Speak Low (Speak Easy 2)

“He didn’t say exactly, only that it was something I’ve been looking for.” He drank again. “I assume he’s ready to finish up the opium deal.”

“And Rosie? How’d you end up with her?” I couldn’t resist asking.

“I walked in here looking for Enzo, and Rosie accosted me.”

I squinted at him. “Accosted you?”

He gave me a crooked smile. “I can’t help it if I’m irresistible. It’s the hair, you know?” He ran a hand along the side of his brown curls, which had been tamed into submission with hairdressing. “Or maybe the body in my sharp new suit.” He puffed out his chest.

It’s the mouth, I wanted to say, looking at his full lips, and maybe the hands. But I rolled my eyes and took a drink instead. “Well, it’s certainly not your modesty, we know that. So Enzo invited you tonight. Well, he didn’t say anything to me about it.”

Joey shrugged before lifting his glass again. “What he says to you ain’t my business.”

In an instant his demeanor had shifted from playful to tense. “But—”

“Good evening,” said a smooth, deep voice behind me.

I spun around and came face to face with Enzo, whose sleek appearance in a black suit and tie were enough to momentarily steal my breath. Rosie was right. He does look mighty fine. “Hi,” I said. And then hiccupped, loudly.

Enzo’s lips tipped up. “Welcome, darling. I’d buy you a drink but I see you’ve already gotten started.” His eyes moved beyond me to Joey. “Mr. Lupo. You made it. You’re alone?”

“As requested.”

“Excellent. If you’ll just give me a moment with Miss O’Mara here, I’ll be with you shortly.”

“I’m at a booth down front,” Joey said, already backing away from us.

“I know wher

e you are. Enjoy yourself.”

It was all perfectly friendly, but something was off about the exchange between them. It wasn’t just that they were being eerily nice to one another in a phony way, because even after Joey had gone, I still felt a sense of alarm. “So…you invited Joey here tonight?” Hiccup.

“I did. I have something to discuss with him, and I promised him it would be worth his while. In fact, I invited him a couple nights ago, but this was the first night he said he could get away.”

“Oh.” Briefly I wondered what had kept Joey so busy. His family? Was his mother OK? Hiccup.

“Shall I get you some water?”

“Yes, please.”

Enzo snapped his fingers for the bartender’s attention while I racked my brain trying to think up a way to get Enzo to let me come to the meeting he was planning with Joey. A moment later, he took my whisky and handed me the water, watching as I took a few sips. “Better?”

I nodded. “Thank you.”

He leaned closer to speak low in my ear. “You look ravishing in that white dress, darling. I can barely keep my hands off you. Is it new?”

Heat bloomed in my cheeks. “I borrowed it.”

“Ah. Well, soon you’ll have a whole closet full of new dresses, each one just waiting for you to put it on so I can tear it off you. With my teeth.”

“What?” Hiccup.

Enzo laughed as I brought the water to my lips again. “You heard me.” Lifting his wolf eyes from my breasts, he glanced over my shoulder and straightened up.

“So what happened with the whisky shipment?” I asked. “Did you get it?”

“You’re drinking it tonight, aren’t you?”