Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 78464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“Yes, the hard part.”
“I think the menu would be the hard part for most people.”
“Not me. It’s the only part I like.”
Aldo came into the kitchen. “Theo is here to see you, sir.”
“Bring him in.”
A moment later, Aldo escorted Theo into the room. He wore a short-sleeved black shirt and jeans, already dressing for the warmth of the beginning of spring. “Something smells good.”
“Hope you’re hungry.” Scarlett plated a dish and set it at the bar beside him.
“I can always eat.” Theo took the seat beside me, and just as I did, he ignored the steam and jumped in headfirst. “It’s good.”
She poured him a glass of wine then started to clean the kitchen.
“We’re done making the menu,” I said. “Now we have to do all the other shit. Vendors, dishes and silverware, staff, all that stuff.”
“That shouldn’t be hard for you.”
“The first thing we need to do is hire a manager with experience so they can be part of this process.”
“Not a bad idea,” Theo said. “But you aren’t getting mine.”
I smirked. “I would never.”
Theo wiped his plate clean, and Scarlett carried it to the sink. When her back was turned, he addressed me. “We need to talk.”
“I knew this conversation was coming.” I raised my voice and looked at Scarlett. “We’ll be back, baby.”
“Alright.” She tipped the pan and placed all the leftovers in the glass container to save for later.
Theo and I walked into the parlor, where the fire was cold and the coffee table was empty. He dropped down into his usual chair and cut straight to the chase. “What’s the plan?”
“About what?”
He cocked his head slightly. “Dante plans to kill us, and we have no retaliation?”
I knew Theo was a no-nonsense, no-second chances kind of guy, so this wouldn’t go down easy. “I spoke to Dante. He said he called off the partnership. He also informed the Colombians there would be no deal.”
“And you believe him?” he asked with a sneer.
“Absolutely.”
Theo rubbed his palms together in his annoyance. “What’s going on with him and Scarlett?”
“He apologized, but she wants him out of her life.”
“Smart girl.”
“I think that might feel right in the moment, but a few years down the line, she’ll feel differently. Our children won’t have a single grandparent. Her anger will soften into longing and regret. I don’t want that for her.”
“After all the shit he did?” he asked incredulously.
“I know he’s an asshole, but I know he loves her.”
Theo shook his head in disappointment. “I couldn’t agree less, but this is your life, not mine.”
“I just want the best for Scarlett.”
“If you say so…” He sat back in the chair and rested his ankle on the opposite knee. “We should remove Dante from the business. He’ll probably throw a fit, so we’ll just remind him it’s a better alternative than being hung in his closet.”
I almost couldn’t bring myself to do it, to face Theo’s disappointment after all the help he’d given me. “We both know I only took the business from him to get Scarlett back. Now that I have her, I’m not that interested in it anymore.”
He took in that information with a hard stare, his arms on the armrests. “If your heart’s not in it, don’t worry about it. I suspected this might happen now that you’ve settled down. Pretty soon, she’s going to leg-lock you to get that baby.”
“Leg-lock?”
“It’s when a woman locks her ankles together so you can’t pull out.”
“And has that happened to you?” I asked with interest.
He gave a shrug but never answered.
“I’ve decided to do more than just step aside from the business. I’ve decided to give it back to him.”
Theo cocked his head, a flash of rage in his eyes. “You did what now?”
“It’s important to him, and it means nothing to me.”
“And what about me? What about all the work I’ve put into this?”
“I won’t make you do anything, Theo. But it would be nice to agree to a truce and move on with our lives.”
“You may have settled down with a woman, and her father may have come to his senses, but my life hasn’t changed. To let go of this business would be a mistake. The Skull Kings would never accept my giving away a business they worked on and just handing it over without real justification.”
I hadn’t expected such a disagreement about this. “Would you be willing to work with Dante going forward?”
“After he plotted to kill me?” He laughed, a cold, uproarious laugh. “The only reason he’s breathing is because of you. That’s the most mercy I’ll grant him. What he should do is hand the business to me and bow out.”
“If he doesn’t get Scarlett back, he’ll have nothing left.”
“Boo-hoo. You think I give a shit? Why do you give a shit?”
“With me out of the picture and everything that’s happened with Scarlett, I think Dante would be a good business partner. We haven’t seen his professional qualities because we’ve been too busy fighting each other, but he is a smart businessman. I’m sure you guys could turn over a new leaf and start fresh.”