Antonio Her Italian Millionaire (BWWM Romance Book 1) Read online

  “Not really. But I don’t want to put in an offer that will be too high…I am not trying to attract the wrong attention here or anything.”

  Giovanni nodded.

  “Yeah, we already have enough heat on the family as it is.”

  Another man from the table shook his head.

  “Still?” he asked and Giovanni Junior nodded.

  “Unfortunately, we are still paying for the mistake Rossi made when he decided to make a quick deal with people we did not trust,” he explained. “He might be the one serving time but we are feeling the heat out here. That’s for sure.”

  “How much longer are we going to be under the microscope?” Antonio asked and Giovanni shook his head.

  “Who knows? But until we are sure what is going to happen, we have to simply make sure that the casino and clubs take off without a hitch,” he said. “So, right now, everything is tied up in that deal so make sure it goes through.”

  “So, let’s just say there is no limit,” Giovanni Junior said. “Just make sure you get the property. Whatever it costs. The casino will more than make up for the difference if the bid goes too high.”

  Antonio nodded.

  “Alright. So, I take it the first casino is doing well?” he asked and his grandfather nodded.

  “We have a lot of people thinking, why go all the way to Vegas while you can have the experience right here in Chicago?” Giovanni Junior said. “We should have probably ventured into casinos the very first time actually.”

  Antonio nodded.

  “Alright. I’ll get right on it.”

  He pushed his chair back and got up from the table.

  “Wait, aren’t you staying for lunch?” Giovanni asked. “Your grandmother is making some new sauce.”

  “I would love to stay but I can’t. I’ll just get some to go,” he said and his father nodded.

  “You should. I don’t want mama giving me grief about me not putting you in the right circles to get a woman who can cook for you,” he said and Antonio laughed.

  “You don’t need your mother here for that. We are here,” Giovanni said. “I mean, I have a number of friends with some good looking women in their twenties. Ripe and ready for marriage.”

  Antonio frowned.

  “Okay,” he announced. “That is my cue to leave,” and he began walking to the door.

  “Let us know how it goes with the property,” another of the men at the table said and he nodded.

  “I am headed to meet Matteo right now.”

  “Hey son,” Giovanni Junior said, making Antonio stop in his tracks. He turned around and looked at his father who was walking towards him. “This deal is important for the family. For you and me,” he started as he led them out of the den and into the hallway.

  “I know,” Antonio said.

  “Then make sure it goes through without a hitch, alright?” Giovanni Junior said.

  To Antonio, it was more of a command than a request. And Antonio knew that he had no other alternative but to do what his father said.

  “It will go through, father. I promise,” he said.

  “Good. That’s what I like to hear,” Giovanni Junior said.

  *****

  Zianna wanted to scream when she spoke to Ray two days later. She had done everything she could think of to try and raise as much money as she could for the building but it seemed that everything she tried to do was somehow countered by this other buyer. Her heart was racing when she finally hung up. She was not sure if she was upset, angry or simply demoralized.

  Over the last few days, she had slowly seen her dream, her father’s dream vanish into thin air. And there was no telling what was going to happen at that particular moment. She had been pacing up and down her house, trying to figure out how she was going to get out of the hole she had dug for herself. She had put in all the money she had including her savings and the money she had set aside for renovations. But even after doing all that, she was still having a hard time coming up with the money needed to match the other bidder’s offer. At that moment, she found herself wondering just who this other bidder was and why his idea of renovation meant more than her own idea of renovation.

  She had begun thinking of the only other source of income she had left. The only other option she had. To take a second mortgage on her house. She knew it was a bad idea. A terrible idea but her only way out of the mess she had created for herself. But even after doing that, the other bidder still raised his offer. It was like he was swimming in an endless pit of money.

  So, after all that had happened, the only other thing she could do was give up. But she was too proud to do so. She poured herself a glass of wine and sipped on it slowly, as she wondered what to do next before she finally picked up her phone and dialed Ray again. She was still pacing up and down as she waited for him to pick up on his end which seemed like forever.

  “Ray Phillips,” he said when he picked up.

  “Ray. Hi, it’s Zianna.”

  “Hey, Zianna. Is everything alright?” he asked and Zianna took a long deep breath.

  “I don’t know…I just thought of something else. Something that just might get me that building.”

  She heard Ray exhale loudly.

  “Zianna, we have done everything. And by the way, you should probably talk to your guy at the bank and get that second mortgage lifted.”

  She bit her lower lip and reached for her glass of wine.

  “Zianna?” Ray asked after a long silence. “Are you still there?”

  “I am.”

  “Listen, Zianna, I know this has been hard for you but I think it is time to just let go. Just focus on the barber shops and grocery stores…”

  “I want to meet him,” she said, cutting him short.

  “What?” he asked.

  “This other bidder,” she said. “I want to meet him. I want to look into his eyes when I ask him why he is hell bent on taking my father’s dream from me.”

  “Are you sure about this?” Ray asked and she nodded, as if he could see her.

  “Just make it happen,” she said dismissively. “Who is he anyway?”

  “I am not very sure. I have been talking to some guy called Matteo but I have been made to understand that he is a business manager. He has been working on behalf of someone else all this time,” Ray explained and Zianna nodded again before sipping on her wine again.

  “Well, tell this Matteo person that I want to talk to whoever he works for,” she said and Ray let out a defeated sigh.

  “Sure. I’ll make it happen.”

  “Thanks.” She hung up and took another long sip of her wine as she contemplated calling her banker.

  Chapter 3

  Judging by how the bidding process had gone, Zianna did not expect Ray to make contact with the other bidder so fast. All she knew was that it was probably going to be harder than anything she had ever tried. But for some reason, Ray managed to make contact in a day. Heck, hours even. But she did not know what was going to happen once she met this mystery man who had given her so much grief over the last few weeks.

  So, when she got the call that the bidder was a frequent customer in one of the well-known Italian restaurants around town, she did not hesitate to go and meet him. She threw on a coral top and put on a pair of jeans before she held her curly hair in a bun. She then grabbed her keys and purse before she made her way out to the driveway. It was freezing outside but for some reason, she was not putting on her coat. She got into her car and took a long deep breath before she started the engine.

  She stretched her hand to her purse that she had thrown on the passenger seat, feeling the loaded Glock 42 inside. She knew it was a bad idea to carry a concealed weapon to a meeting that would probably end up with her being booked for homicide but she didn’t really care. If there was one thing she had learned from the life she had lived in Edgewood, it was that protecting yourself was never really a crime. And considering who her competitor was, she knew she had to protect herself from so
meone who was so hell bent on acquiring a property in such a bad part of town like Edgewood.

  She took a long deep breath as she began driving away. A million thoughts were going through her mind, flooding her brain…she was trying to figure out what she was supposed to do next, what she was supposed to say once she finally sat down and looked at her competitor.

  “Maybe this was not such a good idea,” she thought as she made her way down the street. “Maybe I should just give up and forget about everything. Maybe Lucas, Ray…maybe they are all right.”

  By the time she got to Fabio’s Kitchen, her heart was racing. She pulled up in the parking lot and bit her lower lip before she got out and put her jacket on. She could feel her heart beating harder and faster as she made her way into the restaurant. She was not sure if it was because she was nervous about meeting the other bidder or simply sheer anger. When she sat down at the table, she took off her jacket and looked around.

  “What do you eat at a place that only makes soul food?” she wondered just as a waiter walked up to where she was.

  “Welcome to Fabio’s Kitchen. But you are a little early for lunch,” the waiter said, smiling and she shrugged.

  “It’s okay. I’ll just have a coffee and…” her voice trailed off as she looked at the menu. “How about a slice of sweet potato pie.”

  “And they said no one would ever come in for the dessert menu,” the waiter said, smiling.

  “I know this place is quite well known for its food but surely, it must serve some pretty good desserts too, right?” she asked as she handed the menu to the waiter.

  “Well, let’s just say that the chef was not all that keen with dessert when he first started out,” he said before walking away allowing her to finally wipe the fake smile she had off her face. She did not know why but for some reason, she was a little more nervous than she'd expected to be.

  She looked around the restaurant and for a moment there, she began second guessing herself when she saw that save for one waitress, she was the only other woman in there. She took a long deep breath and bit her lower lip before she looked up and saw a tall dark haired man walking towards her. He was not the six pack abs kind of man but even then, she could not help but look past that and right into how sexy he looked. Even from a distance, she could see his perfect brown eyes looking right at her. By the time he got to her table, her heart was racing. But at the back of her mind, she knew she had to brush the feeling she had off. She knew that she had to stay focused on the job at hand. Stay focused with the emotion at hand which at the moment, was simply hate.

  “Are you the one sent here by Ray Phillips?” he asked and she nodded.

  “Damn it, he has a sexy accent,” she thought as she looked at him.

  “I’m guessing you are the reason for my near bankruptcy?” she asked, composing herself and he smiled before pulling a chair out.

  “I think the best thing is to introduce myself. My name is Antonio Ricci.”

  “Zianna. Zianna Webster and I would usually be all about shaking your hand and everything but for some reason, I only want to wait for my coffee to get here so I can pour the scalding beverage all over your face,” she said in a surprisingly calm voice.

  Antonio raised an eyebrow over the other and smiled.

  “I don’t know whether I should be more impressed or scared that you were able to threaten me without even flinching,” he said and she shrugged.

  “Take your pick,” she said. “I’m not one to pick sides when it comes to emotion.”

  “But you will pick sides when it comes to the building we are both contesting for?” he asked and she shrugged.

  “What’s that saying? All’s fair in love and war?”

  “Whoa. When did we cross the line from business to love and war?” Antonio asked just as the waiter came back with her coffee and pie.

  “Anything for you Mr. Ricci?” the waiter asked and Antonio shook his head before he walked away.

  “Well, Mr. Ricci,” she started before he put a hand up.

  “Please. Call me Antonio. Mr. Ricci is my father and my grandfather.”

  “Alright, Antonio. For me, I am as passionate with business as much as some people are with love and war. So, I guess I can say again that all is fair in love and war.” She took a sip of her coffee and looked at him. “Except when the other person in the ring is not playing fair.”

  “I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about,” he said.

  “The building. The apartment complex,” she said. “That is what we are talking about here.”

  He took a long deep breath and nodded.

  “Alright. Why don’t you tell me what you have in mind right now? Tell me what you want to do about the apartment complex.”

  “It’s simple, Antonio. I want to buy the building. And I am way over budget because you keep on raising your damn bid.”

  “Well, Miss Webster…I can call you that. Can’t I?” he asked and she shrugged as she took another sip of her coffee. “I also want that building. It is important to me and the organization I work for.”

  “And what organization would that be?” Zianna pressed and he took long deep breath.

  “I can’t talk about that right now.”

  “Why not?”

  He shook his head.

  “I just can’t. That’s all I can say.”

  Zianna nodded and put her cup down. She looked into his eyes and took a long deep breath.

  “Well, I can tell you why I need this building,” she started. “Because maybe my reason is more honorable than yours”

  A smile played on his lips making the dimple in his cheek show.

  “Okay. Let’s hear it.”

  “I was born in Edgewood and it was a mess. Crack, heroine, meth and any other kind of drug you can think of abused on almost every corner, drive by shootings because of some idiotic turf wars and every other bad thing you could think of and my father would have moved out if he wanted to but instead, he chose to stay and clean up the neighborhood. He got this barber shops and grocery stores…and he wanted to make sure he took every crack house out and turn them into recovery centers.”

  “So, let me guess,” Antonio said as he leaned forward. “That building was supposed to be one of the said recovery centers?”

  Zianna nodded.

  “Actually yes. It was but he died before making that dream a reality.”

  “So, you want to get the building to be a recovery center?” he asked and she shook her head.

  “No, not really. I was thinking of affordable housing for recovering addicts. A safe haven of some sorts.”

  “So, how exactly are you going to turn this into a revenue generator?” Antonio asked looking confused.

  “Well, it is going to make some revenue but I am not really looking to make a profit. All I want to do is make sure that my father’s dream…” her voice trailed off and she exhaled loudly. “I just don’t want his dream to simply die down.”

  Antonio took a long deep breath and nodded.

  “I totally understand,” he said. “I understand having to do something on behalf of the family.”

  She rolled her eyes.

  “Really? And how would you know that?”

  “I am kind of in the same boat you are.” He leaned forward and took a long deep breath. “I am sure your realtor has already told you that the organization I represent has gone all out in trying to clean up Edgewood. Trying to get it to turn around and everything. I am sure that by now you know that the organization I represent has bought out a few properties in Edgewood.”

  “I might have heard a thing or two about that,” she said and he nodded.

  “Well, if you have then I can assure you that we have the same idea when it comes to that particular property.”

  She took a sip of her coffee and drummed her fingers on the table and shrugged.

  “So, if we have the same idea when it comes to this building, then why the hell are we in a fucking bidding war?”
she asked and he smiled. “There is nothing to smile about here. I hope you see that.”

  “Well, I wish you would see your face right now. I mean, the words you speak make me realize that you would probably run me through with a steak knife but the tine in your voice is so calm….and your face….” He exhaled loudly when his words trailed off. “Are you always this composed?”

  “Depends,” she said. “When people make me want to put my house back on the market just to make sure I can raise the desired funds, I probably have to plaster this smile on my face to keep myself from turning into Hannibal Lecter.”

  Antonio took a long deep breath.

  “Look, I don’t want to fight with you,” he said. “Just tell me how much you want for that building and I will make it happen.”

  “Actually, I should be the one asking what the hell I have to do to make you and your ‘organization’ back off,” she said as she put up finger quotes making him smile.

  “Why did you just do that?” he asked.

  “Do what?”

  “Put up finger quotes as if you want to discredit the organization I work for or something,” he said and she forced out a laugh.

  “I don’t need to do anything to discredit your organization because as it is, your ‘organization’,” she said as she put up finger quotes again, “is a discrediting factor all by its lonesome.”

  Antonio raised an eyebrow.

  “And what is that supposed to mean?”

  “That is supposed to mean exactly what it sounds like. That when you look up discredit in the dictionary, you would probably find your organization in the picture reference.”

  “You really don’t know what you are talking about,” he said.

  “Actually, Mr. Ricci, I do. I know that the organization you work for is actually the mafia,” she said in a whisper.

  Antonio forced a smile. “Isn’t that a little stereotypical?” he asked.

  “Well, it wouldn’t be a stereotype if it was actually true and in this case, I know it is true,” she said as she took a bite of her pie and then went ahead to finish it before she put a few bills on the table and pushed her chair from the table. “Tell your chef he makes a damn good pie and back the hell off my building,” she said before she made her way out of the restaurant.