CHAPTER SIX: GIOVANNI
Something’soff.
I keep my face blank as I turn even as a feeling too close to worry moves through me. I scan the room and it takes me far too long to realize what the problem is.
“Where is Winter?” I ask Vito.
He turns his head away from the field and his brows pinch together for a moment. “What?” he asks and this may be one of the only moments that he’s relaxed enough not to notice everything around him. For some reason only known to God, he actually enjoys baseball and isn’t just here for socializing.
“Winter,” I repeat. “Where is she?”
He looks around the room as if it's something I’d neglect to do. When he realizes that I’m not just being careless and he doesn't see her either, his body tenses before he rises to his feet.
“Something wrong?” Lorenzo asks, his attention on us now. He keeps his voice low and his lips remain in the same flat line as per usual. Beside him, Daria’s eyes are wide as she peers over at us.
I stand with Vito. “I’m sure everything is fine,” Vito says but I know him well enough to hear the slight edge to his tone.
He gestures for me to follow him and we move to the other side of the room. My body is coiled tightly and a flare of anger rushes through me. What the fuck does she think she’s doing?
Has she got that stupid idea to run in her head all of a sudden?
If that’s the case, I’m going to wrap my hands around her pretty brown neck and choke her until-
“Maximo and Enzo aren’t here either,” Vito breathes out, keeping his voice low.
I raise my head, realizing he’s right.
Shit.
I’d been firm when I told Maximo not to get up to any of his bullshit today. We were supposed to be here to talk business with Lorenzo.
My jaw clenches and I do a double check, but unsurprisingly, the trio of trouble doesn’t fucking appear.
If they’re off fucking in a broom closet somewhere, I’m going to shove my foot so far up my brother’s ass-
“Looking for my partner in crime?” Polo Messano asks as he drifts over, his eyes alight with amusement.
I know from past encounters that he’s much like my brother, always trying to get a rise out of people. I’m not oblivious enough to not realize that he’d picked a fight with Vito over Winter a few months ago just to find himself some entertainment. If Vito had been thinking clearly, he would have realized he was being baited as well. Polo Messano doesn’t have eyes for anyone other than Daria Accardi for starters, and second he’s good friends with Maximo.
Maximo, who’s always using Winter as a way to get under Vito’s skin.
And like a fucking idiot, Vito keeps falling for it.
I push the thought away, not wanting to think too hard about how attached Vito has become to Winter.
I return my gaze to Polo and I don’t dare rise to the bait that he’s hooking.
“Where is he?” I ask instead, keeping my voice steady.
Polo raises a brow and he taps his chin, his theatrics enough to make my fists clench.
There’s no fucking telling what Maximo is off making Winter and Enzo do while he gets off.
And the longer Polo takes to answer means the more damage that’ll be done.
My jaw tightens.
“I think I saw him and Enzo wander out of here about…” He looks at his bare wrist, “About thirty minutes ago, I think. You know, it's really hard to determine when…” He points at his watchless wrist.