Running my hands self-consciously over my hips in front of the mirror, I study the way the orange material stretches across my frame. “You’re sure this isn’t too tight on me?” I ask Kat.
She places her hand on my upper arm and checks out my reflection. “It looks stunning. Everything looks stunning on you.” She curls a lock of my hair between her fingers before letting it fall over my shoulder. Then she gives me a playful swat on the behind. “You’re a knockout.”
I roll my eyes, dismissing her compliment. “My ass and boobs are way fatter than yours though,” I insist, trying to pull the material up over my straining cleavage.
Kat wrinkles her nose. “Not really. Maybe a cup size bigger than me, but the dress fits you beautifully.” She slaps my hand away. “Now stop fidgeting.”
I drop my hands to my sides. There’s no way she’s looking in the same mirror I am. Kat has an enviably slim figure, while I’m always at least ten pounds overweight. “It’s not too revealing for the dinner table?”
“It’s a wrap dress, Mia,” she says with a dramatic eye roll. “Not a bodycon mini.”
I didn’t bring much with me, and I’m running out of things to wear. Dinner at the Moretti mansion is a semiformal affair most evenings, and I don’t want to embarrass my cousin by wearing jeans and a tank top when everyone else is dressed up. “Thanks for the loan.”
“You should keep it. That color is perfect on you.” She wrinkles her nose and I see where Gabriella gets that very same expression from. “It doesn’t suit me.”
“I can’t take this. I bet this dress cost more than my last car!”
She grins at me. “All the more reason you should have it. It’s like an asset.”
I laugh. “I could sell it if I ever have to go on the run.”
“Seriously though, it looks incredible on you, Mia Melon.” She wraps her arm around me, and her use of my childhood moniker warms my heart. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“I’m glad I’m here too, Kat Cabana,” I reply, resting my head on hers. We stand like that for a few beats, smiling at each other in the mirror the way we used to when we were thirteen years old and life was so much simpler.
Joey jumps up to give me a hug when I walk into the dining room with Kat by my side. “Wow! You look hot.” She pulls back and looks me over from head to toe. “That color’s amazing on you.”
Kat takes a glass of wine from Dante and turns to Joey. “Isn’t it?”
My cheeks flush pink at their praise.
“Yeah. I never did like it on you, but on Mia …” Joey’s face lights up with a wicked grin.
“You were the one who persuaded me to buy it!”
“I know.” Joey winces. “It looked good on you in the store, but I think it was the lighting. Green and blue are definitely more your colors.”
Kat gives her sister-in-law a look of mock-betrayal and shakes her head. “Remind me to never take you shopping again.”
“I did help you choose that incredible green dress you wore for your wedding anniversary.” Joey wiggles her eyebrows. “The one you said Dante tore in half because he—”
“Enough, Joey,” Dante says good-naturedly, shooting Kat a smoldering glance that makes her blush. Then he turns his attention to me and hands me a glass of wine. “You look very nice, Mia.”
“It’s a beautiful dress,” I reply self-consciously, smoothing the fabric over my thighs. I turn to the table and notice Lorenzo sitting by himself, nursing a glass of Scotch. He’s looking down at his drink, but my skin tingles like his eyes had been locked on me only seconds before.
“Do you have to cause trouble everywhere you go, baby girl?” Max asks Joey as he pulls out her chair.
“You know I do,” she replies with a soft giggle, and the sound he gives in response makes me smile. Everything about being around this family makes me happy. They’re so close-knit and care about each other so much. I’m privileged to have been allowed inside their little bubble, if only for a short while.
“Speaking of trouble, I heard there was some at the casino today?” Dante asks as he takes his seat at the head of the table.
Max and Lorenzo share a brief glance, but it’s Joey who answers. “The cops received a tip that we had some underage patrons and were also running hookers out of the place. Obviously it wasn’t true. It’s handled.”
“Yeah. All sorted,” Max agrees.
Dante turns to his older brother. “Loz?”
“Dealt with,” Lorenzo replies.
Dante frowns and takes a sip of his wine. Everyone remains silent for a few seconds, and when he speaks again, I see Lorenzo roll his eyes in my peripheral vision like he’s annoyed that his younger brother won’t let this drop. “Why did the cops act on such a bogus tip-off? Where did it come from?”
“We’ll discuss it later,” Lorenzo says, fists and jaw clenched.
Dante glares at his older brother. “I’d rather we discuss it now.”
Lorenzo glares back at him. “It’s handled.”
Dante’s hand balls into a fist on the table. “Why are the cops acting on tip-offs about our casino instead of speaking to us about it?”
“Because it came from a source they deemed reliable.”
Dante seems to take Lorenzo’s tone as a signal to stop asking questions, but my heart sinks through my stomach. “It was Brad, wasn’t it? He’s been making trouble for you?”
“It’s handled,” Lorenzo repeats sternly.
Dante’s nostrils flare. “Did it have anything to do with that fucker?”
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper, wishing I’d never come here at all. The last thing I wanted was to cause trouble. I should have known Brad would try something underhand.
Joey squeezes my left hand. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Mia. We dealt with the cops and Max and Loz are looking into Brad’s connection to the deputy superintendent.”
“He’s connected to the deputy?” Dante asks with a frown.
Max speaks up. “It seems so, but we don’t know how yet. We’re looking into it.”
Dante growls. “This is all we need.”
Oh, god. “I’m so sorry,” I say again.
“You have nothing to apologize for, Mia,” Kat assures me. However, her husband looks like he’s about to start foaming at the mouth.
“I do. I’m so sorry I brought this trouble to you all. I’ll leave first thing in the morning. I’ll find somewhere to go. I’m so sorry. I had no idea that Brad had any connection to anyone high up in the Chicago PD, because if I had—”
“Mia!” Lorenzo’s deep voice cuts through my breathless chatter and a deafening silence falls over the room, broken only by me sucking in air. My blood thunders in my ears. “None of this is your fault,” he says, his tone calm and reassuring.
“He’s right, Mia.” Dante sighs. “Please don’t think my anger at your ex-husband is in any way directed at you.”
“B-but I—”
“Enough,” Lorenzo barks, and this time his tone slices through me like a hot knife through butter, rendering me speechless, but not in an unpleasant way. I can’t explain the feeling that settles over me, but I sit back in my chair and shut my mouth, content not to speak for the moment.
“I’ll have some information by tomorrow,” Max says.
Dante nods approvingly. “And last night, Joey? Max told me there was some trouble?”
Joey takes a sip of her wine before she replies. “Iman and his crew turned up, which isn’t a big deal. But they got pretty wasted on the complimentary drinks at the high rollers’ table and insulted two of our biggest female investors. Security dealt with them, and the ladies said they were fine, but I don’t like women getting hassled in our casinos.”
I listen to the ongoing discussions about the casino and the Moretti business empire, thankful for a distraction from Brad even if the amount of drama this family deals with on a daily basis sounds exhausting. Still conscious of Lorenzo’s earlier command, I refrain from apologizing again about adding to their stress.
“Max and I will pay Iman a visit tomorrow,” Lorenzo says, which earns him a grin from Max.
Dante raises his eyebrows at the two of them. “Just try not to kill anyone, eh?”
Before either of them can answer, two housekeepers walk into the room carrying dinner and all talk of murder and mayhem is put on ice.
