Page 14 of Secrets & Stoners
“You have a date. Tomorrow night.”
I blinked, unsure I’d heard her correctly, and she proudly preened and laughed to herself before taking a bite of the pot roast Zaven had made for us.A date?! Who had a date? With who? What the hell is going on right now?I wasn’t the only one brimming with questions, but just like me, no one knew how to start getting any of the answers.
The twins looked at each other, then at V, who remained silent, her eyes bright with good humor as she waited for one of us to break. I looked over to find Sutton and Zaven staring at me, like I was supposed to be the one to get clarification. I was an alpha, but I wasn’t the only alpha here.Of course this shit gets passed to me.
“Who has a date?”
“All five of you. Don’t worry, I already made the reservations and everything. You just have to show up,” Valentina said with a smile.
“We all…” I pinched the bridge of my nose, hoping to hell it would help with the growing pressure in my head.
“Wait, wait,” Alessandro interrupted, his husky voice strained. “You set up a date with someone for allfiveof us? But we’re not part of Maximo’s pack.”
Emiliano nodded a few times, looking back and forth between his brother, V, and myself. “I mean, no offense to your pack, but we are a bit… different. Why would you set us up with the same person?”
“Because she’s perfect. I approve of her. Plus, you all should trust me by now. When have I ever led you wrong?”
“You made me lose a bet to the twins about naming my business,” Sutton deadpanned, and I couldn’t hide the smile that tugged at my lips.
“You told me that buzzing my hair would help me meet women.” Emiliano mock glared at Valentina, whose lips suspiciously twitched. “My hair still hasn’t recovered.”
“Then there’s the time you said we should just take a look inside the casino in Vegas… I had to call Zaven to come bail us out,” I added on, settling comfortably into a conversation we’d all had before. It was when too much time passed without V-inspired mischief that we suspected something was wrong.
“You all are so damn dramatic!” She rolled her eyes at us. “But nonetheless, you have a date tomorrow. You’re going to Osaka Nights, and the woman I’m setting you up with will be there at seven sharp. The reservation is under my name. Boys, I know what I’m doing.” We all looked at each other, then her, in disbelief, making her grin wickedly, “We could make a bet.”
“No bets!” Sutton shook his head firmly. “I’ve learned my lesson.”
“But you’ll all show up?” Her narrow-eyed gaze stared us all down. “Otherwise, you’ll make me look bad. You wouldn’t do that to your dear aunt, would you?”
“That’s a low blow, Aunt V,” Alessandro and Emiliano groaned at the same time.
“We’ll be there,” Zaven said quietly. I glanced over, eyebrows raised in surprise. Out of everyone here, I didn’t think he would be the first to give in. Zaven cocked an eyebrow in response, a look that was far too attractive for me to argue with. “You wouldn’t want to disappoint Valentina, would you?”
They had me by the fucking balls, and they knew it. “Fine. Yes, we will be there. Just one dinner. No promises beyond that,” I said pointedly.
“We can do that,” the twins agreed after a minute of consideration.
“Good.” Valentina grinned, then her expression smoothed out, focusing on me. “How’s business going?”
I grimaced, taking a quick bite of food before it grew cold. “Shitty. No progress at all. And I need to figure it out before the Humble Creed representatives show up. They’re here for their big yearly purchase. I don't want anything to happen to their product while they’re in my city.”
“You think it goes beyond one stolen shipment?” Emiliano questioned. “I thought this was an isolated attack.”
“That’s the fucking problem,” I said as I stabbed my food hard enough that the china clinked against the silver fork. “I don’t know who did it or what they’re after, but pissing off our biggest fucking client isn’t on my to-do list. I’m putting everyone and everything I have on this one.”
“I’ve got a few eyes around the city. I’ll put feelers out,” Alessandro said casually before taking a long sip of his wine. I didn’t question my brother. He had his own secrets, and I respected that. I had pushed them to find their own way in the world, and they did as I urged. Emiliano was thriving in his tattoo career. I had no fucking clue what Alessandro did, but he was successful at it if his designer clothes and car were any indication. When it came down to it, they were family. They’d always step in if I needed them.
“Thanks,” I said, and some of the tension drained away. Thanks to Aunt V, I had the perfect distraction to occupy me when I wasn’t dealing with this missing drug fiasco.
My eyes widenedas I stared at the pictures on my laptop screen. I’d only agreed to this damn blind date because Valentina didn’t take no well.
“I don’t date,” I argued when Valentina proposed the idea. She raised her eyebrows at that.
“Lies. You’re in your prime,” she scoffed.
“I’m more of a one-night-stand-and-move-on kind of girl,” I admitted. She shoved another shot my way. My fingers wrapped around the glass, and she clinked hers to mine, urging me to drink up.
“One date. No commitments unless you want them,” she countered.“My nephew is adorable. You’ll absolutely love him. When’s your next day off?”