Chapter 79 Adeline
Adeline's POV
"It’s okay, Percy. I don't care what the label says; it tastes like I’m chewing on a very expensive piece of bark."
"It is a 2015 Bordeaux, Zara. The tasting notes clearly define it as having hints of dark cherry and cedar. If your palate is too accustomed to cheap champagne, just say so."
I simply watched the two of them with a contented smile on my face. As Zara promised, we were in a wine tasting room in Tribeca. The walls were made of exposed brick and lined with thousands of vintage bottles under dim amber lights. It was as private as it was expensive, but currently, it was where the two most stubborn people I knew were having some sort of wine off.
Zara pointed her slim fingers at my fiancée in accusation. She was in a stunning green silk blouse, completely unfazed by the man glaring at her across from her.
"Cedar is just a pretentious word for tree bark." Zara shot back, taking a sip of her wine. "And for the record, I only drink vintage Dom Pérignon. Adeline, tell your fiancé his wine tastes like a lumberyard."
"Leave me out of this," I laughed, holding my hands up in surrender. "I’m perfectly happy drinking whatever the sommelier pours. You two are the ones treating what's supposed to be a fun Friday afternoon tasting like a battle."
Percy let out a low chuckle, leaning back against the leather cushions beside me. He draped his arm casually across the back of the chair, and his fingers gently brushed against my shoulder. It was an intimate gesture that warmed my heart.
He looked incredibly handsome in a dark, tailored suit without a tie, but there was a tightness around his eyes that hadn't been there a few days ago.
"I apologize for trying to elevate her tastes." Percy murmured, pressing a soft kiss to my temple.
"My tastes are fine." Zara rolled her eyes even though I could see that she was smiling as she popped another piece of cheese in her mouth.
I took another sip of my wine, letting my eyes wander around the dimly lit room. We were the only clients in this particular alcove, meaning we were separated from the main tasting floor by a curtain.
It was peaceful and normal, but as my gaze drifted toward the arched doorway, I noticed a detail that I hadn't dwelled on before.
Tiny was standing by the entrance, exactly where he always was, except today he wasn't alone. In the background with him were two men I had never seen before. They were dressed like Tiny, but they didn't have the ex-military posture of the men Percy liked to hire as bodyguards. These men were broader and heavier. Something about them made the hair on the back of my neck stand. These men looked familiar to me, but I had never met them before, but I was familiar with their type. They were the kind of men that followed my father when he was going after people that owed him money.
I frowned and turned to the only person that could give me answers. "Percy?"
He immediately turned his attention to me. "What's wrong, baby?"
"Who are they?" I asked quietly, nodding subtly toward the two unfamiliar men.
Percy didn't even turn his head to look. "They are new contractors. I’m expanding the detail."
"Because of what happened with Vance?" I asked. "I thought Detective Miller said it was just a loan shark. You said we were just jumping at shadows."
"We were," Percy assured me, his dark eyes locking onto mine with absolute sincerity. "But you’re the most important thing in my world, Adeline. If adding two extra men to the detail helps me sleep at night, let me have peace of mind."
It was a good answer, but something about the way the words just flowed still made me a little bit uneasy. There was something he wasn't telling me, but before I could press the issue, a vibrating hum interrupted us.
To my surprise, the ringtone was coming from Percy. He reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out his encrypted phone. The one he rarely used, and now he was taking it out with him?
He glanced at the screen, and because I was watching him, I saw his jaw tense.
"Excuse me," Percy said without looking at either of us. "I need to take this."
He stood up and walked out of the alcove, sliding past Tiny and the two new guards before they followed him. Zara watched him go before turning to me with a raised brow.
"Girl, if I didn't know better, I would say your man was about to order a hit."
I almost choked on my wine. "What are you talking about?"
"Didn't you see him? He looked like they just told him a rat was in the family. You know, all those mafia movies?" She laughed and took a sip of her wine. I laughed too, but it wasn't genuine.
"He's just dealing with the London branch. The time difference means he gets emergency calls at all hours."
"Right. Just hearing you talk about it makes me want to sleep."
I smiled and picked up my wine glass again, but my stomach had tied itself into a knot. Zara's words stayed with me. I knew what Percy looked like when he was negotiating a merger, and that look in his eyes was not it. This was completely different, almost violent.
Ten minutes passed. Zara had moved on to the girls that were trying to get close to her so they could get to her brother. "That's why I'm so grateful for you. You don't have eyes for anyone other than your man."
I laughed, but my eyes kept drifting to the exit.
When Percy finally returned, he was back to his usual charming self. "Sorry about that. It was a small logical issue, but it's all handled now."
"No worries," Zara said, waving him off. "We were just deciding where to go for dinner. Adeline wants pasta, and I refuse to eat anything that heavy before eight o'clock."
"I know a place," Percy offered, pulling his regular phone from his pocket to text his driver. "Tiny can bring the car around."
When we all stood up and Percy was talking to the sommelier and Zara was touching up her face. I was the only one looking at the table when the encrypted phone lit up with a new text message. I truly didn't mean to pry, but it was right in my line of vision.
The notification preview was only visible for three seconds before the screen went black again, but those were more than enough for me to know that someone named Volkov had sent a message about securing the terminal and payroll cleared. Volkov was now awaiting his boss' orders.
Two words stood out to me: Volkov and Boss. According to something I had read on one of the files in Mason’s files, I knew Volkov was one of the highest-ranking lieutenants in the underworld, and he had just called my fiancée Boss.
"Alright." He reached down, picked up the black phone, and slid it into his jacket pocket without looking at the screen. He offered me a warm smile. "Ready to go, darling?"