Chapter Five

Madelyn

 

She had promised herself she would keep her cool, but Madelyn’s nerves were working overtime. It shouldn’t have been a big deal to go out to dinner with a client. She had been out to plenty of business meetings that had taken place over a meal. It was a nice way to form a bond, to understand each other, and to get just a little tipsy on the firm’s nickel.

 

But she knew that this dinner with Enzo was more than that. She wanted to go out to dinner with him because she had something to prove, but also just because she wanted to. She would be seen in a fancy restaurant with a handsome man in a custom suit, and if she had allowed him to pick her up, he would probably have been driving some fancy car. As it was, she had made an excuse and told him she would meet him there.

 

She straightened her hair in the rearview mirror one last time, then looked down to check her attire. The black dress hugged her curves, and the tiny belt at the waist wasn’t really needed due to the clingy fabric, but the color and the cut suggested something much more conservative. The V-neck only showed off her collarbone, the sleeves came to her elbows, and the bottom of the skirt ended just below her knees. She was showing less skin than she did on most days when she was at the office, and she had paired it with a simple gold chain around her neck. Her heels were neither too high nor too low, and they had damn well better be the right ones, considering she had tried on every pair of shoes she owned as she prepared for this evening.

 

Madelyn skipped the valet parking and walked up to the front door. She could afford it if she wanted to, but she preferred to save her money when she could. A man in a uniform opened the door for her, and she gave her name to the hostess. While the girl scanned her list, Madelyn admired the interior of the restaurant. She had only been to The Emerald Crown once or twice, and she had never been able to get over the beauty of it. Solid wood paneling lined the walls and made it feel as though it was the den of some English gentleman. The tables were set far apart, so that guests didn’t feel crowded or worry about whether their conversations were overheard. Individual chandeliers hung over each table, their crystal strands giving it a soft illumination that had to be the most flattering light in the city.

 

“Right this way, ma’am.”

 

Madelyn followed the hostess over the marble floor to a table tucked away in a far corner, even more out of the way than the others. Enzo rose when he saw her, immediately moving to pull out her chair. He was striking, in a dark suit that fit him perfectly, accentuating his wide shoulders and the bulk of his arms. He had allowed a slim line of stubble to grow along his jaw, bringing out the angle of it. Madelyn flushed as he pushed the chair in underneath her. She set her briefcase down on the floor next to her, keeping her hand on it for just an extra moment, to remind herself that she was here on business.

 

“I took the liberty of ordering a bottle of wine,” Enzo said as he sat back down. “I hope you don’t mind.”

 

“No, of course not. Thank you.” Madelyn looked at the menu, but her eyes didn’t seem capable of actually reading it. A heady mixture of adrenaline and intrigue flooded her bloodstream, and the carefully scripted words seemed to blur. She had to stop letting this man get to her so much. He was good looking, and he was a charmer. That was exactly what made him such a perfect mob boss, and she had to remember that. Handsome or not, he was a dangerous man.

 

The bottle of wine was brought out, and they put their orders in as soon as their glasses were filled. Madelyn took a sip, suddenly eager to get this over with. Enzo gave her a feeling almost like nervousness, and she didn’t like it. It was best to discuss the case and get on with it. “The city is supposed to be working on that surveillance footage for me. I’ll need to know some information about the car you drive.”

 

One side of his mouth tweaked up. “Which one?”

 

“Well, I suppose whichever one you would have been driving on the day in question. If you’re not sure, then I’ll need to know the make, model, and license plate of any vehicle you might have been driving.”

 

He turned his eyes up toward the ceiling in thought. The subtle light from the chandelier made him look so smooth, almost soft, like he couldn’t possibly be the hardened criminal her father imagined him to be. “It could have been the BMW. I drive that one a lot to work. But if it was a nice day, it might have been the Ferrari, or maybe the Alfa Romeo. I’ll have Rupert put together a list and email it to you. Did you get that other contact information I sent over?”

 

Madelyn pressed her lips together. The cars he’d listed weren’t just the typical sedans of a businessman, and he had spoken about them as though they were hardly important. Her brother thought his Porsche was special, but she bet he would shit himself if he could see the inside of Enzo’s garage. “Yes, I did. Thank you. Do you think there would be a problem with any of them testifying if need be?”

 

“Not at all. Most of them have worked for me for a long time, and we’re a very tight-knit team. They know what’s happening, and they’ve promised their cooperation.”

 

Or had he coerced it out of them? No, stop it, Madelyn. You’re letting your father’s thoughts get into your brain. “Wonderful. I was thinking a little bit more about the case and how to prove that you weren’t the one who did it. We’ve got a solid alibi, but the weapons could be crucial as well. Do you have any guns registered in your name? And would you allow testing on them?”

 

A hint of amusement flitted across his face and was gone again. “I have a small pistol. You know, home defense purposes. The police are more than welcome to do whatever they need to with it.”

 

Since they had a few minutes before their food would arrive, Madelyn pulled a notepad out of her briefcase and began jotting notes. She didn’t want to forget anything. Glancing over the notes she had written previously, to see what else she needed to cover with him, Enzo spoke before she could fire off another question.

 

“You know, you look very beautiful tonight.”

 

Heat invaded her cheeks, and she gripped her pen a little tighter to make sure he couldn’t see her fingers shaking. There was no reason for a simple compliment to get her so riled, but Enzo had a talent for that. “Thank you. Now, as far as Mr. Lewis himself—”

 

“No, really. I don’t think you’re hearing me. It’s different when you’re in your office. You’re a little harder, a little more business. Right now, though, I think there’s a little bit more of the real Madelyn showing.”

 

Lightning surged in her chest. The intensity with which he looked at her was almost too much to take. “I’m not sure why you say that.”

 

That small smile came again, and it was damn sexy as he shook his head at her. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those girls who never learned how to take a compliment.”

 

He had her there. “Sometimes, I suppose that could be true. But it’s also hard to take a compliment about my looks when I’m trying to work. We do have a very important case in front of us, in case you’ve forgotten.”

 

“I’m sorry.” He sat back in his chair, and that was when Madelyn noticed just how close he had been to her as he had leaned forward over the table. “You’re right, as always. I guess it says something for your looks, considering you can distract me from the fact that I’m being charged with murder.”

 

“Anyway.” Madelyn took a breath, wondering if she looked as unprofessional as she felt. “I’ve been looking into George Lewis’ life. The district is basing the case on the fact that your family was protecting the dry-cleaning business, but of course, there’s no proof of that besides hearsay. They may have a decent number of witnesses lined up, particularly if there were other business that were under protection as well.” She carefully avoided asking him directly if he did indeed give “protection” to businesses in exchange for exorbitant monthly payments. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know. “Still, I don’t think it’s solid enough. I’m trying to see if he had any other enemies, anyone else who might have had a reason to kill him. Deflecting the crime onto someone else isn’t a terrible defense if it works.”

 

“So that means you have to play detective as well as attorney,” Enzo replied. “That’s a lot of time and effort to invest in a case. I hope they’re paying you well over there.”

 

His question seemed unavoidable. “I do well enough. Now, did you know George at all? Do you know anyone else who might have wanted to end him?”

 

“I only knew that he could clean and press a suit without ruining it. Ours was purely a business relationship, and I can’t say that I know anything else about him.” His eyes darkened a moment, but it was a different sort of darkness than what usually lived there. That charming sparkle disappeared, replaced with the chilly depth of a black hole. It was gone just as quickly, and he turned his head as two men approached their table.

 

“Well, well, Mr. Fancy Pants. You didn’t tell us you were dining here tonight.” This came from a small, rat-like man with slicked-back hair. He wore a suit, but it wasn’t as expensive or well-fitted as Enzo’s.

 

“Or that you were dining with such a beautiful woman.” His companion was taller and broader, the more serious of the two. He extended his hand to Madelyn, and she took it, expecting a shake. Instead, he leaned down to kiss the back of it, his eyes staring into hers the entire time. The wine in her stomach swirled unpleasantly as she remembered the sort of men Enzo likely associated with.

 

“I didn’t tell you, Rico, because I didn’t think I had to keep you apprised of my personal schedule. What are you two doing here, anyway?” When Enzo spoke to Madelyn, it was with a polite eloquence that she could listen to all night. It disappeared when he spoke to the men, his voice a little harder and more matter-of-fact.

 

“We just had a little bit of business with one of the cooks. We’re on our way out, so we’ll let you two get back to your date.” The bigger man glanced at Madelyn again with a smile.

 

“I’m being rude.” Enzo indicated the bigger man. “Madelyn, this is my cousin Johnny. He manages the store for me. And this is Rico. He’s a cousin as well, but not as close.”

 

“Hey!” The smaller man scowled at Enzo, who laughed.

 

“Sorry,” Enzo said to Madelyn. “We just like to joke about that with him because it makes him so angry. Boys, this is Madelyn Rowe, my attorney.”

 

Johnny gave a low whistle. “Oh, this is the lawyer? I thought you had some big fat cat from downtown.”

 

“This is the big fat cat’s best associate, and she’s helping me out this time.”

 

“Interesting.” Johnny’s eyes swept up and down her body appreciatively. “I wouldn’t have expected that.”

 

“Neither did I, but she’s very good.”

 

“Oh ho, I bet she is!” Rico squealed. “You’re not kidding us, Enzo. No attorney looks like that. But you say whatever you gotta to make it work for ya.”

 

Johnny elbowed him, hard. “You idiot! They’re not just playing. She really is his attorney!”

 

Rico looked to Enzo, who nodded. His beady eyes shot to Madelyn, and she nodded as well. What the little man had said had been rude as hell, indicating that this was just some act to cover up a different kind of relationship, but it was flattering in its own way. She had never thought of herself as being too pretty to be a lawyer.

 

“Oh well. Okay then. In that case, I guess you just better do a good job with our boy Enzo, here. He means a lot to our family, and we wouldn’t be able to keep the fort down without him.” Rico stuck his hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth on his feet nervously.

 

Any admiration Johnny had for Madelyn quickly turned into something more serious, and he glared at her with his dark eyes. Madelyn could easily see the family resemblance, now that she knew they were cousins. “And if that happened, I don’t think we could just let it go. We’d have to deal with that, you know.”

 

Madelyn laughed nervously. “It’s not a problem. He’ll remain a free man, I promise.”

 

“Let’s hope so. You’ve got a pretty neck.” Johnny turned to his cousin. “We’ll see you around, Enzo.” The two men left without looking back.

 

“I’m sorry about them.” Enzo was instantly back to his gallant self. “I’m afraid they’re taking this case much more seriously than I am.”

 

“I can’t argue with you there,” she retorted. “But I have to wonder just how serious they were.” If Johnny and Rico were Enzo’s cousins, then they were part of the family. Mob men were starting to sprout up all around her.

 

“They like to talk more than they like to act. Don’t worry about it. I’ll keep you safe.” He reached across the table and set his hand on hers, his eyes gentle.

 

A tingle of energy arced through her tongue, and Madelyn realized just what was going on here. She could try to deny it all she wanted, but it wasn’t any use. No matter how hard she tried to focus on the case and the fact that she was Enzo’s attorney, she wanted him. She could easily see herself falling into bed with him, her legs tangled around his, their lips all over each other. The thought made her catch her breath. He had said he would protect her, that she was safe with him, and she found that she liked that thought an awful lot. It didn’t matter how smart and independent she was, it was still incredibly sexy to have a man say he would do that.

 

The waiter came at that moment, causing each of them to sit up straight and pull their hands off the table. Madelyn kept her eyes on her tortellini, knowing just what she would see if she looked up at Enzo again. Damn it, why couldn’t he have just been a regular man?