Without waiting for a word, she turned her back on them and stepped away, finding any excuse to be as far away from them as possible. She didn’t even care to step outside.
Instead, she found the stairwell in the main corridor and lowered herself, taking a deep breath.
She hated parties and functions like these. They sucked.
“Not one for the crowds?”
Alex looked up to see Antonio Testa, one of Roman’s best friends. She met him on their wedding day when he was Roman’s best man.
“No, I’m not.” She shrugged. “You?”
He chuckled. “I just needed a breather from all those women.” He winked and then nodded at where she sat. “Do you want some company?”
“Sure.” She didn’t see a reason why not.
Antonio was a large man, and she had no choice but to move a little closer to the banister for him to be able to fit on.
“You look nice tonight.”
“Thanks.”
This was Roman’s best friend, not hers. She didn’t trust him, even though Antonio had never given her any reason not to trust him.
“I know that Roman can be a little difficult, but you’ve just got to give the guy a chance. He’s under a lot of pressure.”
She turned to him and then smiled.
Unless it was her father, she had no intention of talking to strangers about her marriage to Roman. Especially not a best friend.
“I don’t know if you’re needed in there…”
“Trying to get rid of me?” He nudged her shoulder.
Alex frowned, but rather than try to make a big deal out of what was happening, she forced a smile. “I don’t want to be held responsible for, you know, keeping you away from business. I know how important it is for you all.” Antonio had never been overly friendly with her, and she didn’t quite like that he was being so now.
****
Roman Greco hated these small little party get-togethers. His father arranged it as a way of inviting him and his new wife, as well as Liam. He’d seen the older man give her a hug, and he just knew it was a dig at him, or in some way telling him he wasn’t good enough.
Liam had told him plenty of times that he was merely the best of the worst. He didn’t understand what the big deal was. He married his daughter, and business was going great between them. All the boxes for this union to work had been ticked, and still, Liam looked at him like he wanted to slit his throat.
It just so happened the feeling was mutual. He didn’t like Liam Smith.
The man wasn’t mafia, he wasn’t family, and in no way was he blood. There was no denying Liam had worked himself from the ground up, building a reputation for himself and becoming the feared crime boss that he was. His name rivaled the Greco name for fear. Men were loyal to him, and they never, even under threat of torture or being tortured, turned on him.
Lucas Greco, Roman’s father, had been impressed and wanted to finally meet the man that no one would break from. Not even to save their own skin.
Who instilled that kind of loyalty?
The man in front of him was deadly. Roman saw it in the man’s eyes. There was nothing living there, and he heard the rumors that the only person who was ever safe from this man was his daughter, Alex.
So much rumor and gossip followed this man. Roman didn’t believe it all.
He sipped at his whiskey and stared at the man over the rim of the glass. He didn’t fear Liam.
Roman was the only man in the history of the mafia to have killed a man at the ripe old age of ten. Serving his father and the Greco name was in his blood, as was becoming the boss, when his father would hand the reins over to him. Until that time, he still had to do what his father instructed.
“How is married life treating you?” Liam asked.