CHAPTER FIFTEEN: WINTER
“Ifsomeonespeaksto you, remain polite, but don’t hold a conversation with anyone for too long.” Vito’s hand is on the small of my back as he leads me into the ballroom.
I swallow, hanging onto his words while looking around the ballroom.
It’s huge.
There’s a crystal chandelier hanging over 40 feet in the air, and there’s small glass windows exposing the dark night sky, encompassed between steel beams littered with lights. There’s a second story rafter that wraps around the whole room and a spiral staircase in the back of the room that leads to it. Already there’s groups of people moving around on the rafter in their fancy suits and dresses.
“Did you hear me, Winter?” Vito asks.
I blink, turning to find him watching me with a raised brow. My lips part as I try to figure out the last thing he said to me.
A cryptic laugh sounds from behind me, before a hard shoulder bumps into mine. My eyes snap up to Maximo as he steps between Vito and I, knocking Vito’s hand off me. “Apparently, your words weren’t interesting enough Bianchi,” he says.
He pulls at the lapels of his suit jacket before looking down at me. His hair seems to have grown out even longer in the last month, and it hangs into his face now as he watches me.
“It’s simple. There’s a lot of crooked royalty here tonight, Mouse, so it's best you just sit and look pretty.” His eyes dart to my chest and his lips twitch before his eyes return to mine. “Maybe not too pretty, though. Someone may get the wrong idea and get a little handsy. I’m sure Giovanni wouldn’t approve of me chopping any of our adversaries’ hands off.”
“I wouldn’t,” Giovanni says dryly. He’d been walking in front of our group, and he turns around to aim a sharp look at his brother. “You will behave, Maximo.”
In response, Maximo shrugs before turning and dispersing from the group. I watch him as he makes his way across the room and a shiver runs down my spine. Despite his threats, he still hasn’t destroyed me, but I know he plans to make good on his promise. He’s been more pleasant lately, and I think it’s what scares me the most.
You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
Which is why anytime Maximo is nice to me or at least not abusive, I remind myself of who he truly is.
“Don’t speak to anyone else first, not even the servants,” Giovanni orders before heading in the opposite direction from his brother.
I breathe in and look up at Vito. Things have been tense since our conversation at the store, but I still feel like he is the safest in the family. Yet, I can’t argue with the fact that I’m starting to see his true colors.
I’m starting to see the man who executed a man in front of me, after checking on my mental health.
He may as well have died the night he was shot, because the minute he fully settles into being cold, I’ll be on my own.
“Stay with Enzo,” he says before his fingers graze my hip slightly. The tingles that move through my body appear as quickly as Vito disappears.
Enzo steps up next to me, silent and broody as usual. My feet remain in place as I look around the room, trying to figure out where to go. There’s a lot of bodies, the room crowded. Some people look more dangerous than others, but I know there isn’t a single innocent person in the room, so I need to be careful.
“Excuse me!” A voice cuts in loudly from behind me and I jump. Enzo grabs my arm as I move backwards, halting my movement.
I blink, looking at the woman who spoke.
She’s tall with long black hair, tan skin, and crystal blue eyes. A plum dress hugs her curvy body, with the slit running up almost to her hip. Her lips are pressed into a frown, her brows pulled inward as she stares at me. She opens her mouth to say something else, before her gaze flicks over to Enzo and she gives a wide smile.
“Enzo!”
She nearly shoves me out of the way as she wraps her arms around Enzo in a big hug that he stiffly returns. The frown on his face seems to deepen and I swear he holds his breath as he waits for her to release him. When she does, she gives a laugh. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to attack you.”
She flips her hair to the side and her gaze returns to me. Most of the hostility is gone now, but she seems a bit hesitant.
“And who are you?” she asks.
Well, she spoke to me first, so I guess that means I have the green light.
“Winter,” I tell her, purposefully leaving off my last name.
“Winter.” Her brows pull back together, and she repeats my name again before snapping her fingers. “Yes, I’ve heard of you, Giovanni’s side piece.” She somehow manages to make the words a non-insult, the amusement littering her tone cutting the edge. “Very pretty,” she nods in approval. Her gaze snaps back to Enzo. “But maybe a little dangerous bringing her here, yes?”