Page 14 of Gianni DeLuca
Chapter Nine
“Your mother is a pieceof work,” Diamond commented while we shared a private lunch at Emeril Lagasse’s restaurant.
“She is my consigliere.”
“Like in theGodfather, the part that Robert Duvall played? Ya’ll really do that.”
“Yes. As much as we can, we follow tradition. Since I was sixteen, my mother has advised me, so it made sense for her to take on that role once I became a boss. Plus, she’s the one with direct ties with my family in Italy.”
“I would love to go to Italy.”
“I would love to show you where my mother is from. It’s so beautiful there. Like an artist dumped his paint in the ocean, the water so blue. When do you want to go?” I asked as I poured more red wine into her glass.
“Just like that?” She sipped on her wine, peering at me over the glass.
“Why not?”
“Don’t you have to bring your men with you who’ll follow us around like they are right now? That’s not much of a vacation.”
“We could work something out where we would be alone most of the time.”
Diamond sounded wistful. “It would be good to get away from the threat of danger.”
“You feel that way all the time?”
“Don’t you? I mean, you have men with you at all times somewhere lurking.”
I corrected, “People who want to kill me lurk; my men guard me.”
“Exactly why I do my best to keep my lives separately. So, people are not on the hunt for me.” She placed her fork down. “It doesn’t stop me from feeling watched all the time. Working in the bank keeps my sanity.”
I reminded, “If I found you, you need to have security, too.”
She waved her hand. “I wanted to be found by you. I’ve been hiding in plain sight for some time now. No one suspects an educated black woman to run an organized crime business. And eating lunch publicly with one of the most eligible bachelors in the city, a rich white man no less draws unwanted attention to me.”
“It was your idea to eat here. I have my own restaurant, or I could have arranged for a private chef if you’re worried about being seen with me.”
She reached across the table and palmed my cheek. “I guess a large part of me wants to pretend we’re a normal couple on a date. Maybe for once, I’m willing to risk being found out if that means I get to be with you like this.”
Unable to stop myself, I leaned across the table and brushed my lips against hers. Lightly. Reverently. I curved my hands to Diamond’s heart-shaped face. “Want to go back to my place?”
Instead of answering me, she reached in her purse, tossed two hundred-dollar bills on the table, and grabbed my hand. “I have another idea.”
I picked up the money and pushed it into her hand. “My woman doesn’t have to pay for anything.”
Diamond’s lips curved into a slight smile. “Yourwoman? Men don’t own me.”
“Tell that shit to your last man. You belong to me now.” I peeled out three crisp one hundred dollar bills. “Don’t give me that look when you know you love me.”
“Who said anything about loving you?” She rose from her chair and picked up my hand again. “I just want to fuck right now.”
It was almost three in the afternoon on a Wednesday between the lunch rush and dinner crowd. I willingly let her lead me past the other patrons through the restaurant. She peeked into the empty women’s restroom and pulled me into one of the stalls, where she promptly pinned me against the door with one hand. Her other hand reached for my belt buckle. I placed my hand over hers. “Not like this.”
“Let go, Gianni. I’ve been playing with my pussy since the other night, imagining it was your big dick.” She kissed me hungrily while squeezing my erection through my pants.