Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
When the turn comes, I don’t expect it. Honestly, I nearly miss the pivot, Elena manages it too fucking smoothly. It happens when Maggie starts complaining about some noisy neighbors.
“I keep calling the cops and they keep doing shit about it.” She’s on her third glass of wine. Not enough to be drunk, but enough to be loose. “And when I say these people are noisy, I mean they’re having techno raves like every single night until four in the morning. I’m running on zero sleep right now and basically drinking so I can pass out and stay passed out through all the commotion.”
“The cops really don’t do anything about it?” Elena asks, sounding outraged.
“They turn down the music for like an hour but then it’s back and it’s even worse than before. I’m seriously giving up and thinking about moving, but I love my place. I just hate my damn new neighbors.”
“Brody knows people on the force,” Elena says and leans against the bar, casually shaking her half-finished drink, the ice clinking. “We could probably help out.”
Maggie snorts. “Shit, it’s not that bad yet. I know what sort of hole I’d be digging myself if I let a guy like Brody Quinn do me a favor.” She glances back at me over her shoulder. “No offense, Quinn.”
“All he’d want is for you to take a second look at his Waterfront project. And before you get pissed, trust me, it’s a really good proposal. I know how these things go, there are always a million reasons why a project has to get shelved, but believe me, this can be a huge deal for the city. He’s got my brother’s full support.”
Maggie O’Malley, the hardest woman in local politics I’ve ever met, stares at Elena then she stares at me, and I know what she’s thinking. I’m the head of a moderately powerful crime family, and Elena’s the sister of the head of an extremely powerful crime family, and suddenly we’re shaking her down, or at least cutting a deal. A lesser person might be scared, but not Maggie. She looks annoyed.
“That’s a big ask just to take care of a noise complaint.”
And that’s the crack I’ve been waiting for. It’s the first time Maggie’s ever seemed like she might be amenable to cutting a deal, and it’s like sunshine breaking through a year-long cloud cover.
“Then the Bianco family will owe you another favor.” Elena leans closer and winks conspiratorially. “Blank check.”
“You good with committing your brother to doing something for me?” Maggie sounds dubious.
“Don’t you worry about that. We’re just asking you to take another look, okay? You’ll see that it’s a fantastic project.” Elena throws back her drink and sighs. “Anyway, it’s been great hanging out with you, Maggie. Want to come on the next leg of our bar crawl?”
“No, I think you two should have some alone time.” Maggie laughs like she doesn’t understand what just happened. “I guess I’ll talk to you again when my neighbors finally let me sleep.”
“Night-night then and sweet dreams.” Elena hugs Maggie, who looks flustered, then drags me out of there. I manage to put my glass down on an empty table before I’m manhandled by a little ball of energy into the cool Chicago night.
I stare at Elena as she spreads her hands wide and points her thumbs at herself. “Tell me I’m the best,” she says. “Say it, Brody.”
“What the fuck just happened in there?”
“I got Maggie O’Malley to cut a deal. Tell me I’m the best.” She comes closer, sauntering, swaggering, and she’s the sexiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen in my life. “Tell me I’m the best, Brody Quinn.”
I grab her and pull her against me and bury my mouth on hers. I’m hungry for her lips, not just because she’s goddamn attractive, but because she’s clever and incredible, and I don’t know how I survived before her.
“You’re alright,” I say and she laughs, patting me on the chest.
“You’ll be screaming about how great I am later.” And with that, she pulls away, leaving me dumbstruck and grinning like a maniac. “Now take me to another dive. I was serious about the bar crawl.”
“You sure about that? I’d rather take you back home.”
She jabs a finger in my chest. “You have to work for that first.” Then she grins and jerks her head. “Come on, I know a spot nearby.”
And I follow her because I’m too swept up to do anything else.
Chapter 28
Elena
I’m still glowing with my victory over Maggie the next day. And a little sore from the downright athletic sex I had with Brody the moment we got back from not one more, but three more dives. It was a little drunk, a little sloppy, and I have a slight hangover, but my god, that man is very good with his mouth. And better with his dick.