Enemy Mine

Chapter 32

The morning after delivering his shocking news, Vincent stayed attached to his phone, speaking to various people while beating a path from his office to the balcony and back again. Every time he passed through the living room, I heard snippets of conversation. He used a good amount of Italian with someone, and two names I recognized came up, George and Marco.

While Vincent tried to save his family's reputation, I prepared for my parents' arrival. It was theater night, and Vincent and I were expected to meet them for an early dinner at an over-the-top joint Dad chose. So, I opted for my heather gray sweater dress with keyhole collar, a designer splurge from Mom. My black cashmere cardigan ended up in the spare room closet swathed in plastic, a note pinned to the sleeve instructing me to keep it covered to deter moths. Since Bates hadn't burned it in a ritual, I paired it with my black knee-high boots. Of course, I'd be showing off my new bracelet, and I made sure it hung below the cuff of my sleeve as we left the apartment.

We needed the Bentley for this trip, and on our way to the parking garage, we ducked into Trinity Church so I could play photographer. I handled things swiftly, and while Vincent spent that time at the font site, I avoided it like the plague. At the restaurant, the Maitre ď greeted us like he knew Vincent, which didn't surprise me, and we were escorted to the table where Mom and Dad sipped on waters.

Mom popped out of her seat, one hand holding the hem of her slinky gown while the other reached for me. "You look lovely, Reese. A romantic getaway to Italy will do that to a girl, huh?"

"Thanks, Mom. You look lovely, too."

Dad took his turn to hug me while Vincent fielded handshakes, and I dropped into a chair being held out, feeling exhausted already. Thank goodness, we didn't have to give them the real reason we were in Verona. The waiter had our waters on the table before Vincent could sit down, and Dad quickly capitalized on the moment by raising his glass.

"Here's to romantic getaways even when they interfere with holidays," he said, smiling pointedly at Mom.

This prompted her to blush as she toasted him, and I felt a lump clog my throat. Was this Dad's way of keeping Mom's spirits up? Had he encouraged her to come to Manhattan to take her mind off Theo?

"Tell us about your trip," Dad asked. "Was the weather nice?"

"Verona and Venice were both stunning," I said. "Next time I want to stay longer. We did go into a jewelry shop near the Adige river and Vincent found this for me." I gave them an eye-full of my wrist candy while flashing Vincent an adoring smile.

"Now that is stunning." Mom leaned across the table to give the piece her scrutiny. As far as accessories went, Mom could rival those chicks on Capitol Hill. "How is Sylvie settling in? We should have asked her to join us."

"Don't guilt yourself out, Mom. Sylvie's probably still at work. I think she and Colin have plans to hang out tonight."

"So, they're still an item?" she asked.

"Yes. Romantic getaway to Italy, remember? They're crazy about each other."

"Well, that's convenient," Dad said over his menu. "Nobody has to feel awkward on double dates."

Conversation continued normally, focusing mostly on the Thanksgiving dinner no one had to attend, and our food arrived, silencing the table for a while. About fifteen minutes in however, MC and CW breezed past our table, accompanied by a henchman who didn't even try to hide his affiliation with criminals. They were taken to a round three-seater at the bar, and I watched the big guy struggle to get comfortable on his tiny barstool.

Pain shot up my thigh and I realized Vincent had his fingers wrapped around it, squeezing the life out of me while he skewered the trio with a piercing gaze. Since he didn't seem to be aware of this, I leaned into his ear to let him know.