I press my lips together, my throat tightening as the silence becomes uncomfortable.
Turning my head slightly, I find Maximo glaring at Vito. His feet are still propped up on the table, his hands crossed over his stomach, coiled together tightly. Vito is staring back just as intensely but where Maximo is like a burning flame, Vito is a cool winter day, his face and body giving nothing away.
The door to the room swings open, shifting everyone's attention as the usual cook comes into the room. She has three full glasses on a tray. She pauses, her eyes sweeping over the table. Her body tenses up, her lips twitching before she quickly masks the reaction and gives a bright smile. "Good morning, I didn't realize we were going to be having an extra guest." Her eyes briefly flicker over to Maximo. "What should I get you to drink, Mr. Casto?"
"Brandy, no ice," he quips, without missing a beat. He only looks at her long enough to issue a cold smile before looking back at Vito.
"Of course," she says before placing the three glasses on the tray in front of Maximo, Vito, and I. I frown when I see that once again I'm being served orange juice.
"Breakfast will be coming up shortly, and your drink, Mr. Casto," she says before hastily leaving the room.
Silence reenters in her stead.
I glance at Enzo who's standing against the wall. His jaw is tight, his gaze shifting between Vito and Maximo. Giovanni is the only person in the room who seems to not give a flying fuck about the ever increasing tension in the room. He's still on that damn phone and I have to wonder how much work he actually gets done on it considering that it seems to never leave his hand.
"You know it's funny," Vito says after a moment. "The main reason I'm Giovanni's fixer is because his brother seems to forever be breaking things." He picks the conversation right back up as if minutes haven't passed. His eyes meet Maximo's. "If only he'd take my advice and finally put you down. Maybe then I wouldn't have my job," he leans forward slightly, "or better yet, maybe I'd have yours."
Maximo's feet leave the table and he leans forward as well, flapping his hands against the table and making it vibrate. "Over my dead fucking body, Bianchi."
Giovanni's head finally lifts from his phone, his lips turning down slightly as he glances at Vito before looking over at his brother.
"Maximo," he says sharply. "Cut it out," he commands before turning his attention to Vito. He doesn't say anything to him, only raising a brow but it seems to speak volumes as Vito leans away from the table, composing himself as he look at Maximo with contempt.
Maximo doesn't look as subdued as Vito though.
"And don't you worry, Vito," he says even as Giovanni aims a look at him. "I've yet to finish breaking things, especially ones that belong to my brother." When his gaze moves to mine, his cold eyes meeting mine, every hair on my body stands at attention and my heart goes racing in my chest.
I jerk back in my chair out of instinct, my head slamming against the back of the seat. Pain shoots through my skull. I take a deep swallow.
"That's enough, Maximo," Giovanni snaps, slamming his phone down hard enough on the table that I expect to hear it break. "You will behave for the rest of breakfast or you will excuse yourself," he declares.
Maximo gives a humorless laugh, shaking his head. "Yes, sir." The sarcasm isn't missed. He leans back in his chair, but his gaze doesn't move away from me the entire time, hot and heavy.
No one says anything until the cook returns with another woman in her stead. They place plates in front of everyone and Maximo is given his glass of brandy.
My food is tasteless as I eat it, keeping one eye on Maximo the entire time. He doesn't do or say anything though, which is surprising.
When I'm finished, I try to leave my glass of orange juice untouched but Giovanni looks past Vito to me, his eyes shifting back and forth between I and the drink, pointedly. I know there's no way he doesn't know at this point that I hate the stuff. But still, I pick it up and sip, trying to cover my wince at the bitter taste.
I feel eyes boring into my head, and I look over to find Vito looking at me with curious eyes. After a moment, he takes my glass from my hand, scooting the one in front of him over.
My cheeks warm and I pick the glass up, grateful for the sweet tea as it washes over my taste buds.
After everyone is done, I wait patiently to be dismissed, knowing my luck is definitely going to run out soon. I definitely can't go unscathed for too much longer.
"Winter, you will be reporting for your first day of work tonight," Giovanni says eventually, turning his gaze toward me. "Enzo will escort you." That's all he gives me before he's standing up, pushing away from the table. He looks at Maximo. "Brother, join me."
Maximo only stares at him for a moment before rising to his feet. He looks at me and that same grin from earlier returns before he's following his brother out of the room.
A weight lifts off my chest.
"You don't like orange juice," Vito says, reminding me of his presence. My gaze snaps to him and I press my lips together tightly, shrugging.
"No."
His lips twitch into what isn't quite a smile before he shakes his head. "I'll see what I can do," he says after a moment before glancing behind us at Enzo. His gaze hardens slightly before he picks up a paper towel and wipes his hands.
I wait, having a feeling that there's more for him to say.