rode the wave of triumph all the way back to my hotel and long past changing and sliding into bed with a tiny smile on my face.
Then I felt it all crumble when less than an hour later, I heard a noise at the door. Sliding out of bed, I approached cautiously to find an envelope lying on the polished hardwood floor. Trepidation moving through me, I picked it up and opened it.
Something fluttered to the floor, but I was more caught up with reading the words within the folded piece of paper.
The note I’d written, so neatly and concisely, mocked me.
I don’t accept free meals from Salvatores. I pay for my own dinner.
Because beneath it, scrawled untidily yet bold and dominating, was Cesare’s response.
Too bad. Your payment has been reversed. See receipt. And my advice? For your own sake, don’t ever fucking try this again.
I snatched the receipt from the floor and bunched both scraps of paper in my fist, torn between feeling thwarted and excited at the thought of future interactions. Tossing it away, I stalked back to bed and yanked the cover up to my chin. Glaring at the ceiling, I vowed that the next time I clashed with Cesare Salvatore, I would come out on top.
And stay on top.
7
CESARE
I watched the streetlights of Baku grow sparser as we headed northwest out of the city.
‘How far is this place?’ I asked Rafa, who sat beside me in the armoured SUV driven by Fist. Behind us, three similar vehicles filled with our soldiers followed.
