Arturo looked up from the collar. “I have decided to switch it up a bit.”
“So you raided a pet shop?”
“Humans torture animals in so many ways. I think it’s fitting that I should use some of those devices to torture certain humans.”
An image of Cliffy with such a collar entered my mind. “Do you have beer?”
Arturo shrugged. “Check the fridge.”
I walked past him and opened the fridge. It was stocked with beer, hot dogs, mustard, and gherkins. I was always glad when it was only food and drinks I found in Arturo’s fridge. I grabbed a beer, opened it and took a deep swig.
“I’ve been entertaining thoughts of killing Cliffy.”
Arturo gave me a blank stare.
I smirked. That was Arturo. He blacked out things of no importance as soon as they’d passed his ears.
“Clifford Clark.”
That finally got his attention. He grabbed a beer for himself, then leaned against the counter across from me. “What’s the plan?”
I chuckled. Of course, Arturo was ready to jump into action. “I haven’t crossed the line to making detailed plans yet.”
“If you’ve come to me to talk about this, you obviously aren’t looking to be discouraged.”
He had a point. If I wanted someone to talk sense into me, Arturo was the wrong choice. He was too eager for blood.
“We could make it look like an accident.”
“Nobody will believe that. His family will blame the Outfit and Dante will go looking for possible suspects, and I have a feeling ultimately it’ll be linked to me.”
Not to mention that Anna would probably get suspicious. I doubted she’d be very happy with me if I killed Cliffy. She chose him. She wanted to go through with this wedding. Nobody really forced her. If she’d tell her parents she couldn’t go through with it, they wouldn’t force her. And if someone ever tried to force her, then I’d be the first to put a bullet in Clifford’s head to stop the wedding.
If Anna thought I wasn’t worth the risk, then I sure as fuck wouldn’t force her to pick me.
Santino watched me interact with Clifford like a lion on the prowl. His entire body was bursting with tension and in his eyes the desire to pulverize Clifford was unmistakable.
Clifford and I held hands and smiled into the cameras, playing the happy couple that we weren’t and would probably never be.
“A kiss for the camera?” a journalist called, and before I could react Clifford leaned down and kissed me. It was only a peck on the lips, definitely nothing indecent but longer than I would have liked, and it did things to Santino’s expression that would have alerted everyone of our relationship if anyone had paid attention.
I cleared my throat and smiled back at the camera. Guilt settled in my stomach. I felt as if I’d cheated on Santino, but he and I weren’t… we couldn’t be. Even if what we had now felt like a real thing, like more than just a fling, it didn’t stand a chance against what lay ahead of us. I’d marry Clifford, so if anything I should feel guilty toward him because what Santino and I did was definitely more than an innocent peck on the lips.
Clifford and I held hands the entire time. With only five months until our wedding, we needed to start acting as if we were in love. Neither of our families could use nasty rumors in the press.
Eventually, I pretended I needed to go to the bathroom, but in truth I went looking for Santino whom I found in the lobby, sitting on the stairs and staring down at his phone.
“Shouldn’t you be watching me?” I asked with a teasing smile as I headed toward him.
“Clifford’s bodyguards are there, not to mention your father. I prefer to stay here, away from the madness.”
I stopped beside him, leaning against the handrail.
“Are you mad?”
“Why would I be? Hmm?” he murmured in a deadly voice. “Because you and Cliffy are all lovey-dovey?”
“He took me by surprise. I wouldn’t have kissed him.”
“Why not? You’re engaged and the future dream couple of Chicago.”
“You knew all of this when we started sleeping together,” I said quietly. It was an argument we’d had so often in recent weeks. Things were becoming more strained every day. We fought constantly, and only ever didn’t argue when we had sex.
“Sleeping together. Is that all we’re doing? Because if you think it is, we might as well call it fucking.”
I blinked and my throat became tighter. I wasn’t sure what was happening between us. Though, that wasn’t true. Maybe it was bound to happen, maybe it needed to happen so our eventual goodbye wouldn’t hurt quite as much. “You know there’s more.” I sank down beside him on the step but left a bit of a distance between us in case someone caught us.