Chapter 18: Chapter 18

I placed my silverware down and leaned my chin on my palm as I eyed Stefano. He was busy tapping on his phone, again, and I was getting annoyed.

He’d been doing it all during our meal. You’d think after I’d finished the first game, and with flying colors, he’d be able to pay some attention to me.

“Is that your wife you’re texting?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking snarkily.

He glanced up with a raised eyebrow. “I’m meeting a friend in an hour. I’ll drop you at home first.”

I frowned. That was the vaguest explanation I’d ever heard. And it wasn’t the first time he’d used it in the past week.

What was going on? Was it something I wasn’t supposed to know? Was that why he was keeping it from me?

“You’ve been going out a lot. Is it work for the family? Or something else?” I kept my tone as casual as possible, though I didn’t think I succeeded.

“That and more. It’s a busy time for all of us. On top of preparing for the games, I’ve been tracking the movements of some people connected to the Perez family and trying to find leads on where their base is. I know you want me to pay attention to you more, but unfortunately, duty calls.” He sighed in lament.

I smiled teasingly. “I wouldn’t want to get in the way of duty. I know how addicting I am, after all. Even my baggy clothes can’t hide this.”

I traced my barely there curves and chuckled at my antics. His eyes keenly followed the movement of my hands against my body, and his wolflike gaze made me feel like he could see every inch of my body through the T-shirt I was drowning in.

I shifted in my seat, feeling a bit self-conscious. My shirt wasn’t see-through, was it? I looked down at myself, but everything looked normal.

When I looked up again, his eyes were still on me. They gleamed in the dim light of the restaurant, almost like he was imagining what I looked like without clothes on. In his bed. With my legs wrapped around his waist.

I cleared my throat and crossed my legs, trying my hardest to ignore the moisture that pooled between my thighs.

When that didn’t work, I cleared my throat again and tried to change the topic. “You didn’t answer me. Who are you texting so much?”

A teasing smile lit up his face. “Why? Are you jealous?”

I rolled my eyes and was about to make a snarky remark but then stopped myself. I seriously wanted to know, so I opted for honesty.

“That depends on your answer.”

His smile widened. “Well, I wouldn’t want to upset my girlfriend, would I?”

“I would hope not.” I smiled innocently, yet my eyes held a threat I knew I would carry out if I needed to.

He must have realized I was serious, because he placed his phone down and gave me his full attention.

“I was texting Anton. We grew up together, and our families are allies. He was checking in about the ball his family is hosting in two days. I told him I’ll be introducing him to my wife.”

“Oh,” I muttered in surprise, recognizing the name. “You don’t mean Anton Petrov, do you? The heir to the Petrov family?”

His eyebrows knitted together. “Yes, that’s him. You know his name, but you didn’t know mine?”

I shrugged. I faintly recalled Jalen mentioning the name Anton Petrov one night over a year ago.

Stefano narrowed his eyes. “You know a lot about this side of the world despite not being involved in it.”

“It’s not like it’s a huge secret. The mafia families run the city. Besides, I have a friend who has some connections, and I got most of my information from him.”

“‘Has some connections,’ huh? What’s her name?”

“~His~ name is a guarded secret from those in the criminal world, but since I know him personally, it’s Jalen to me.”

Stefano paused. “A guy? Are you close?” His voice strangely got lower, and I couldn’t help but smile at the jealousy in his eyes.

I nodded. “We grew up together, and we keep in touch when we can.”

“I see,” Stefano said, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. “I’ll have to look into him then.”

“Why?” I stiffened. ~Look into him?~ From everything he’d told me, Jalen was a neutral party, refusing to commit to any one family. He’s said he made more money, and more allies, that way.

“I need to know about everyone you’re associated with. It’s a safety precaution. As you’ve already seen, spies are often prominent around the beginning of our games.”

I shook my head, not understanding his reasoning. “But the first game is already underway. And three spies were already caught. Do you really think another spy would stick it out this long?”

Stefano uncrossed his arms and leaned his forearms on the table, moving closer to me and lowering his voice. “Our enemies aren’t afraid of playing the long game, so we need to be prepared. The participants are volunteers, and most don’t have any prior experience with a mafia family.”

“If most weren’t involved in the mafia world before being chosen, why are you so worried?” I asked. “Jalen is my friend. He’s not a threat.”

“Because someone, either themselves or a family member, could’ve been bought out by another mafia family with the express goal of getting as far into the games as possible. That way, they can pass on information without our knowing it.”

“If you’re that worried, why host the games?”

“It’s a symbol of strength. A sign to our enemies that we’re not worried about their schemes. It’s beneath us.”

“How many enemies do you have?”

“Lots.” He chuckled. “But if we’re being specific, the main ones are the Perez and Volkov families.”

I furrowed my brow, reminded of what Sam told me about the Volkovs. “But aren’t the Volkov family declining?”

He sighed and took a sip of his whiskey. “It may seem like it, but I don’t believe that’s entirely true. Their resilience is admirable, I can’t deny that. We’ve had skirmishes with them many times over the past few years, which is why we keep tabs on them. Complacency often leads to death.”

“If that’s the case, isn’t being close to the Petrov family dangerous? They could also be biding their time, waiting for the right moment to take you out.”

He chuckled. “I’m glad that you’re being cautious. Don’t ever lose that—it could save your life. The Petrov family have been our allies for years. That won’t change anytime soon. Anton and I are sworn brothers. As long as we don’t encroach on Petrov territory, they will leave us alone.”

“Are they powerful?”

“Very. If they weren’t our allies, they would be the largest threat to our family. We haven’t fought in years, so it’s unclear who’s the strongest. This is why you must always be cautious. There’s no telling who around you is a spy.”

I nodded, noting it down in my head with a large mental marker. I was happy that Stefano was being up front and honest with me.

So far, I’d never asked a question that he failed to answer, and my trust in him was growing.

After a few more minutes of idle chatter, Stefano paid the bill and escorted me out of the restaurant.

The drive back to the mansion was quick, and Stefano dropped me off before he left to meet Anton.

The first thing I did when I entered the house was take a shower. I was exhausted. When I got out, I collapsed onto the bed and immediately dozed off.

The next morning, I woke to find a new phone sitting on the nightstand next to me. I unboxed it excitedly and hugged the cold metal to my chest.

Finally. I hadn’t realized how much I missed having a phone until now.

Come to think of it, I’d been taken so abruptly, my boss probably thought I’d just quit cold turkey or something. I should reach out to him and formally resign, though knowing him, he’d probably already found a replacement for me.

I booted up the phone and found there was already a plan installed.

I immediately called Selena.

“Hello?”

“I got a new phone!” I squealed in her ear on purpose.

“Jesus, woman. Why are you so excited? Isn’t it too early for you? You’re normally not a morning person.”

“I am now,” I chirped.

“…Catalina…” She dragged my name slowly, her voice thick with suspicion.

I rolled over on the bed and placed her on speaker. “Yes, ma’am?”

“You’re awfully happy. What’s going on? Is there something I don’t know? Are you seeing someone?”

Her ability to deduce that stunned me. She took my silence as confirmation. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

I said nothing, still processing how well she knew me.

She gasped dramatically. “No way!”

“Well…”

“Oh my god! Who is it? Who is it? I want all the deets. Where did you meet him? How long has this been going on? Is he handsome? Do you have a picture? Send it to me right now! You’re finally over that insensitive bastard.”

I winced. “Well…”

“So? Who is it? Tell me.”

I hesitated before mumbling, “It’s Stefano… We got back together.”

I couldn’t keep his name from her, but I knew I couldn’t tell her who he really was. That information needed to be told in person once she was back and living with us.

The line went silent; I waited with bated breath for her response. After a few seconds with no reply, I got a bit nervous. Her breathing was the only thing I could hear over the line.

After a few more seconds, I hesitantly called out, “Selena?”

That opened up the floodgates.

“Bitch!”