Lucien by Silvia Violet

Author:Silvia Violet
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Published: 2020-04-24T04:00:00+00:00

17

Peter

The day of DiGiulio’s opening, Sabrina asked me to have a cup of tea with her. We sat in a room at the back of the house where Lucien had put in a picture window that let the afternoon sun pour in. The rich red walls added to the warm, cozy feel, but despite that, I was on edge, wondering what Sabrina wanted to say to me.

“Is something wrong? I know Angelo doesn’t trust me, but—”

“I trust you, Peter. In fact, I wanted to tell you I think you’re good for Lucien.”

“Really? You think that?”

“Yes. I know he’s not always easy to live with.”

Was I supposed to disagree? “Um… He’s—”

“No need to try to defend him, but I want you to know that he needs your support tonight.”

“He’ll have it, but why?”

“Did he tell you that DiGiulio was his mother’s maiden name?”

I shook my head.

“He named the restaurant in honor of her, and it’s his pet project, the first thing he’s done all on his own. If things go badly, he’s going to take it personally.”

I was sure he would, but how could I help? “Won’t that mean he’ll just want to focus more on revenge?”

“Yes, but he’s a lot more vulnerable than he seems.”

I wanted to ask her what she meant by that, but her phone rang. It was Lucien’s father wanting to check up on everyone.

That evening, I was so nervous Lucien had to help me get ready. He buttoned my shirt for me, knotted my tie, fixed my cufflinks, and threaded my belt through its loops.

“I’ve tripled my security force and brought in some of the best men in the country,” Lucien said as he hugged me from behind, surveying us both in the mirror. “I’m going to keep you safe tonight.”

“What about you? Will you be safe?”

“No one who does what I do is ever completely safe.”

“I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Lucien brushed my hair back from my face. “Angelo and Devil will see that you’re taken care of if anything happens to me.”

“That’s… I didn’t mean…”

He laid a finger over my lips. “It’s time to go. Don’t worry about anything. Just smile and be pretty. That’s all you need to do tonight.”

“Should I be insulted by that?”

Lucien’s smile made me feel warm all over despite my concern. “Absolutely not. I don’t take just anybody with me to special events.”

“Is that all I am, though? An accessory?” I immediately regretted the words. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer, and now was absolutely not the time to be asking. Lucien might appear calm and controlled, but I knew he was worried about what would happen tonight.

He studied me, his gaze sweeping me from head to toe. “You’re mine. That’s what you are.”

What did that mean to him exactly? I couldn’t help thinking about what Sabrina had said, that he was a lot more vulnerable than he seemed. I knew he was concerned for my safety and the safety of his restaurant patrons, but

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