Page 18 of Mafioso's Muse

Over the years, he had perfected the art of telling peopleenough. He knew the right amount of information to share while protecting the secrets and privacy of those around him. Victoria Ballet needed money, and DeLuca needed a building contract that would help restore their reputation upon completion. The board did not need to know every detail as they claimed. They simply needed to feel satisfied with his motivation. And one look at their faces confirmed he had given them that.

Willow sat mute next to him, her gaze down. Harrison’s foot was bouncing, giving away his agitation at how smoothly things were going for Vaughn so far. He would have been hoping for tougher questions and a lot more pushback from the board members.

‘Is there anything you would like to add at this point?’ David asked Harrison, looking at the creative director.

Harrison’s foot stilled, and he leaned forwards. ‘Only that I was against DeLuca getting the contract from the very beginning.’

‘And why’s that?’ David asked.

Harrison rolled his eyes in Vaughn’s direction. ‘Due to the company’s history of cost-cutting and poor workmanship. We prefer our ceilings to stay in place at Vic Ballet.’

Caroline blinked. ‘And it did.’

‘Yes, the ceiling did.’ Harrison glared at Vaughn. ‘Just not the stage.’

Willow pressed her fingers into the tops of her thighs when he said that. Vaughn felt a strong urge to take her hands, look into her eyes, and remind her to breathe. Instead, he was forced to watch her suffer.

Mary looked up from her note taking with a frown. ‘We will get to that, Mr Walsh.’ Her gaze shifted to Nigel. ‘Looking over the contract, everything seemed to be in order. Is that your understanding, Mr Thompson?’

Nigel nodded. ‘Yes. Our lawyers were very thorough. Nothing was signed until all parties were satisfied.’

She returned her attention to her notebook, scribbling a few more words.

Vaughn used the opportunity to check on Willow. When he looked at her, she lifted her gaze, eyes searching his for half a second before focusing on the carpet once more. Vaughn glanced at his watch, ignoring the heated stare from Harrison.

‘There were no issues in the beginning?’ Caroline asked, looking from her notes to Nigel.

‘No,’ Nigel replied. ‘No issues.’

Caroline wrote something down, then returned her attention to Vaughn. ‘Then let’s continue. The floor is all yours, Mr Gallo.’

Vaughn nodded once. ‘Thank you. DeLuca was on site the day after the contract was signed…’

8

February 2024

Vaughn stopped by the theatre in the morning to ensure his brother understood the terms of the contract and his own expectations.

‘Would you relax,’ Antonio said, shrugging on his hi-vis vest. ‘Your part is done. Now you hand the reins to me.’

Letting go was not normally an issue for Vaughn. The two brothers had different strengths and roles within the family and businesses, and they each left the other alone to do their part their way. But this project was different. A certain dancer had Vaughn personally invested in the project. ‘I don’t want any mistakes. Understand?’

Antonio picked up his hard hat and dropped it onto his head. The look on his face was a combination of confused, annoyed, and amused. ‘Would you like me to show up at your bar later and coach you on how to doyourjob?’

‘I dare you to try.’

Antonio shook his head, the beginnings of a smile on his face. ‘What are you even doing here?’

Vaughn raised the folder he was holding. ‘I’m just dropping off some paperwork.’

Antonio gave him a doubtful look. ‘And seeing what subcontractors are on site?’

Vaughn looked over at the false wall that had already been erected in front of the bar. ‘The pop-up bar needs to be ready to go before opening?—’

‘Everything will be done as per the overly specific schedule,’ Antonio said, clapping him on the arm and turning him away. ‘Now can you piss off?’

Vaughn pushed his hand away. ‘To the highest standard.’