Topic: On Neutral Ground

Matteo Alessi · Date: 2020-06-20 11:46 EST

There was no end of places to dine and enjoy yourself on the Las Vegas Strip. between hotels and restaurants, not to mention the casinos with their adjoining bars, choosing a place to eat or drink could seem like an overwhelming experience. It might almost be easier to order takeout or room service. But some things could not be done in absolute privacy.

Adriana Cavarello knew this intimately. She had chosen Mizumi as the meeting place, hiring a private room that was, nonetheless, visible from the main dining room. And, of course, she was fashionably late, walking into the restaurant with Danny at her back, her nerves jangling, every sense alert and on edge. She didn't feel safe; hadn't felt safe since her father and uncles had been gunned down just a few weeks ago by rivals looking to take over their operations. But, if all went well tonight, she might start to feel a little less like she had a giant target painted on her forehead at all hours of the day and night.

With a nod to the staff, she made her way to the private dining room, 5'7" of slender femininity flanked by 6' of unmistakable bodyguard. Her dark hair was pulled up into a twist, heels showing off long legs beneath her conservative sheath dress. This was a business meeting. She just had to hope she had enough to offer to make it worth her while.

Fashionably late didn't always go over well where certain people were concerned - especially in their line of business - but the man who'd been sent to meet with Miss Cavarello was the patient sort, at least, to a degree. He, too, had not come alone, but the men he'd brought with him were out of sight, out of mind, for the moment. Matteo Alessi was not a native of Las Vegas. He had not, in fact, come here by choice, and had not yet decided whether he liked it or not, but orders were orders, and given the chance to move up in rank, he could hardly refuse. He'd taken a seat at the bar, where he had a good view of those both coming and going while he nursed a martini. He knew who he was looking for, who he was there to meet. He'd seen her photo and knew she was a knockout, but unfortunately, this was business, not pleasure.

She did not appear to have seen him as she and her guard passed through the dining room and bar, but that didn't mean much. She simply made her way to the private room, stepping in through the sliding glass doors before turning to murmur to Danny.

"He's by the bar," she said softly. "Invite him in, please?"

Her bodyguard frowned, not happy about turning his back on her even for a couple of minutes, but nodded, waiting until the door was closed behind her before making his way across the dining room to join Alessi by the bar.

"Miss Cavarello would like you to join her."

Matteo watched as she moved past with her bodyguard without so much as a glance his way. Too obvious, he thought to himself as he sipped his martini. And only one bodyguard" She was either ballsy, reckless, or naive; he wasn't sure which. He glanced sidelong at her bodyguard as he approached, quietly sipping his drink, before turning to meet his gaze.

"Of course," he said, with a strained smile, draining his drink and leaving a few bills on the bar before moving to his feet.

Danny knew enough not to follow him, it seemed. The air of anxiety hanging over the bodyguard was palpable as he watched the man walk toward the private room. He knew he wasn't the only man here packing, trained eyes spotting the others who were within eyeshot easily enough. Adriana was already in over her head, and she didn't even know it.

Sure, they could have easily eliminated her, but not here and not in broad daylight. Besides, that wasn't what this was about. You didn't make money by wiping out your allies, just your enemies. This was a business meeting, not an assassination. Besides, it would be a crime - literally - to ruin such a pretty face as hers, and Matteo was here to make sure that wouldn't be necessary. He looked the part of a businessman, dressed in an summer-weight suit, no tie, just a dress shirt open at the neck. One could always tell if someone had money by the shoes they wore, and his were Giacometti's - as Italian as the blood in his veins and just as expensive as the suit.

"Miss Cavarello," he said, greeting her with a warm smile that didn't go all the way to his eyes - not yet. It was too soon to tell if he liked her and more importantly, could trust her.

Adriana looked up from where she had been nervously studying her nails at the sound of the door, rising to greet her guest with an equally mouth-only smile. The difference there was that her eyes held fear that she was clearly trying her best to keep under control.

"Mr. Alessi," she greeted him politely, offering him her hand. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me."

He extended an immaculately manicured hand to grasp hers, a ring on his right hand that spoke volumes about who he worked for.

"My pleasure," he replied, though in truth, he hadn't really been given a choice. Orders were orders, after all, and he'd been given far less enjoyable orders than this in the past, so he couldn't really complain. "May I?" he asked, gesturing to the table, the epitome of good manners. Might as well get a nice meal out of it, anyway.

She seemed to relax a little at his display of manners, begging the question of just what kind of men her father had been doing business with in the first place. She gestured with him to the table.

"Please do," she said, moving to retake her own seat. "I'm not entirely sure how these sorts of meetings go, I'm afraid."

"We eat, we drink, we talk. Simple as that," he replied as he moved to get her chair. Whether he was a cold-blooded killer or not, he was at least polite. Once she was seated, he took the chair across from her, lifting his hand to get the waiter's attention and with a mere gesture of his hand, the man hurried off to fetch them drinks without him having to say a word. "I assume you like Japanese?" he said, folding his hands atop his menu.

She hesitated before sitting in the chair he drew out for her, apparently unused to this kind of gentlemanly manners. "I've actually only been here once," she admitted. "But it seems to be the only place that is untainted by ....by what happened to my father."

There were few places in Vegas that could be classified "neutral ground", but Mizumi was one of them - not because it was Japanese, but because all the families had agreed upon it remaining as such.

"Why don't you start by telling me what happened?" he asked. Though he knew the story already, he wanted to hear it from her point of view.

Matteo Alessi · Date: 2020-06-21 12:00 EST

She let out a shaky breath, looking down at her own folded hands on her lap.

"I don't know every detail," she said quietly. "My father didn't tell me he was having problems with the Pugliani family, maybe he didn't think they were as bold as they clearly are. They've been trying to take over our operations for about a year now, but it never came to outright violence until last month. Papa and my uncles were having a meeting with the last Molinaro representative, I don't know what for. But while they were in the meeting, Chosen men known to be Pugliani attacked the hotel room. They killed everyone but the Molinaro rep, and he left town before I was told about any of it. They don't care that we know who did it. They wiped out almost all the upper level of our family in one attack, something they should not have been able to do."

"Do you think the Molinaros had something to do with your father's death?" he asked, as he tapped a forefinger against the menu in front of him. It wasn't a sign of nervousness so much as worry. If his own boss had ordered the hit, he had been told nothing about it, and as a man in his position, it was definitely something he should have known.

"No, I ..." She shook her head. "There's no evidence that the Molinaros ordered a hit on my father, or that they were involved. We were threatened with reprisals for putting one of yours in danger. The Pugliani are not going to stop, and I have reason to believe they have begun to turn some of my men against me."

"Miss Cavarello," he started, waving a hand to the waiter so that he could bring over the bottle of sake he'd ordered with nothing more than a gesture of his hand. "Before we go any further, let me assure you that if all that is true, you have nothing to fear from me or from my superiors," he said, once the waiter had left them alone once again.

"I understand you will have to make an investigation of your own, of course," she agreed. "I am the one with the weaker hand to play here. I am entirely dependent upon your choices."

"Yes, but if what you say is true - if the Puglianis are to blame - then they will have to answer for it," he said, reaching for the sake and filling her cup, but leaving his own empty, as was proper. "There is a tenuous peace in the city, and we need to determine who has violated it and why. If the Puglianis are making a grab for power, that will not be tolerated."

"Be that as it may, I am in no position to seek retribution," she said quietly. "I am the last member of my family by blood, and though my organisation numbers almost one hundred, I can trust barely thirty of them to support me unconditionally. I am reaching out to the Molinaro because it is clear that the Cavarello name is going to die with me. Whether that is years from now, through marriage, or through a shot in my back in the next month, I want to be sure that my father's legacy and the men he trusted will be cared for."

"Still ..." he started, taking in all she had told him with no expression on his face except to show that he'd been listening. "This sort of thing could start a war, and that would be detrimental to everyone." He had been given enough responsibility that he could make some decisions on his own, but he knew he had to be careful. "You made the right decision in coming to us, but before we can take any action, I need to know what you are hoping to gain from this meeting." Other than protection, he thought to himself. He thought what she needed was obvious enough, but he needed her to say it outright.

She hesitated. Instead of answering immediately, she reached for the bottle of sake, carefully pouring into his cup, as though buying herself time to put the words together in her mind. Her father had told her nothing was more important than her pride. It was a hard lesson to unlearn in the wake of his death. Setting the bottle down, she raised hazel-green eyes to his, almost eerily calm.

"Employment and protection for the men currently under my command," she told him. "And protection for myself, though I know I have little enough to offer in return."

"Are you looking to grow your organization, Miss Cavarello?" he asked without hesitation, as soon as she was finished stating her case. "Or are you just looking for protection?" What he was really asking, if one read between the lines, was whether she was willing to ally her organization with one more powerful than hers that could offer more than just protection.

"I am offering the Molinaros a stake in this city without having to forcibly take it for themselves," she said, but the fear was flickering in her eyes once more. Was she not being clear enough' How was she supposed to do this" "I'm offering all our operations here, in exchange for the Cavarello family becoming a part of the Molinaro family."

Though it might seem to go without saying, that was exactly what he needed to hear her say. And in turn, the Molinaros would deal with the Puglianis, one way or another.

"I assume you want to take your father's place as head of the family," he said. That was not the way things were normally done, but he thought it might be possible.

"I'm the last blood member of my family," she said. "I don't think Papa ever intended me to take over, but here I am. I don't know where that would put me in the hierarchy."

Rather than answer the question implied by her statement, he went on to ask a few more of his own. "Are you willing to accept one of ours as your second?" he asked. Considering the fact that her father and uncles had been killed, leaving those positions unfilled, it seemed a logical question to ask.

"Yes, I would." The answer came without the need for thought. She knew she was in over her head, and though she understood the operations, she did not think she was quite cut-throat enough to get things running to her liking without help.

"Then, I think we have reached an agreement, Miss Cavarello," he said, smiling at last. He would have picked up his sake cup to seal the deal with a toast, but it was still empty. He picked up his sake cup and raised it in a toast to seal the deal. "Welcome to the family."

Adriana let out a shaky breath, some of the tension leaving her frame as he gave her the answer she had been hoping for. "Thank you, Mr. Alessi." She lifted her own cup to join his toast.

He gently touched his cup to hers, a more authentic-looking smile on his face, rather than the deadpan expression he'd had throughout their negotiation. "Kanpai," he said, offering her "Cheers" in Japanese.

His smile did a good deal to relax her further, a sign that he was just not a stone-faced arbiter of underworld justice. In answer, Adriana finally smiled herself, taking a sip of her sake before setting the cup down by her place setting. "Kanpai."

He took a sip of his sake, as well, before returning the cup to the table. "Have you ever eaten here before?" he asked, turning his attention at last to the menu in front of him. Now that they were finished discussing business, the conversation could turn to pleasanter topics.

Matteo Alessi · Date: 2020-06-21 12:00 EST

Despite herself, Adriana's smile deepened in answer to that question. "Ah, actually, no," she admitted. "I came here on a date a few years ago, but, uh ....yeah, I didn't stay to eat."

"I could make a few recommendations," he said, as his eyes perused the menu. "But I'm not sure what you like." He was leaning toward the Angus Beef Filet himself. It was about as close to a steak as he was going to get here.

Opening the menu herself, she scanned the options available. "We are drinking sake, so the rice dishes are not suitable," she said, betraying that she knew a little more about the cuisine than her words had suggested. "Gyoza and mixed tempura with miso might be an acceptable combination."

He chuckled a little to himself at her response. And here, he'd thought her a virgin to Japanese cuisine. "Perhaps I should let you do the honors," he said, closing his menu and practically daring her to do so.

"Is that a challenge, Mr. Alessi?" she asked. "And if I take that challenge, and you spend the evening despising your meal, will it have any effect on what has already been discussed?"

This wasn't a date, but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy the company of a beautiful woman for a few hours, not to mention a tasty meal. "That was business, Miss Cavarello. This is pleasure," he assured her.

"In that case, my name is Adriana," she told him. Though she seemed to have relaxed, there was no disguising the way her eyes flickered to look at the main dining room through the reinforced glass doors that separated them from the public. She was definitely still worried about something, and who could blame her" The last time a member of her family had spoken to a member of the Molinaro family, they had been killed. "And you strike me as a man who would rather eat meat than fish."

"Matt," he countered, offering the shortened version of his name. "And it depends on the fish," he added, not much help where that was concerned. Let it not be said that he wasn't willing to try new things.

"Hmm." Realizing he wasn't going to give her any hints, Adriana looked down at the menu again, only to jump violently at the sound of something being dropped in the kitchen behind the bar.

He frowned, unable to miss her nervousness, which was understandable given the circumstances. "Relax, I have two men in the bar and another two outside. We're on neutral ground. If they try anything here, they'll have all out war on their hands," he assured her quietly.

"I'm sorry," she apologised. "This is the first time I've ever been in direct danger and knew about it. I guess I'm not very good at acting cool."

"This life isn't always easy," he told her, though she had to have known that already. Those of them who'd been born into it had never really had much of a choice. "You're under our protection now," he reminded her. "They're not gonna like it, but there's not much they can do about it." Even if they were to kill them both, someone else from the Molinaro family would just rise to take their places.

"You seem so sure that your boss will agree to everything I have asked," she said quietly. "I hope your confidence is not misplaced." She managed a wan smile then, glancing back down at the menu. "Do you mind sharing dishes?"

"My boss trusts my judgment," he replied without further explanation. Apparently, he was not only trusted but had been granted the authority to make sure decisions on his own. "What did you have in mind?" he asked curiously, before lifting a hand to silence her before she could reply. "Never mind. I said you could order for me, and I stand by my word."

She raised a brow, not entirely sure what to make of this handsome man who apparently had her best interests at heart despite not knowing much about her. "All right." Twisting, she caught the attention of the server assigned to their room, waiting for them to reach the table before ordering an array of dishes to be brought out to them.

He secretly hoped everything she'd ordered was more palatable than it was pronounceable. Now that they were done discussing business, he had clearly relaxed and looked more amused than anything else at the way she'd taken charge of dinner. He took another sip of his sake while he waited for her to finish with the server. "I have a feeling I've been conned," he murmured to himself.

"Oh?" It seemed she had caught that murmur, turning back to him as the server slipped out of their dining room. "You think I'm capable of pulling the wool over your eyes, Matt?"

"Only as far as your familiarity with Japanese cuisine is concerned," he replied, unable to hide the smirk from his face. "I thought you said you've never eaten here," he said, though that hardly proved anything. There were plenty of restaurants in Vegas, one for every palate.

She let out a faint laugh, glancing down at her lap for a moment before looking back to him. "No, I've never eaten here," she clarified. "Doesn't mean I've never eaten Japanese."

"Fair enough," he said. "Why'd you pick this one?" he asked further, presuming she'd figured this an unlikely place for the Pugliani family to patronize.

She did him the courtesy of thinking over her answer before responding. "A couple of things," she admitted. "My papa always said that Mizumi was practically holy ground; that all the families in Vegas agreed no one will draw a weapon here. And ....well, a public place is a good way to avoid overt trouble, according to Danny, but I didn't want to be overheard having this conversation, so Mizumi's private dining rooms made it a good call. Especially since the sliding doors are reinforced glass."

"Good call," Matteo remarked, now that she'd confirmed his assumptions. Mizumi was neutral ground, and that was likely the main reason for choosing it. "Danny is ..." he started, leaving it open-ended for her to fill in the blank. He assumed he was the man who was waiting for her in the dining room, but whether he was a bodyguard, a friend, or something more he couldn't say.

"Oh, Danny's the gentleman I arrived with," she explained. "He hasn't let me go anywhere without him since ..." She stopped herself from saying it aloud. "He's the only reason I didn't die that night, too."

Matteo Alessi · Date: 2020-06-21 12:00 EST

"You were there?" he asked, brows arching upwards. Of course, he had heard about the attack on her family before today, but he hadn't realized she'd been there.

She shook her head. "No, I wasn't. I was at the office, finishing up with our accountant. We kept that attack quiet, because no one died, and nothing was taken. But Danny hasn't left me alone since."

"Why didn't you mention that before?" he asked, brows furrowing now, not in anger but puzzlement. And why hadn't he heard of that attack until now"

"Danny told me not to," she said reluctantly. "He thinks you'll mistrust the security of our operations, knowing that an attempt was made to steal the information pertinent to running our business."

"Do you trust the security of your operations?" he countered, seeing as how her father and brothers had been killed, and she had narrowly missed joining them in the afterlife.

She met his gaze with a surprising amount of confidence. It seemed as though this was something she could be completely confident of. "I do," she said calmly. "Especially since I locked everyone out of the system that night, and no one can access the information they need without requesting it directly from me."

"I think you misunderstand my question, Miss ....er, Adriana. I am not referring to security systems designed to safeguard information, but to safeguard yourself. As you have said, you are the last remaining member of your father's family. You do realize what would take place were something to happen to you," he said, further explaining what he'd meant by the question. He was not talking about safeguarding information, but her life.

"Oh, I know," she assured him, the fear once again visible in her gaze. "And I know that the steps I've taken mean that I would be tortured first. But this is the only way to safeguard my loyal men, Danny's men, until we have confirmation of our new place, and I can release the system back to trusted operators."

He leaned back with a sigh, as she had still not quite answered his question.

"Miss Cavarello, let me make my meaning crystal clear," he said, leaning forward and crossing his arms to lean against the table. "There are some very powerful men who would clearly like to remove you from the picture, for whatever reason. Most likely, they are hoping to take over your operation once you are out of the way. What am I asking is how much trust you put in your own security to keep you safe" Just how well do you know them' How many of them do you trust, without a doubt' You have said yourself that you believe the Puglianis have turned some of your men against you. So I am asking you again, how much trust do you place in your family's security, as it stands right now?"

Probably not much, he thought, or she wouldn't have come to him asking for help. It seemed they were not quite done discussing business, after all.

The color drained from her face as he laid it out absolutely crystal clear for her. She had done things that implied she was on board with everything he said, but it seemed obvious that she hadn't actually thought about it. Until this moment.

"There are three men I trust without question," she said softly, staring down at her hands. "Danny is one. The other two are watching over my little sister right now."

One dark brow cocked upwards. Little sister" he echoed in his mind. Clearly, he had not been told everything. He had two choices here - he could either suggest actions she should take to protect herself and her sister, or ....His thoughts trailed off. She had placed her trust in him and in the Molinaro family. It was up to him now to make those decisions for her, whether she liked them or not.

"We need to flush out the traitors," he said, though he could think of no pleasant way of accomplishing that.

Though the eyebrow was the only evidence, she knew he was surprised to learn she had a sister. Most people were, admittedly. Their father had not advertised their existence, likely because they were female rather than male. But if they had been boys ....they would probably be very dead right now. "I will not let you put Leonora in any more danger than she is already in," she said, and for once, there was real strength in her voice and expression. Her sister was clearly the world to her. "You need bait, you've got me."

There was the brow again, as if every time she opened her mouth, he was surprised by what came out of it. "An interesting idea, but once again you misunderstand me. I was going to suggest taking you and your sister someplace safe, until this can be sorted out."

"And how does that flush out any traitors?" she asked. "Clearly, if there are any and it isn't just hearsay, they're embedded so deeply we don't know where to start looking. Hiding me away just means they'll settle back into their work and wear the mask until they know where I am."

"It will give us time to come up with a plan," he said. And it would keep her safe for now. Did she really think he could wave a magic wand and resolve this situation in a day' "We'll call it a vacation. You need to get away for a while. Given everything that's happened, I don't think that too unreasonable. In the meantime, we can plan our next move. It's a way of buying time, Adriana," he explained further.

"You mean, put all our operations on hold while I hide away somewhere?" she asked, though there was no accusation there. She just wanted to know what it was he expected her to do.

"No, your operations can continue as usual, but I am frankly worried for your safety, and I'm not sure surrounding you with bodyguards is the wisest course of action." He leaned back in his chair again, hands folded in front of him, wishing he'd ordered another martini. It wasn't that the sake wasn't strong enough; there just wasn't enough of it. "It's likely the Puglianis already know about this meeting. If you want to proceed with the least amount of bloodshed, then we need to be careful, and we need to determine who we can trust. I am not fond of the idea of using you as bait. I would prefer to do this a different way."

"But our operations can't continue as usual without my being seen out and about, and being there for my men to contact as and when they need access to the system," she pointed out. "I locked it down personally. No one else knows how to get it, and there are failsafes against hacking."

"What would you do if you went on vacation?" he asked her pointblank. "What did your father do?" he asked further. Was there anyone she trusted to run things in her absence" Or did she suspect them of being traitors?

Matteo Alessi · Date: 2020-06-21 12:01 EST

"Ordinarily, access to the system would be given to the captains," she answered, proving that she knew a little more about their world than she had previously implied. "But this is not an ordinary situation. If, as we suspect, there are traitors in our ranks, how can I know who can be trusted with the system and who can't?"

"That is the point, isn't it?" he asked, the merest hint of a smile on his face. Was this the way he intended to flush out the traitors, or was it only part of the plan"

"Are you suggesting I just hand access to all our operations over to men who might easily then use that information to hand the entire thing over to the Pugliani?" she asked, offended that he was even suggesting this.

"Not without certain safeguards," he said, though he wasn't sure how much he wanted to tell her - how much she needed to know. "I need a few days to sort things out."

"All right," she agreed. "But until you have a plan, things will remain as they are, Mr. Alessi." That probably wasn't the wisest decision, but it was the best she had right now.

"I need to get some of my own men inside your organization," he said. The only way to really know what was going on was to get someone on the inside. And it couldn't be him. He was too visible, too well known.

"Are your men prepared to pretend not to have taken the oath?" she asked quietly, stopping herself from continuing for a moment as the servers reappeared with multiple dishes that were laid on the table between them. When the doors were closed once again, she went on. "We've lost good people. Ordinarily, we would promote from within and recruit to fill the ranks."

"My men are prepared to do whatever I tell them to do," he replied, unable to keep his stomach from grumbling at the smells emitted from the various dishes. He did not mean for his reply to be curt, but he had complete trust in his men. They had been handpicked and trained by him, and most of them were friends.

There was gyoza, tempura, shabu shabu, even takiyoki, as well as the inevitable bowls of miso soup to sip from. Adriana smiled at the sound emanating from Matteo's mid-section, picking up her chopsticks to select one of the gyoza to taste. "Then perhaps that is how we will get them in."

"They can come in as new recruits," Matteo confirmed, waiting for her to make a selection before doing likewise. He was obviously no stranger to chopsticks or to Japanese cuisine, as he took up another of the dumplings and dipped it in sauce.

"With everything as chaotic as it is right now, there's no reason they wouldn't rise relatively quickly," Adriana added, taking a sip of her sake. "With luck, they may be approached about a takeover."

"You say that like it's a good thing," he said, before taking another bite of the gyoza. He didn't seem to mind the food, though he would have preferred a nice juicy steak.

Her answer came while she was looking down at her food. "If I could walk away right now without anyone suffering the consequences of that, I would," she said softly. "I can't. So the next best thing is getting this sorted out sooner rather than later."

He arched a brow, a piece of toku poised in his chopsticks that he'd just fished out of his soup. "Walk away?" he echoed. No one ever walked away from the this life and lived to tell about it. No one.

"Yeah." She forced herself to meet his eyes. "Not possible, I know. But I'm going to make sure my sister has more options than marry a captain and keep house for him."

"Well, it's different for a woman," he said with a slight shrug of his shoulders before he finally popped that bit of tofu into his mouth. He'd been born to this life, like his father before him and his father before that. He'd never known any different, but if he was ever lucky enough to have a family of his own, he didn't want them to follow in his footsteps.

"It's not that different," she corrected him quietly. "My papa was making plans for me to get married, to strengthen alliances. That's what women in this world are for."

"And now?" he asked, taking up a bit of fried shrimp in the form of tempura. Her father was dead and no longer making decisions for her. If she could, would she truly walk away' If that was what she wanted, he might be able to make it happen, but there would be a cost.

She shook her head. "I have a responsibility to the people who depend on our organisation," she said, still in that quiet tone. "I'm not going anywhere. And if the Molinaro family decide that marrying me into their ranks is what it'll take to secure the future of my people and their operations, then that's what I'll do."

"I'm not sure it will come to that," he said, though he had his doubts. Tradition was a hard thing to change, especially in this line of business. It might take an arranged marriage to solidify the partnership between the two families, but times were changing.

"I suppose it all depends if your bosses are prepared to accept a woman as head of a subordinate family," she said with a faint smile. It was something she knew her father would never have accepted. Dipping a piece of tempura into one of the many sauces that had come with their meal, she took a bite, chewing slowly as she considered something. "May I ask you something?"

"That is the question," he murmured uncertainly to himself. It was not something he could answer on his own, and though he didn't say as much, he had promised himself to fight for her. He took up another fried shrimp and dipped it in sauce with a muttered, "Hmm?"

"Why did you come here?" She was watching him closely as she spoke. "Not just because you were ordered to. If you have this much autonomy, then you are in a position to say no to an order. So why did you decide to get involved in this mess?"

He frowned, unsure how to answer that question. There were so many reasons he could have given her - all of them honest, but some more honest than others. "Because I don't like the bloodshed," he answered her as simply as he could. It was probably more personal than that, but that was all she was getting out of him for now. "There are better ways to do business."

"But you could avoid any bloodshed by not coming to Vegas at all," she pointed out. "Let me try a different tack, then. What makes you the man to bring the Cavarellos into the family?"

He met her gaze, his expression solemn. "Is that what you think" You think it's any different in Chicago or New York or L.A." You don't walk away from this life, Adriana. But I swore a long time ago that if I ever had the chance, I'd do things differently. Why am I the right man for the job' I'll tell you why. Because I'm the only one who cares enough to keep you alive and keep you safe."

Matteo Alessi · Date: 2020-06-21 12:01 EST

"Why should anyone care what happens to me?" she countered, unwilling to let it go. "In so many ways, it would be easier to let whoever it is kill me and pick up the pieces after I'm dead."

"Easier is not always better," he said, meeting her gaze, his expression still solemn, but his voice a little softer. "I have to admit, Japanese food is not my favorite," he said, changing the subject with a slightly crooked smile.

She tilted her head, smiling back at him. "Have to admit, I'd prefer a steak, but neutral ground makes for limited options for dinner." Her smile deepened as she lifted her bowl of miso to sip from it, glancing down at the sound of vibration from her purse. "Do you mind if I check my phone" It's probably my sister."

He smiled back at her, glad for the change of subject, and gave her another shrug of his shoulders. "Of course," he replied agreeably, turning his attention to the takoyaki and doing his best to appear not to be eavesdropping on her conversation.

"Thank you." The sheer relief in her expression might have been painful to behold as she bent to fish her phone from her bag and answer the call. "Hey, hey, princess, what's the noise?" A muffled response, and Adriana laughed. "I don't care if he's stuffed ass, you gotta stay put tonight."

Though the expression on Matteo's face didn't change, inside he was in turmoil, memories of another sister haunting his thoughts. He would never let what had happened to her happen to anyone else, if he could help it. It was partly why he'd fought so strongly for this assignment. If he could save just one life, it would be well worth the effort.

The back and forth between the sisters didn't last long. It sounded as though the younger had called just to make sure Adriana was okay, a warm sense of co-dependency between siblings that had clearly been heightened by recent events. The call ended with Adriana rolling her eyes and promising to bring home some dango for her sister before hanging up. "Sorry about that. She's a bit of a worrywart."

"You're very close," he said. It wasn't a question. He didn't have to hear the other side of the conversation to have picked that much up. A younger sister who she was trying to protect. He wondered what had happened to their mother, and whether her father had been good to them, but he knew better than to ask.

"Yeah, I guess so," she agreed. "After her mom left, I kind of raised her. It's just us now." She smiled, the expression warm and fond as she thought of her sister.

"Her mom?" he echoed, looking puzzled. So, apparently, they didn't share the same mother; just the same father.

She looked at him in surprise. "You didn't know" My mama died when I was a kid - it was just me and Papa for a long time. Then when I was ten, he got married again to a dancer called Nicola, and they gave me a little sister a couple of years later. Nikki left when Nora was five. She and Papa, they ....it wasn't a good match."

"And your sister stayed with your father," he said, filling in that blank. He didn't think her father would have let her sister go, even if her mother had insisted on it. He was the one with the power, not her. It hardly mattered that she was the girl's mother. Or maybe she was just that desperate to get away that she let her go.

"Yeah. Papa wasn't the kind of man who would let go of everything." Adriana sighed softly, setting her chopsticks down. "But it's always been kind of just me and her. That hasn't changed, at least."

"You want to protect her. You need to protect her," he said, almost as if he was only half-talking to her, though he was looking right at her. It wasn't that hard to figure out, but maybe he knew more about it than he let on.

She looked at him with an expression that made her agreement with that statement absolutely plain. "I would do anything to protect my little sister," she told him firmly.

He took this in quietly for a moment without saying a word. She'd already nixed the idea of a safe house, and if the wrong people knew how to find her sister, she could be in just as much danger as she was, if not more. He leaned in, lowering his voice though there was no one there to overhear their conversation. "I have a house in Tahoe. You should go there for a while. Take her with you. Until I get this all sorted out."

She blinked, surprised he would offer anything like that. "How do you propose we get there without rousing suspicions?" Danny would want to know, for a start.

"You let me worry about that," he told her. People went on vacation all the time. It wasn't that unusual really. What was unusual was that no one could know where she'd really gone except for a chosen few.

She leaned in herself. To a casual eye, they might seem like lovers; she had a feeling Danny might crush his glass if he even suspected anything like that, though. "When do you need us to be ready to leave?"

"A few days," he replied, turning thoughtful a moment. "You trust him?" he asked, without naming the bodyguard she'd brought along and who was waiting for her in the dining room.

"Him and two others," she said softly. "But the only one I am absolutely certain of is Danny. He's been looking after me and Nora since I was small."

"You should take him with you then," Matteo remarked, lifting his cup of sake to finish it off. He had a couple other guys in mind who he trusted, but she needed someone there that she trusted implicitly.

"Do you have someone he should liaise with to arrange travel for us?" Leonora was going to be her problem. Leaving her friends behind for a few weeks was going to cause one hell of an argument, Adriana was certain.

Matteo wasn't naive enough to think this was going to end without bloodshed, but he was hoping none of that blood would belong to her or her sister. "Yeah, let me check some things first and I'll let you know." Which meant he was going to have to contact her without going through a third party, like he'd done in order to arrange today's meeting.

Matteo Alessi · Date: 2020-06-21 12:02 EST

"All right." She sighed softly, anticipating the loud argument awaiting her with her sister but steeling herself to put her foot down. "I'll make sure we're ready to leave at a moment's notice."

"Can I see your phone?" he asked, so that he could add his number to her contacts. He wasn't stupid enough to use his own name in case someone else got hold of her phone, but he needed her to know how to get in touch with him, just in case.

Without questioning, she slid her phone across to him, nimble fingers unlocking it for his ease of access. "I guess I should start making a list of who gets access when, huh?"

"Access to what?" he asked, as he punched in his cell phone number along with a fictitious name, checking first to make no one else by the name of "Alex" was in her contact list.

"To the operations system," she clarified. "You want to roll it out one by one, right?" She tilted her head at him, her expression curious.

He slid the phone back across the table to her. "I'm listed as Alex. That number goes directly to my cell phone," he told her, before turning his attention to her question. "That would make the most sense," he replied, though he still wasn't entirely sure yet.

She nodded, glancing down at her phone thoughtfully. "How will you contact me?" she asked. "Or will you be going through Danny to get to me, the way we arranged this meeting?"

He pulled his own cell phone out of his jacket and slid it across the table so she could give him her number, as well. "If you don't mind," he added, for good measure. He could go through Danny, but it would make him feel better to know he could reach her directly, if he had to.

She was quick to enter her details, setting herself up as "Addie" in the list. "It's better than you can get to me directly," she agreed. "Danny has a tendency not to tell me some things if he thinks I don't need to know them."

"Right," he said, glad she didn't bother to argue with him about that anyway. It would make things a lot easier if they could contact each other directly rather than go through other people, especially if something was urgent. "It will take me a few days to make the arrangements, but I'll be in touch," he assured her.

"I'll start rolling out access to the system, then," she agreed. "Nora and I will be ready to go when you say when." It was going to take a little fast talking to get Danny on board, she realized, but in the end, he would go where they went.

"Adriana," he started, that grave expression on his face again. "You cannot tell anyone about this. As far as everyone else is concerned, you're going away for a few days on vacation. Do not tell them where. If they must know, lie. Tell them whatever you want. Tell them you're taking your sister to Disneyland, but do not tell them the truth. Understand?"

She hesitated, holding his gaze worriedly. "You think I should lie to my sister?" she asked, looking for advice rather than to be told to make up her own mind. Nora might not argue so much about upping and going somewhere if she thought it was for a vacation, rather than protection.

"You don't have to lie, but you don't have to be entirely honest either. You're going away for a few days to relax and spend some time together. That's all she needs to know. Tell her it's a surprise," he suggested. It wasn't entirely a lie. His house in Tahoe would afford them not only privacy but luxury and there was enough to do that they wouldn't get bored.

"All right." Adriana didn't look happy about not being totally honest with her sister, but she understood the necessity. "I'll get it squared away." She hesitated for a moment, eying him thoughtfully. "Do you want access to the system?"

"No, at least, not yet," he told her. For him, this wasn't about controlling or running her operation; it was about keeping her safe so that the Puglianis couldn't finish what they'd started and take over her father's business in its entirety. He'd have to sort out how to deal with the Puglianis, too, but first things first.

She nodded, slipping her phone back into her purse. "All right, then. Thank you, Matt." She smiled - a small smile, but genuine. "Let me know what your bosses decide?"

Picking up on her cue, it seemed their meeting was over. "Of course," he replied, mirroring her smile, before lifting a hand to get the waiter's attention so that he could take care of the bill. "I'll be in touch in a few days," he assured her.

"I'll take care of the bill," she said quietly. "You're here at my invitation, after all. And if I don't take some dango home for Nora, she will drive me crazy."

He smiled, looking a little amused. "I insist, but you can take all the leftovers you like," he told her, picking his napkin up off his lap and dabbing his mouth clean before setting it on the table beside his plate.

She chuckled. "Fine, I won't argue with that."

Leaning back as she set her own napkin aside, she glanced out through the glass doors to catch Danny's eye with a nod, letting him know that the meeting was coming to an end. He nodded back to her and rose from his seat, moving to make a quick sweep of the exit before he would return to escort her out.

"A wise decision," he said, his smile widening as she agreed to his offer without argument. He noted the exchange between her and her bodyguard before pulling out his wallet to leave enough bills on the table to cover the meal and then some.

"I'll find a way to turn the tables eventually," she added in an almost teasing tone, lifting her purse onto her lap as the server re-entered the private dining room with a box of dango, collecting the payment with a nod to Matteo.

"We'll see," he said, still smiling as he moved to his feet. He had to admit he'd enjoyed her company and found himself wishing there had been more pleasure and less business involved. "It's been a pleasure, Miss Cavarello," he told her, reaching for her hand.

Rising with her purse on her shoulder and the box in her hand, she took his hand as he reached for hers, smiling. "This was certainly more of a pleasure than I was expecting, Mr. Alessi," she answered, that hint of a tease in her smile once again, bolstered with relief. "Thank you. Sincerely, thank you."

He took her hand again, but instead of giving it a friendly squeeze, he brought it to his lips for a brief, but tender kiss. He didn't even know he was going to do it until he was doing it. It was against his better judgment, but he couldn't deny that she was a beautiful woman, albeit a little naive. "Until we meet again," he told her with a smile.

Matteo Alessi · Date: 2020-06-21 12:03 EST

Despite herself, Adriana felt her cheeks heat, unaccustomed to such twinkly-eyed charm as Matteo was laying on her in that moment, her mouth opening with an answer before she considered the implications. "I look forward to it."

He knew this was supposed to be a business meeting, nothing more, but there was something about her - something that was different from anyone else he'd ever met. It was a kind of innocence, he supposed. No one in this business ever stayed that way for long, but somehow he was secretly hoping she would.

"I'll call you in a few days," he promised, waiting until Danny was there to collect her before making his way to the door.

"I won't be hard to find," she admitted, glancing up as Danny knocked discreetly on the glass door. "Looks like Mom's here to take me home." Her smile flashed bright and wide for a moment before she nodded to Matteo. "I'll see you 'round."

"You will," he said, offering a nod of his head to Danny to give her over into his care before stepping past him into the dining room to collect his own men and make his exit. He had a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it.

It was, as always, a nerve-wracking walk from the restaurant to the car, but Adriana felt a little safer now.

"So, how'd it go?" Danny asked in a low tone as they walked.

"Better than expected," she murmured, lips barely moving. "I'll fill you in at home."

"You got it, boss."

He ushered her into the car, sliding into the driver's seat to pull away and head for the high-rise where she and her sister were staying temporarily. As they pulled away, Adriana let herself relax, glancing down at her hand. She could still feel the warm tingle of Matteo's lips on her skin, rubbing at her hand reflexively. Handsome or not, this was supposed to be business. No wonder men didn't think women could make it in this world, if one simple kiss on the hand distracted her that much.

As far as Adriana was concerned, Matteo and his men were gone by the time she left the restaurant. She couldn't have known that they were lingering a little way down the street, waiting and watching so that they could make sure she got home safely. It wasn't because he'd been ordered to do it, so much as that he had a gut feeling about things. He knew enough about the Pugliani family to know they'd stop at nothing once they had their mind set, and that made them dangerous where Adriana was concerned. As much as he abhorred bloodshed, he could see no way around it now. There was only one way to ensure Adriana's safety and that was to chop off the head of the beast, and the head of the beast, in this case, was one Frankie Pugliani.

They could watch her right up until she entered the elevator in her building, with Danny at her side, and a few minutes later, an eagle-eyed watcher might catch a glimpse of Adriana Cavarello being tackled bodily by a skinny teenaged girl in the safety of their own apartment several floors up. Adriana was home and safe, for now. Whether she remained so was anyone's guess.

Matteo smiled at the sight of Adriana and her sister, even as his heart ached at the reminder the sight gave him of someone he'd once held dear. Confident they were safe for the time being, he drove off, leaving two men behind to keep watch over the last remaining Cavarellos from a short distance. It was the best he could do for now, until he could neutralize the threat that was the Pagliani family.