Page 59 of Bloody Savage God
“Gianna,” he says, rising from his chair to kiss my cheeks. “It’s lovely to see you and under different circumstances.”
“I hope you didn’t wait long.” I’m perfectly on time, so it’s a sentiment more than an actual concern. With anyone else I wouldn’t bother, but Angelo deserves the respect.
“Not at all,” Riccardo waves his hand. “Why don’t you have a seat?”
I slide into one of the comfortably cushioned chairs, and Riccardo scoots the chair in for me. An old school gentleman, even though he’s only a few years older than me. Not yet thirty-five.
“The food here is the best you’ll find in Toronto. I recommend theagnolotti verdi.”
He presses a button and a server appears, reminding me of the service provided on air planes. I’ll have to keep this place in mind for future meetings, though if it’s owned by Riccardo, which I suspect it is, it may not be safe for sensitive conversations. We are not the only family to utilize audio recordings and video cameras, after all.
Of course, today I doubt I’ll have to worry about that since Riccardo himself is here.
“I’m glad we’re getting the chance to chat business.” I open the conversation, wanting to set the tone from the beginning.
Riccardo smiles. “I hear powerful men get in trouble when they do business with you.”
At that, I laugh. It’s true, after all, that I have sold to quite a number of the rich and powerful in the city only to milk their pockets much further than they had intended.
“Ah, but friends are excluded from that practice.” I smile, and Riccardo tilts his head in acknowledgement.
Before we can dive into the actual conversation that I want to have, a waiter knocks and enters with our food, placing it in front of us only to disappear quickly and without any unnecessary fuss.
The food looks as delicious as promised. The pasta is silky smooth and the truffle butter sauce rivals Mellie’s best creations. I allow myself a moment to savor the food.
“This really is absolutely delicious.”
Riccardo shoots me a smile that I am certain would have other women on their knees in an instant. The man is that attractive. Except his classy business look somehow can’t drive the image of Mikhail’s muscular, tattooed chest out of my mind.
Italian gentleman versus Russian enforcer. And the damn Ivan wins.
My pussy needs a therapist.
Time to focus on business, because I sure as hell won’t let Mikhail derail this meeting. Absent as he is.
I place my fork down and meet Riccardo’s eyes. “As I mentioned at my father’s funeral, I have a warehouse in mind that might meet your expectations. If you’re interested, I can make the deal happen within the next couple of days.”
Riccardo nods with a small smile. “I like your initiative, Gianna. You play a smart game, and you’re obviously savvy in what you do. Our families could have a mutually beneficial relationship going forward, more so than how it was under your father’s leadership.”
He pauses, and respect for the man notwithstanding, I’m not about to let him draw this out. So I prompt him. “But?”
His smile widens slightly. “But right now it doesn’t look like you have your family in line, and given the recent attention your organization has garnered with the death of your father, I’d be more reassured when certain issues are dealt with before we shake hands on a deal and a new relationship between our families.”
In other words, he isn’t going to make any deals before I’ve dealt with Mario. If I were in his shoes, I would probably do the same, but offering the deal now was worth a shot. Brokering a deal with the Angelo syndicate will be a solid show of my leadership within my own organization. Especially since it’s well known that Riccardo is particular about whom he engages in business.
But I’m not one to wait for handouts. As Riccardo himself said, powerful men get in trouble when they do business with me, and that’s for a reason. This isn’t the place to air any in-house difficulties, but it is time to clarify some things and nail Riccardo down on the deal as best as I can. “Your time is valuable, as is mine, so why don’t we agree that I’ll get everything sorted promptly and once it’s done, the papers for the warehouse will be delivered to your office?”
Riccardo grins. “I can agree to that.”
“Dessert then?”
With a laugh, Riccardo presses the button and a server takes our orders before disappearing with the dirty dishes. There is classical music playing in the background, the crescendo building as Ricardo nails me with a look of his own. “You know, Gianna, there is another type of alliance some people are expecting us to broker.”
I narrow my eyes. “You better not be proposing.”
That has Riccardo bending forward in laughter, and I’m fairly certain that very few people have ever seen him look so carefree and amused. It makes me laugh, too, which has the waiter who enters with our Tiramisu looking slightly perplexed.
Riccardo waves him over to the table, getting himself back under control, though he waits until we are alone again before he speaks. “No, I’m not, even though you must know that people are wondering whether we have discussed the option.”
