I know her face. I recognize it from some of the photos of Ben on the internet. “Who is she?” I ask under my breath.
Alesso shoots me a strained look. “I probably shouldn’t say.”
My eyes bore into his. “I didn’t ask you to tell me who she is to him. I merely asked for her name. Are you that afraid of your boss you won’t tell me?”
He runs a finger along the collar of his shirt. “Her name is Chantel LaCroix.”
My brows climb to my hairline. “Any relation to Judge LaCroix?” Judge LaCroix is the chief judge of the New York State Court of Appeals. The judge is on my radar because he has a name for being particularly lenient in granting appeals tied to sex trafficking cases and rumored mob hits.
He scrubs a hand over his chin, and I roll my eyes. “For God’s sake, stop being a pussy and tell me. If the asshole gives you a hard time, I’ll tell him I googled it.”
“She’s his daughter,” he replies just as Ben’s gaze finds mine. His smug smile is in place, like he wore it especially for me.
“Bennett Mazzone. I couldn’t believe it when Daddy said you would be in attendance,” Saskia says, materializing in front of my baby daddy, acting like she didn’t run into him in Glencoe six weeks ago. Her gaze leisurely roams his body. “My, my. Haven’t you grown up.”
Chantel clears her throat, but Saskia ignores her, placing her hand on Ben’s arm. Blood boils in my veins, and I grip the sides of my chair, digging my nails into the velvet padding.
“Saskia, darling,” Ben says, taking her hand and raising it to his mouth. “It’s always a pleasure, and I could say the same to you. You look amazing.” He tilts his head ever so slightly, his eyes meeting mine and holding as he presses his lips against my sister’s knuckles.
Red-hot fury washes over me, and it’s a struggle to remain in my seat, but I won’t give that asshole the satisfaction of knowing he is getting to me.
Instead, I smile sweetly at him as I stretch my arm along the back of Alesso’s chair, leaning into his side and pressing my mouth to his ear. “Drink up, Alesso. I have a feeling you might need a little liquid courage.”
A muscle ticks in Ben’s jaw as he slowly lowers Saskia’s hand, keeping his gaze trained on me even as Saskia babbles away in his ear.
Alesso flinches when my lips brush against his cheek. “Relax,” I whisper. “You’re my date. We need to make it look real.” I sweep my fingers along the curve of his defined jawline while I maintain eye contact with Ben.
His hands clench at his sides, and his look screams a warning.
Well, guess what, asshole? You started this by parading your fuck buddy on your arm and then blatantly flirting with my sister. Don’t issue a challenge if you don’t want me to rise to the bait.
Two can play this game.
Suddenly, I don’t think this ball is going to be quite as tiresome as I imagined.
26
BEN
“You promised this would be fun,” Chantel whines for the umpteenth time, and if she doesn’t put a sock in it, I will shove her annoying ass in a car and send her on a plane back to New York. I thought bringing her would be a good idea. That it would help me to keep my hands and my thoughts off Sierra, but it has backfired in a major way.
“I promised no such thing,” I reply, sipping from my glass of Perrier. “You know how these events go. Don’t pretend otherwise.”
She gulps a large mouthful of red wine before turning to face me. “I thought after months of you giving me the cold shoulder this would be as much about pleasure as business, but you’re ignoring me, and no one ignores Chantel LaCroix,” she snipes.
Leo coughs to smother his snort of hilarity, and I grit my teeth. Chantel is getting on my very last nerve. Add Sierra’s blatant flirtation with Alessandro to the mix, and I am wound tight at a time when I need to remain focused.
The recent Vegas situation has everyone on edge, and we’re wondering what the Russians have planned for their next move. Having all five New York bosses plus their consiglieres and underbosses here, along with strong representation from The Outfit, is risky. We all know this presents the Russians with the perfect opportunity to strike, so everyone is on high alert.
We considered pulling out of the gala, but we can’t afford to insult The Outfit when negotiations are at such a delicate stage. So, we arrived with a large entourage and a plan to get in and out of Chicago without giving the Russians an opening to attack. The ballroom and the hotel are heavily protected with soldati, and we are all armed, but no one can afford to drop their guard.
Especially me.
So, I need female drama like a hole in the head. “I’m not keeping you here, Chantel. Feel free to leave any time you want.”
“Father won’t be happy to hear how you’re mistreating me.”
Her arrogant tone rubs me the wrong way. She’s crazy if she thinks she has any power in this situation. My lips curl into an amused grin. I fucked Chantel to get to her father, but I don’t need her anymore. We have a thick file on the corrupt judge that will keep him in line now. She has outlived her usefulness, and it’s time to cut her from my life. She’s a decent lay, and she usually knows how to keep her mouth shut at society events, so that’s why I kept her on speed dial. But I did not sign up for this shit, and I have no interest in fucking her anymore.
This ends tonight.
I won’t be seeing her again, and I’ll be deleting her number.
“Do I look like I give a fuck?” I dump more red wine in her glass, moving it in front of her. “Drink up and keep your mouth shut, or I’ll be the one having a quiet word in Daddy’s ear.”
Fire spits from her eyes as she glares at me, but she doesn’t retaliate, so I count that as a win. She takes another healthy gulp of wine, and I know it won’t be long until she’s drunk and ready to pass out.
I thought her presence would infuriate Sierra, but she doesn’t seem to care. She’s too busy flirting with Alessandro to notice. Glancing over at the top table, my lips pull into a tight line when I discover Sierra draped all over her bodyguard like a blanket. She’s laughing at something Alessandro said while running her hands up and down his arms. To outsiders, she looks smitten, and I am slowly losing control of my temper. That woman pushes my buttons to the extreme, and she is playing with fire.
Alessandro is also treading a very fine line right now. His stiff body language tells me he’s uncomfortable, but he’s not putting her in her place, letting her paw at him and press kisses to his cheek. Fuck this shit. I can’t even drown my sorrows in bourbon, because I need to keep my wits about me.
“She’s stunning,” Natalia whispers in my ear, her eyes glued to the adjoining table.
“Stop looking at her. You’re making it obvious.”
She laughs, and her blue eyes sparkle with mirth. “I hate to break it to you, brother dearest, but you haven’t taken your eyes off Sierra all night. I’m not the one making it obvious.”
I know she is right, and I hate it. I hate that my eyes latch on to her of their own volition. I hate that I can’t go five seconds without thinking about her.
I can’t let Sierra distract me.
Not now, not ever.
But I see the way the men in this room are watching her, and I don’t like it one little bit. I know she is purposely drooling over Alessandro to rile me up, and I’m liable to snap before the night is out.
“Sierra and Alessandro seem close,” Natalia says with a wicked gleam in her eye. “They are close in age too, no?”
“Natalia,” I hiss. “Quit pissing me off.”
She laughs. “Don’t spoil my fun, Benny. I have never seen you like this over any woman. Ever. I thought your heart had shriveled up and died, but she is bringing you back to life. Now you just need to get your head out of your ass before you fuck it up and lose her.”
I sigh, ignoring her. If I try to deny it, she will only protest. I know when I can’t win an argument and when I’m better off keeping my mouth shut. I wish ti
me would fast-forward so this night could be done. But someone up there is determined to make me suffer.
The band starts, and Sierra grabs Alessandro, dragging him to the dance floor. He doesn’t even glance in my direction as they rush past. The little coward. I’m going to string him up by his balls and enjoy inflicting pain with my knife.
“Dance with me.” Natalia tugs on my arm the same time Chantel does.
I stand, offering my sister my hand. “It would be my pleasure.” This way I can avoid dancing with my date while keeping a close eye on Sierra and my disobedient soldier.
Two birds, one stone.
“You look stunning tonight,” I tell her as I guide us out into the middle of the dance floor. It’s true. Natalia is a striking woman, and in that red dress, she is garnering as much attention as Sierra. Like my baby momma, she is also more than the sum of her looks. Natalia is intelligent and compassionate with a great sense of humor.
I lucked out on the sibling front, for sure.
Natalia was the one who got me through those dark early days, and I appreciated it because she was grieving and she could have easily resented me when our father claimed me purely so I could replace the brother she had just lost. But she never held it against me. Instead, she helped make things bearable, and we forged an instant bond.
I love my sister, and I would burn the world down for her.
I position us directly beside the other couple, and my skin ripples with rage as I watch my future wife circle her arms tightly around my soldier’s neck. Alessandro bristles, finally making eye contact with me. He doesn’t cower under my dark glare, but he forgets I know him. His body is as stiff as a brick, his dancing mechanical, despite Sierra’s best efforts to get him to loosen up.
“Thank you, Benny. You are always so gracious.” Natalia kisses my cheek before angling her head in Sierra’s direction. “She looks like an angel,” she adds, as we sway to the music.
“Don’t let that beautiful innocent exterior fool you. Right now, she’s the devil incarnate,” I say, tightening my hold on my sister’s waist as I watch Sierra press her lips dangerously close to Alessandro’s mouth. If she kisses him, I will rip her from his arms, toss her over my shoulder, and drag her to my room to give her a physical reminder of who she belongs to—consequences be damned.
“I saw her sneaking glimpses at you during dinner,” Natalia murmurs. “She looked like she wanted to murder you half the time.”
“Good. That’s exactly how I prefer it.”
“The rest of the time she looked equal parts hurt and besotted.” Her blue eyes pin mine in place. “Don’t destroy her, Benny. Let your heart feel.” Her hand sweeps along my cheek. “Would it be so bad to let yourself love her?”
“You know it would,” I say in a clipped tone. “It’s not going to happen. Whatever fantasy you’ve conjured up is all in your head.” My grip tightens on her waist.
“Ease up there, tiger,” Natalia says. “If you keep it up, you’ll leave bruises, and the last thing I want is Gino leveling more accusations at me.”
Retracting my gaze from Sierra, I focus on my sister’s beautiful face. “Is there something I should know?” I search over her shoulder for her husband. If he has hurt her, I will level him. I don’t care what kind of political maelstrom it would cause within The Commission. No one hurts my loved ones and lives to tell the tale.
“It’s nothing.” She attempts to deflect it, probably because she spots the murderous intent on my face.
“Don’t lie to me. Either tell me or I’ll ask Gino myself.”
Her chest heaves. “It’s nothing new.”
Understanding dawns on me. “This is about Leo.”
She nods, and her eyes dart to the side. I twirl us around so I’m facing the other direction, my gaze meeting Leo’s. He’s dancing with Georgia Lawson, but he’s barely paying any attention to my future mother-in-law, staring wistfully in Natalia’s direction.
It seems I’m not the only man being painfully obvious tonight.
“He’s in love with you,” I quietly say.
“I know,” she whispers. Her eyes lose a bit of their shine as sadness washes over her features.
I won’t ask if she returns his feelings, because it’s irrelevant. She is married to Gino Accardi, stepmother to his twin sons, and death is the only way of escaping her reality. “Are you unhappy? Do you want me to have a word with him?” Wives are respected in the New York famiglia. There is no obligation on any man to love his wife, or even to remain faithful to her, but there is an expectation of respect and kindness.
“I’m not unhappy, per se.” Natalia grips my shoulders more firmly. “He treats me well, and he loves me, in his own way, but he’s not in love with me, and I’m not in love with him.”
“You know this is the way of our world. You know it better than me. You have grown up understanding the reality of being a daughter within the famiglia.”
“Do you think that makes it any easier to accept? I know it was hard for you growing up ignorant of the truth. I saw how you struggled when Father first brought you to New York and you were initiated. But sometimes I think you were lucky, Benny. You got to live a real life. To make your own choices. And while I know this wasn’t what you wanted at first, you have forged your own path in this world, and you get to make your own decisions. You still have control, which is something I have never had.”
“I didn’t know you felt like that,” I admit, ashamed I never stopped to consider what it must have been like for Natalia.
“What was the point in articulating it? It wouldn’t have changed anything. I have always known I was destined to marry for the famiglia. I have always known it wouldn’t be my choice.” Her eyes briefly find Leo’s again, and I hurt for my sister and my friend. Breath rattles in her chest as she places her palm right over my heart.
“At least I am still breathing, and your heart still beats. Unlike Mateo.” Pain shimmers in her eyes, like it does anytime she mentions our brother. I never got to meet him, but Natalia grew up with him, and by all accounts, they were close. “We are alive, and we are fortunate in a lot of ways.” She smiles, all trace of sadness vanishing from her face. “Excuse my selfishness. I don’t indulge often. I prefer to focus on the positives. Dwelling on the what-ifs is pointless. You need to tell Leo that. He needs to move forward with his life. He should be married by now.”
I don’t tell her he refuses to marry because, deep down, my sister knows. This is the most honest conversation we have had about her and my best friend. The closest she has come to confirming she feels the same way he does. But it makes no difference. They can’t be together, and that’s not changing any time soon.
27
BEN
“I want to talk to her,” Natalia says, bluntly changing the subject, as she gestures in Sierra’s direction.
“Absolutely not.” I don’t trust Natalia not to say something she shouldn’t to Sierra. She is giddy over the prospect of a sister-in-law, and she can’t wait to meet Rowan. The old man is eagerly anticipating meeting his grandson too, and I will have to arrange a visit soon. Angelo’s days are numbered, and I don’t want to deprive him of the opportunity to meet Rowan. I will need to start pushing Sierra to make our engagement official, to agree on a time to tell Rowan the truth, and then they will move into my Greenwich property. I don’t care how much she fights me over it. It’s happening, whether she approves or not.
I glance at the couple still dancing beside us, scowling as I watch Alessandro twirl Sierra around the floor. Her head is thrown back, her cheeks are flushed, her eyes excited, and she’s laughing like she’s having the time of her life.
“You don’t control me, Benny,” Natalia says, sliding out of my arms and making a beeline for Sierra.
I curse under my breath.
What is it with the women in my life?
None of them listen to a damn word I say.
I walk after her, glaring at Alessandro as I approach. Natalia has p
rojected herself in between the couple, and her arm is extended toward Sierra. “I’m Natalia. Ben’s sister. But please don’t hold that against me.” She grins, and I work hard to mask my irritation.
“Commiserations,” Sierra says. “I don’t know how you put up with his grumpy ass.”
Natalia laughs. “It’s challenging, but don’t let this hard exterior fool you.” She grabs me, snuggling into my side. “He’s quite the softie underneath.”
“Nat!” I snap. Good God. I think every woman in this room has been sent to test me tonight. I drag a hand through my hair, desperately needing a drink.
“I once thought the same thing,” Sierra says. A nostalgic expression splays across her face, matching her whimsical tone. “But that man doesn’t exist anymore,” she softly adds. “At least not for me.”
Natalia slaps my arm, scowling at me. “Bennett! What have you done to this girl?”
“Nothing she hasn’t enjoyed.” I flash my trademark smirk as I recall the time in Sierra’s bedroom. She has ignored me ever since, which has equally annoyed and pleased me. Sierra keeping her distance is a good thing, especially considering I have repeated that morning, on her bed, in my mind, on a continuous loop in the intervening weeks.
Sierra is dangerous for my sanity.
She has infected my brain and infiltrated my body and every day is a battle to stay away from her.
“Said the sadist to his latest victim,” Sierra scoffs.
Natalia bursts out laughing. “I already love her.” She darts in, wrapping Sierra in a hug, whispering something in her ear. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Chantel heading this way, just as Gino arrives to claim his wife. He doesn’t know anything about Sierra or Rowan—Nat gave me her word she would keep it a secret, and I trust her—and he’s frowning at the two women hugging.
“Dance with Chantel,” I hiss at Alessandro, moving in front of Sierra as Gino wraps his arm around his wife, spinning her away.
Condemned to Love:  Page 21
