Chapter 84 She Is Missing
Enzo
Both men look at me, interrupting the conversation.
"Christian," Roman begins. "This is Enzo Russo. My future son-in-law."
"I heard," Christian says dryly.
He seems to be assessing me. I raise an eyebrow at him.
"I've heard a lot about you, too. How exactly did you find out about the vineyard sale before anyone else?"
"Vineyard" in this case is code for a heroin field. After all, we are in public.
Christian smirks. "I guess it just shows how much better I am than you."
That makes me chuckle. I knew I'd like him. "Maybe," I agree. "For now. Tread carefully, D'Angelo. There's a new Don in town."
"I could drink to that," he says with a curt nod. "I'm looking forward to seeing what you do. Good luck."
"Thanks." He said.
Roman speaks. "Now that you're done socializing, do you guys want to go to a bar? I swear, these events get more and more boring every time I come."
"They're not that bad," I say, my gaze sliding over the numerous men and women wearing all sorts of luxuries and precious stones.
It was a good idea not to bring Jason. He gets annoyed when he sees such casual displays of wealth and extravagance. He barely ate anything as a kid.
"I've been going to these events for years, trust me, man, they're terrible."
We decide to go to the bar, but before we do, I catch Rose's eye. She breaks away from Elena and Danielle and approaches.
"Are you okay?" I ask, and she nods. "Yeah."
She really does look happy. There's a flush on her cheeks and a sparkle in her eyes. She enjoys being surrounded by family and friends.
"I'm going to the bar with the guys," I tell her. "Want to come with me?" I ask as an afterthought.
"No. Dani and I are going to the bathroom. I'll come pick you up later." She said.
For some inexplicable reason, I feel a wave of anxiety. "Be careful. There are a lot of people here. And not all of them are friendly." I'm really starting to regret not having more security.
"I'll be fine," she says, giving me a look like I'm being unreasonable.
She returns to her friends, and I head to the bar. Christian's brother, Topher, joins us, and they start talking about some exclusive club I should join, but I'm only half-listening. After one shot of vodka, I turn around, looking for Rose.
Both she and Danielle are still missing. I endure this for a few more minutes before slipping away and heading out of the ballroom.
I'm about to turn into the hallway leading to the restroom when I hear their voices.
"You've been up all night."
"I've been avoiding this question, Rose. But seriously, why do I sense so much tension between you and your fiancé, who you supposedly don't like?" Dani asks.
Seeing that I've become the topic of discussion, I decide to lean against the wall and wait for them to appear.
"Because we want to kill each other," Rose says politely.
"Yes, that's right," Danielle grins. "More like ripping each other's clothes off. The sexual tension you two radiated could melt a person's face. Please tell me you slept together."
"Nothing happened between us," Rose said.
"But you want to," Danielle says pointedly.
Unfortunately, I don't get to hear Rose's reply, because at that moment, both women appear. Rose's eyes widen as she looks at me. However, she quickly overcomes her shock.
"Enzo, you know it's impolite to eavesdrop," she says, her cheeks flushing.
My shoulders rise. "I wasn't eavesdropping. I overheard your conversation."
"That's eavesdropping. What are you doing here? I can easily go to the ladies' room myself," she snaps.
"I never said I wasn't, my dear. But you were gone for a long time." I said.
"Because we were talking. You have massive control issues," she mutters.
"Hi," says Danielle D'Angelo, standing next to her. I turn to the redhead with a raised eyebrow. "I'm Danielle. We haven't met."
"Yes," I say coolly. "Nice to meet you."
Her expression turns thoughtful for a moment before she smiles. "You're even more assertive than Christian. I didn't think that was possible."
I tilt my head to the side. "Did you just compare me to your husband?"
"Maybe," she drawls. "Anyway, it was nice meeting you too. I'll go back inside, Rose.”
Rose stares at me, and I know she's trying to intimidate me, but all I can think about is how damn sexy she looks. And how I really want to rip her clothes off.
"Sorry for overhearing your conversation by mistake," I say in the most apologetic tone I can muster.
She rolls her eyes. "You're annoying."
"Careful, Rose," I smile. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were attracted to me."
"As if. Come on, let's go back. Since you'll continue to worry obsessively, I'll stay by your side for the rest of the night.”
Something warm slid across my chest. "Yes, you definitely like me now."
"Don't push your luck."