He studies me for a moment, then Matteo. “Partners. That’s a big word.”
“It doesn’t have to be,” Matteo says. “We’re just saying we’re open to it. No pressure.”
“I’ve been burned before,” Dominic says with a smile. “But I won’t say no either. Let me think about it. We’ll see.”
“That’s all we ask,” I say.
“Good.” He claps Matteo on the shoulder. “Now go enjoy yourselves. Don’t let me keep you in the corner talking business all night.”
Matteo and I smile as we stroll away, and I let out a breath once we’re far enough away. He didn’t give us a yes, but it’s not a no either, and from a man like Dominic, that’s about the best I could’ve hoped for tonight.
“That went better than I thought it would,” I say under my breath.
“He seems interested but doesn’t want us to know how much,” Matteo says. “Or he’s waiting to see what will happen, since we were caught in his office and all.”
“Right. It could all be a test.”
People are already dancing, and Matteo holds out his hand to me. When I look at him, he tips his head toward the others.
“Dominic’s watching,” he says.
I take his hand and let him lead me out among the others. He settles one hand at my waist and holds my other hand up, and we move together with ease. Why are his eyes so mesmerizing?
“You’re staring,” he says, a grin tugging at his mouth.
“I’m making sure you don’t step on my feet.” But I’m not, and we both know it, so I lower my gaze.
I look around the room. Dominic’s back with his group near the windows, one of his men right next to him saying something close to his ear. Dominic’s smile vanishes in an instant.
“Look,” I breathe, tilting my head.
Dominic sets his glass down hard on a nearby table. His jaw tightens and he leans in toward the man, saying something, and even from across the room, I can tell something’s wrong. The councilman next to him takes a small step back. Two more ofDominic’s men move in close, and one of them heads for the doors quickly, as if he’s been sent to deal with something.
“What do you think that’s all about?” I whisper.
“No idea, but he’s furious.” Matteo’s forehead creases. “It has to be bad because he’s not hiding it.”
The guy who brought the news goes pale as Dominic says something to him. He’s getting chewed out, and Dominic doesn’t lose his temper in front of people unless he can’t help it.
“Somebody messed up,” I say. “Or said something they shouldn’t have.”
Matteo’s eyes meet mine. “Yep, probably.”
I don’t think all this drama would be just because of a missed or lost shipment. It has to be something more important and unexpected. “If one of his people is feeding information to someone, or stealing, or whatever’s got him this worked up, then that’s a weakness we can exploit.”
“If there’s a mole, we could definitely use them,” Matteo says.
“Or we could be the ones who hand Dominic the head of the person who crossed him and gain favor.” There are so many options and possibilities.
We just have to figure it out.
Matteo’s hand tightens a little at my waist as he turns me again. Dominic’s face is expressionless now, but it’s a little too late.
“Keep dancing,” I say as I smile at Matteo as if there’s nothing in the world on my mind but him. “We don’t want him to know we noticed anything.”
As we move with the music, both of us watching Dominic as much as we can without being obvious about it, I try to figure out how to turn his bad night into our way in.
Chapter 19