Love And War - Mallory Monroe Page 0,2

he pressed the elevator button.

“I’m meeting some people across town. Why? You wanna go with me?”

Sal frowned. “What I wanna go with you for?” They stepped onto the empty elevator. “I told you I was meeting Gemma Jones for drinks.”

“For drinks?” Tommy asked. “Even that isn’t a date in my book.”

Sal knew what Tommy meant. He asked Gemma to go to dinner with him, but she refused. She had an early day in court tomorrow and would make it an early night. It was only after some coaxing that she agreed to meet him, after work, for drinks. Sal was still embarrassed about the fact he had to coax her at all. “It’s a date in my book,” Sal said, as he looked at his reflection in the shiny elevator wall. He buttoned and then unbuttoned his suit coat. “I can’t believe I’m wearing this shit,” he said. “I look fat in this mug. I should have worn the other suit.”

“Then go back upstairs and change,” Tommy said. “Good grief!”

“I can’t change! The other one’s too flashy. I’ll look too Mafia. But I look fat in this one. Maybe I will go back upstairs and change.”

Tommy looked at his brother. He’d never seen him this unhinged. “Sal?” he asked.

Sal looked at Tommy. “What?”

“Stop. Just stop it.”

Sal was genuinely puzzled. “Stop what?” The elevator doors opened. “What am I doing?”

“You’re acting like Sally. Not like Sal.”

Even Sal had to smile at that one. “Fuck you,” he said playfully.

But Tommy was already looking beyond Sal as they stepped off of the elevator. “What is she doing here?” he asked.

Sal looked at Tommy. Then he looked where Tommy was looking. When he saw Yvonne Welker standing in the hotel’s lobby, he frowned.

“That’s Fast Eddie’s old lady,” Tommy said.

“Yeah,” Sal said. “His very hot old lady,” he added.

“What is she doing on Gabrini turf? We don’t play that shit.”

“I know,” Sal said as they stepped off of the elevator. “But I’m going to find out.”

Sal made his way toward Yvonne Welker, as Tommy followed for the hell of it. He wondered if he should notify Reno, since it was his establishment she decided to venture into, but opted to wait and see.

Sal’s hands were open and flared out beyond his sides, and his face was unable to hide his puzzlement. “What are you doing here?” he asked her.

Yvonne smiled. She was a beautiful blonde with large breasts and small, green eyes. “I heard you were in town. Thought I’d take you up on your offer.”

“What offer?” Tommy asked as he made his way up to her, too.

“Hey, Tommy,” Yvonne said.

“What offer?” Tommy asked her.

“Sal Luca told me if I was ever bored with my current situation, that I should give him a call. I’m paying him a visit, instead.”

Sal was too busy looking down the length of her to hear much of what she and Tommy were saying. He always admired Fast Eddie Bronson’s taste in women, and Yvonne, Fast’s main squeeze, was no exception. Strong men always wanted to have a go with another strong man’s woman, Sal believed, just to see why they were chosen. He definitely wanted to try this one out. He definitely wanted to see what the attraction was about.

“So what you say, Sal Luca?” Yvonne asked. “Glad to see me?”

“You even talk like Fast Eddie,” Tommy said. “And smell like him, too. Too much cheap perfume and cheesy lines. I think you need to turn yourself around and leave this establishment.”

“It’s not your call, Tommy. I didn’t come to visit you. I came to visit Sal Luca.” Yvonne began fumbling with the top button on her skimpy blouse.

The little gesture worked. Sal’s big blue eyes moved down, not to the button, but to the exposed cleavage just above the button. “I’m heading out,” Sal said. “Your timing is bad.”

“Can I at least use the restroom?” Yvonne asked. “It won’t take long.” She actually unclasped the button she was fumbling with. “Just a quickie.”

Sal’s penis throbbed. He was getting hard. He knew he wasn’t going to get any from Gemma tonight. She’d already made it clear she wasn’t that kind of girl. But having a quickie with Yvonne would mean he wouldn’t have to go out and find that kind of girl later tonight, when he needed some.

When Tommy realized Sal was going to accommodate her ridiculous may I use your restroom request, even though there were tons of restrooms all around them, he asked Sal if he could