Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 101247 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 337(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101247 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 337(@300wpm)
“Tom has been sneaking around,” Vance says as I head to the dining table. “He’s been telling everyone who cares to listen that he intends to cleanse the city.”
Dutch meets my eyes briefly, and I chuckle, understanding the hidden meaning behind the words.
I have a lot on my plate to bother about an ambitious cop with New Broom syndrome. He doesn’t understand I went legit a long time ago. Those rumors about me are just that. Rumors. There are a few men from the past who could bring me down, but Hawkins is not one of them. I hand the phone over to Dutch.
“Call Roberto and tell him to assemble everyone for a meeting.”
“Okay, Boss.” When Dutch leaves, Vance slides over to me just as one of the serving staff appears with a tray of food. She is so shy she serves me breakfast with her head bowed, never once meeting my gaze.
“What’s this?” I ask.
“It’s chamomile tea, Don Barone. Signorina Vica asked me to make it for you.”
I shake my head with irritation and look up at her blushing face. “What’s your name?”
“Persephone,” she whispers nervously.
“Persephone, you must be new here, but remember this and you’ll never go wrong. Never again serve me tea at breakfast again. Espresso always. Small and strong.”
“I’m so sorry, Don Barone,” she mumbles and hurries away.
“Boss,” Vance says as I eat my food. “Do you want me to deal with Hawkins?”
“What? No.” I shake my head. “No. He hasn’t actually threatened me. He only wants to cleanse the city. What’s the problem with that?”
“Nothing, Boss.”
“Good.”
I know cops like Hawkins. There’ve been many before him, and there will be many after him. Cops who like to sit on their high horse and play hero. They act like they’re better than everyone else. I have men everywhere, including the police force. He’s no match for me. Everyone has skeletons in their closet. If I want to, I can have him taken down in a New York minute, but I don’t want to and neither do I have the time. There are much bigger fishes to fry.
Like getting Franco and the rest of Francesca’s family to safety. Francesca matters to me, and her family matters to her, which means they matter to me, even if they don’t. Getting them to safety is a priority. Persephone rushes in again with a cup of espresso. Her hands are shaking so much that the cup rattles in its saucer. She places my coffee in front of me, bows obsequiously, and promptly disappears. I take a sip of the hot bitter liquid. Perfect. Exactly what I needed.
I tuck into the bacon on my plate.
Next to me Vance jaw drops before he quickly looks away from the stairway. I look in the direction he has just glanced away from, and the bacon gets stuck in my throat. Francesca is coming down the steps wearing my shirt. She’s smoking hot, but the problem is…it looks like that’s the only thing she’s wearing.
Although the shirt is large enough to cover her entire body, her sexy legs are on full display, and a low growl escapes my lips. Vance immediately jumps to his feet and disappears. At the right time too, because I feel like throwing my breakfast into his fucking eyes.
Francesca takes the last step and comes towards me, a secret smile on her face. She climbs onto my lap, her fingers sinking into my hair as she kisses me passionately. My anger disappears, but my jealousy remains.
“Don’t ever dress like this outside the bedroom again,” I warn against her warm lips.
“Why? You don’t like it?” She smiles demurely, but I’m certain she’s aware of what she’s doing.
“I’ll show you how much I like it when I fuck you in it later.”
She gasps and slaps a hand to my mouth before looking around us. “You can’t say things like that in public.”
“Oh, but you can wear this in public?”
She laughs softly. “You’re just jealous.”
“You’re damn right, I am. And I’m serious. You cannot wear this in public again.”
“This is not public. This is supposed to be my home, but okay.”
“Look at me.”
I wait until she meets my eyes before kissing her again, softer this time.
She glances at the table, then stiffens. The teasing smile on her lips freezes. “Wait. Is that chamomile tea?”
“Yes. Why?”
“Oh, the little bitch!” Francesca scrambles off my lap, a disgusted look on her face.
Chapter Nineteen
VALENTINO
Iwatch in astonishment as she whirls around and marches toward the stairs. I lunge out of the chair and grab her arm.
She jerks away from me. “Don’t touch me!”
“What the fuck is the matter?”
“Do you really have meetings all day?” she asks, glaring at me. “Or do you have to meet one of your many whores?”
I stare at her with astonishment. I don’t understand what’s going on. How did we go from Okay, I won’t dress like a slut in public, here’s a loving kiss for you, to Don’t fucking touch me you whore loving jerk?