Hear No Evil

Trust

Eve's bare feet moved silently through the halls as she searched for Salvatore's office. She'd spent the last thirty minutes dodging Dante as he stormed through the mansion, looking for her. She wouldn't be surprised if he injected a tracking chip in her soon. She found what she was looking for and didn't bother knocking on the door before slipping in as quiet as a whisper. She allowed the door to close loudly behind her, capturing Salvatore's attention.

The Don licked his lips at the sight of her. No doubt remembering his taste from the night before.

"Eve."

"Don," she replied, signing as she spoke. She clasped her hands behind her back and took a tour of the opulent office before sitting on the edge of his desk. She crossed her ankles and swung them back and forth.

"Did you sleep well?"

She placed her fingers gently on his chin and tilted his face in her direction.

"I need to see your lips," she said, dragging a finger across his bottom lip.

"Of course. Did you sleep well?"

"No. Your son hogs the bed."

"Is this your way of casually asking me for your own room?"

"No, I simply answered your question. Whatever alternate accommodations you're willing to bless me with is on you," Eve expressed, internally cringing at the word 'bless.' She had to make him feel like a god—the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

"What are you willing to do for these alternate accommodations?"

"Say thank you," she said while signing.

"Pleasantries do not move me."

"I figured, but it's like my mama always said, closed mouths don't get fed. I need clothes, Don."

His eyes strayed and roved over Eve's form. She wore the same white blood-stained dress shirt from last night and little else.

"I suppose that is Dante's issue."

"Theoretically, but...that taste wasn't free, and if you desire more tastes, then you need to learn how to be flexible."

"I'm not surprised you're a whore."

"I am not. I was stripped of my assets when your son decided to abduct me. Trust me, it'd be a different story if we were in New York. For now, I have to work with the only commodity I have."

Salvatore paused and considered his options. He could simply deny her. He certainly didn't owe her anything, or he could use the opportunity to his advantage.

"I'll consider it...."

"But?" Eve said.

"I need you to do something for me. I need to know if you can be trusted."

Eve shook her head. "No."

"No, you can't be trusted?"

"No, I know what you'll ask me to do."

"I knew you could read lips; I didn't know you were a mind reader, too."

"I'm a woman of many talents," she said as she signed.

"And hearing isn't one of those."

Eve glared at Salvatore. "I rather be deaf than dumb. You want me to spy on Dante and report his every waking move to you because you know he won't let his guard down around anyone, and Lorenzo is too loyal to betray him."

Salvatore grinned at her. It made Eve's stomach flip-flop. She firmly believed in blood over everything, and a father plotting against his son and vice versa was fucked up to the highest level. It would only benefit her in the end, but it was still fucked up.

"You're an intelligent whore."

Eve chuckled and wished she had a sharp object to shank him with. "May I ask you a question?"

"You may."

"How am I supposed to prove myself trustworthy to you by breaking the trust of another? That would be proof enough that I can't be trusted."

"You must ask yourself, Eve...who can benefit you more? The Don of Cosa Nostra or his idiot son who has a price on his head?"

Eve trained her face to remain expressionless. Salvatore obviously took her for a fool, feeding her a bit of information that he expected her to run back and tell Dante. It could be a truth, it could be a lie, but one thing for certain, it was a test. How did she know? Because why the fuck tell her of all people?

"Neither." He raised his eyebrows. "You both will chew me up and spit me out once you're done having your fun with me. I rather be loyal to myself."

Salvatore couldn't help but think that Eve spoke like a true Donna. It was a pity.

"I am having important guests tonight," he said, sliding his credit card toward her. "Your behavior tonight will determine if you get your own quarters."

She accepted the card and leaped off the desk. Salvatore closed his eyes when Eve whispered in his ear, "Thank you, Don. I won't let you down."

He crinkled his eyebrows as he watched her sashay out of his office. She almost sounded...normal.

Eve returned to Dante's room and spent thirty minutes making herself presentable. She washed her face and brushed her teeth with a spare toothbrush she found in one of the cabinet drawers. She had sweated her hair out, beating Dante's ass, and there wasn't much she could do about it. She managed to piece together an outfit by commandeering one of Dante's black dress shirts and fashioned a dress out of it with an Italian leather belt. She found an abandoned pair of black heels in the back of his closet that belonged to a bitch with good tastes and finished her outfit with an 18k gold Patek Philippe Calatrava watch and a silk scarf that she tied around her hair.

The bedroom door slammed open, and she rolled her eyes when Dante stormed in. "Where the fuck have you been?" Eve frantically signed and pointed at her ears. "Oh, so now you can't understand me?" She shrugged helplessly.

"I need to go shopping," Eve said, holding his father's credit card in front of his face. She folded her lips in when he snatched the card out of her hand.

"Where the fuck did you get this?"

Eve shrugged again, watching him storm out of the room. She slipped out of the room and promptly ran into a broad chest. "You should watch where you're going," Lorenzo warned, speaking slowly.

"I know where I'm going. It's the rest of you who don't. I need to go shopping, Lorenzo. Let's go."

"I'm not sure if—" Eve raised a manicured eyebrow at Lorenzo, shutting him up. "Who is paying?"

"That's better. You're paying for now until I can get my hands on my money. We'll chat about that later. Let's move before Dante returns."

Eve strutted through the grand hall and jogged down the stairs. She smiled and waved at the guards posted at the front door. She received nods of acknowledgment from them—a good sign they'd already been put on notice about who she was and not to fuck with her. Who told them? She had no clue, but it was one of three men—Salvatore, Dante, or Lorenzo.

It was only Day One, and she had the best friend in her pocket who was ready to switch sides and father and son ready to tear each other apart. If things kept going as planned, she'd have her revenge and be back in New York in no time.