Page 30 of Unspoken Ties
“Good to hear.” He reached into a shelf and pulled out two glasses. “So, how is your marriage to the Alto girl going?”
So much for forcing thoughts of her out of my mind. I hated small talk. I just wanted to talk to him about business and then get on with my life.
“Great,” I said, the memory of our night on the roof popping into my mind. “Liria is wonderful.”
“Liria?” he asked, grabbing a bottle of bourbon for our two glasses.
“Ah, excuse me. It’s short for Hilaria.”
“Oh, of course. Hilaria,” he echoed, pouring the rich, brown liquid into the glasses. “Beautiful girl, isn’t she?”
“She is,” I agreed, taking the offered glass. “But let’s not beat around the bush here, Paulo. You didn’t ask me here to talk about my wife.”
He chuckled then, a deep rumble that seemed to shake his whole body. “And you Moretti’s are always keen to get straight to business.”
“I find it saves time,” I shot back, not flinching under his calculating gaze.
His lips curled into a grin. “Indeed, it does. So, tell me then, Mr. Moretti. What can the Santos family expect from our new partnership?”
Carefully setting my glass of bourbon down on the grand desk separating us, I narrowed my eyes and took a deep breath before beginning.
“Precisely what you got with Leone,” I started, my voice firm and coated with confidence. “We honor the arrangements he made with you, same prices, same exclusivity.”
Paulo leaned back in his chair and stroked his chin thoughtfully. His silence was heavy and hung in the air for several minutes before he finally spoke.
“That is a good offer, Mr. Moretti,” he began, rolling the cigar between his fingers. “But as you know, the world of business changes rapidly. Leone’s deal was beneficial, but I must consider other things.”
He paused for a moment, his eyes narrowed and assessing, as he took another draw from his cigar.
“Understandable,” I said, matching his calculating gaze. “What are your concerns?”
He released a cloud of smoke from his lips, watching it drift in the air between us before dissipating. “In a word? Stability. Leone had been in power for decades. He was solid, reliable. You... well, you’re a respected Don, but nowhere close to where Leone was.”
“Fair point,” I conceded, taking a sip of my bourbon. The rich liquor had a bite to it, but it was smooth. It was part of the game, this dance between power players. “However, while Leone was stable, he also remained stagnant with your business. There were many avenues he could have explored to grow revenue.”
Paulo chuckled again, his laughter echoing through the grand office. He extinguished his cigar into a silver ashtray on his desk before leaning back on his chair, regarding me with a newfound interest.
“Feisty. I like it,” he said, folding his hands on his stomach. “You have a vision, Mr. Moretti. I like a man with a vision.”
I allowed myself a small smile in return. “Indeed, I do.”
He took a sip from his own glass, his eyes never leaving mine. “Tell me then, this vision of yours... how would you incorporate our business into it?”
I relayed all the strategies and statistics I had been rehearsing on the drive here. Each word flowed effortlessly from my lips, like a well-rehearsed speech delivered to an attentive audience.
“It appears you have yourself a new ally, Mr. Moretti.”
Chapter fifteen
Liria
“And then we kissed!”
As I sat with Luciana, my hands were trembling and my voice was in a frenzy as I relayed the events of the night Ettore and I were on the rooftop. Looking back, I couldn’t believe that I had actually gone through with it, but at the moment, everything seemed to fall into place like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. My heart raced as I recounted each detail, unable to contain my excitement and disbelief. The surrounding room seemed to fade away as I relived the thrill and adventure of the night before.
“No way!” she said.
“Yes way!”