Harlequin Historical September 2021--Box Set 1 of 2

by Christine Merrill

  Lorenzo extended his hand to her. “We’re happy to have you here, Miss Laroque.”

  “Evelyn.” She shook his hand, and a jolt of energy passed between them as they locked eyes.

  She couldn’t help but notice how his callused fingers warmed her skin, but that the back of his hand was smooth and soft. He had many discrepancies, Evelyn imagined. He was nothing like she’d been expecting the son of a mobster to be. She had a feeling she had only seen the beginnings of the dichotomy that was Lorenzo De Luca.

  When she turned to leave, she saw a large man in a white chef’s coat, holding a boy by the collar.

  “Boss, look what I found, trying to steal food. He must have snuck in the backdoor when I was taking the trash out. Whatcha want me to do with him?”

  “Give him some food.”

  “But, boss...”

  “Give him some food. And let him go.” Lorenzo walked up to the boy and knelt down in front of him.

  “I ain’t going to jail.”

  The little boy looked to be about seven. His pale skin was covered with dirt or soot. He stared at the floor.

  “Look at me,” Lorenzo said. “Please.”

  The little boy looked at Lorenzo with big blue eyes and the longest lashes Evelyn had ever seen. Matted blond curls hung down to his shoulders.

  “You’re not going to jail. We’re going to get you something to eat and find your mom. Where do you live?”

  “We live on the street.”

  Lorenzo looked over the little boy’s head at the cook, indicating that he should leave. “What’s your name?”

  The little boy was silent.

  “I want to help you. What’s your name?”

  “Malcolm.”

  “Is it just you and your mom?”

  Malcolm shook his head.

  Evelyn wondered what Lorenzo was going to do with the little boy. It broke her heart to see his ragged clothes and his hollow cheeks. He looked like he hadn’t eaten in several days.

  “I have a baby sister. Her name is Nina.”

  “That’s a beautiful name.” Lorenzo looked up to the tall man now standing in the doorway. “I want you to meet someone, Malcolm. This is my really good friend Jeb. He’s going to get you something to eat. Then he’s going to go with you to find your mom. We have a place for you all to stay. We’re going to help your mom get on her feet, so you all can eat and stay safe. Does that sound like a good plan to you?”

  Malcolm nodded. Tears formed in his big eyes.

  “Great. Go with Jeb, and I will come check on you, your mom and Nina tomorrow. It was a pleasure to meet you, Malcolm.”

  Lorenzo held out his hand and Malcolm shook it. Then the little boy grabbed Lorenzo around the neck.

  “Okay, son. I’d come with you now, but I have somewhere I have to be. I’ll see you tomorrow. Take care of your mom and sister.”

  “Yes, sir.” Malcolm left with Jeb.

  Lorenzo turned to Evelyn. “I’m sorry about that.”

  “No, not at all. Is there anything that I can do?” Evelyn had been standing by Lorenzo’s desk, but now she moved to stand directly in front of him.

  Lorenzo looked at her. “Well, since you’ll be working here now, would you be willing to help me plan a fundraiser to help families like Malcolm’s? It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a while. I’ve been using my own money to help as many families as I can, but I want to do more. We’re having a gambling night here in a few weeks, and I really could use the help.”

  “Yes, I would love to.”

  “That’s fantastic. Thank you.”

  Lorenzo took Evelyn’s gloved hand and kissed it. He hesitated, like he wanted to do more but had thought better of it.

  He took a step back from her, his eyes going blank again. “I’ll see you tonight.”

  “I’ll see you tonight.”

  Evelyn turned to walk out of Lorenzo’s office. Her body was alight with a tingling sensation. Like the budding of flowers in spring, all her senses came alive when Lorenzo touched her, but she couldn’t help but wonder about his sudden change in demeanor.

  She looked back only once, to see him putting books in a canvas bag with that same blank look on his face. She wondered where he was off to.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Lorenzo

  Enraptured—that was how Lorenzo had felt, listening to Evelyn sing. This dame came out of nowhere and had him spinning already. He’d had to hire her, and not only because she was talented. She was more than talented, but he had to make sure she didn’t blow town before he could figure out what it was about her that had him wanting to clip any cat who looked at her too long.

  When she’d left his office, she’d left him feeling empty. Her presence had filled him with something he’d thought long dead after what had happened to Holly. He hadn’t thought anyone would be able to spark the kind of desire that made him question his bachelor ways.

  But he needed to push those feelings down. He couldn’t forget the danger anyone who got close to him would be in because of his family. Now that finding his cousin’s murderers was his central focus, he couldn’t allow anyone to get close to him—not even the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, with the most amazing voice he’d ever heard. Lorenzo couldn’t risk letting anyone in. He had a circle of stone-cold killers around him at all times, who could definitely take care of themselves—anyone else was too vulnerable.

  He gulped down the rest of his whiskey before returning to his usual position at the end of the bar. Walking through the club, he noticed that his patrons seemed more energized than usual. Flapper dresses swished as riffs from the saxophone filled the air, He wondered if Evelyn was the cause of this change in them. She certainly had changed him.

  “Tommy, would you bring me another whiskey and something to eat?” Lorenzo said to his bartender as he took his usual seat.

  Tommy was Italian, like Lorenzo, and people often thought they were brothers. They had similar builds. They sparred with each other often to keep in shape and in fighting condition. They both had dark features with the exception of their eyes. Tommy’s were blue, and Lorenzo’s were gray. Tommy had been able to pass for White his entire life because of his lighter skin and the look of his features. Only Lorenzo and a few other people knew Tommy’s mother was Black.

  Lorenzo had a leather-bound book of numbers in front of him. A casual onlooker wouldn’t be able to figure out what the book was, let alone what the numbers meant, but Lorenzo knew his code. The soft feel of the journal soothed Lorenzo. He was comfortable with numbers. He could understand numbers. Things were black and white when it came to keeping track of the flow of money through his club and through the winery and distillery. He went out of his way to make his life simple—as simple as the life of a mob boss’s son and bootlegger could be.

  The music seeped into his blood, matching the rhythm of his heartbeat. He relaxed into his task. His club had exceeded the previous three quarters in profits. He was ready to expand. He was ahead of his schedule by three years. He hadn’t planned to open another club for another couple of summers, but now he had no reason to wait.

  Not able to get Evelyn off of his mind, he decided to retreat to his office. Grabbing his notebook, he stood up off his bar stool. “I’m heading to the back, Tommy. I need to focus.”

  Lorenzo walked to his office. He didn’t like working in his office. He felt cut off from the action. He hadn’t become a club owner to sit out all the fun. He liked to interact with his patrons usually, but his interaction with his new lead singer had left him reeling. He needed to get his mind right. His relationship with Evelyn was to be purely professional. So why did he keep imagining his lips on her soft, gorgeous skin?

  Lorenzo closed the door to his office, dulling the lively beat of the music. He could still see the club, but from behind the glass window. He felt like
a voyeur, not the owner of the most popular twenty-four-hour spot in town.

  He sat down at his desk. He did love the antiquated thing; it reminded him of his father’s desk. Lorenzo believed strongly that he had no place within his family’s business. Yes, there were killers around him, but he wasn’t a killer himself. Killing wasn’t a solution to anything, but a gateway to something much darker, and Lorenzo already had a one-way ticket to hell because of what happened to Holly.

  He had vowed then, while holding her dead body in his arms, that he would never be responsible for the loss of another human’s life.

  Sighing, he pushed those thoughts from his mind. They made him remember, and he didn’t want to remember.

  It wasn’t long before he lost himself in his calculations, and a knock at the door interrupted Lorenzo’s work. He crossed the room in two long strides and opened the door.

  Tommy stood there, holding a glass of whiskey and a pretzel. “I thought you could use some sustenance.”

  Lorenzo backed up to let Tommy enter, closing the door after Tommy set the drink and food on the desk. “Thanks...you know I wouldn’t have eaten anything if you hadn’t come.”

  “I know.” Tommy lounged in the chair across from Lorenzo. “So, the new singer is incredible.”

  “Yeah, she is.”

  Lorenzo ran his hand through his hair and picked up the glass. He gulped the brown liquid, thinking of how gorgeous and talented Evelyn Laroque was and what that could mean for his club. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t intrigued by her on a personal level, but he’d never let it get to that point.

  “I’ll be honest, Lorenzo. I’ve never seen you so mesmerized by a dame.”

  Lorenzo looked up to find Tommy staring at him. “What are you talking about? I’m not...mesmerized. Don’t be ridiculous.”

  Tommy arched a brow and stayed silent.

  “Fine, she definitely is something. I mean, did you see how she carried herself? She’s real class. I have no business with a woman like that. You of all people know that.”

  “So, you’re going to keep it professional?” Tommy said with skepticism in his voice.

  “Of course. I’m not a Neanderthal,” Lorenzo said, using Evelyn’s word.

  “I’m just asking because we have to figure out what happened to Vin, and we can’t afford any distractions. You asked me to help you stay on the straight and narrow, and that’s all I’m trying to do, boss.” Tommy leaned forward in his chair. “Distractions end up dead around here.”

  Lorenzo didn’t want to admit it, but Tommy was right.

  “Have you gotten any more information about if the KKK killed Vin and Edith?” he asked.

  It was the first time that Lorenzo had said his cousin’s fiancée’s name since the murder. He’d grown close to Edith because of his relationship with Vinny. When Vinny Jr. was born, Vin and Edith had asked Lorenzo to be the godfather. He’d been elated, but had belatedly thought about the danger Vin Jr. would be in if anything happened to Vinny and Edith. Not long after they’d asked Lorenzo, he told them he couldn’t accept. Since they hadn’t had a chance to choose anyone else before they died, Vin Jr had gone to Edith’s family, which was probably best anyway.

  “Yeah, that cat that was in here... Simmens...he has a thing for young Black women. He’s been involved in several assaults, but he never gets caught. We think this was an assault gone wrong because they weren’t expecting Vin to be there.”

  “Did they know who Vin was?”

  “I don’t think so. From talking to my informant, seems to me the KKK leaders have no idea that the De Luca family is after them.”

  “Good. Let’s keep it that way. A surprise hit is best. We don’t know who all is involved with the KKK, but I know their hold on the city is growing.”

  “Are you going to take out the entire organization? Or just the head cats who were involved in what happened to Vin?”

  “You know my father’s philosophy is to leave no loose ends untied.”

  “But is that your philosophy?”

  Lorenzo took a moment to think. He’d left his legacy behind because thoughts of the families his father had destroyed haunted him. Holly’s death had tortured his sleep for years. Lorenzo’s insomnia was one of the main reasons he’d started working at a speakeasy in the first place.

  In the heat of anger, yes, his philosophy was exactly like his father’s—which was why Lorenzo had spent so much time trying to master everything about himself. He didn’t want to be ruled by emotion, as his father was. Lorenzo knew that Tommy wouldn’t hesitate if Lorenzo told him to take Simmens out, but Lorenzo couldn’t be that person. He wouldn’t be that person.

  “No, we’ll do it the legal way. We’ll put Simmens out of action and whoever else was involved. But we’ll send a message to the entire organization that they need to leave the city if they know what’s best.”

  “That sounds like the plan. I’ll get Jeb and Dred and fill them in.”

  “Thanks, Tommy.” Lorenzo stood and embraced his bartender and friend before sitting back down to finish his work.

  * * *

  Lorenzo finally looked up from his notebook to see that his club had gotten to capacity. All the tables were filled with glittery, shimmering women and suit-clad men. The servers didn’t miss a step. Glasses were full and the dance floor vibrated with the excitement and the flood of dancers.

  Ten o’clock had come around quicker than Lorenzo had expected. He’d been hopeful that Evelyn would come early, so he could talk to her again, learn more about her—preferably not with a man bleeding at her feet.

  Opening his safe, Lorenzo slid his notebook inside, along with the cash he still needed to drop at the bank—the bank his family owned—and his piece. Closing the safe, he turned to find those gold eyes staring back at him.

  “Evelyn, I... I didn’t realize you were here.” Lorenzo’s heart pounded in his chest. This woman had some effect on him that he couldn’t explain—which was all the more reason to stay away from her.

  She stood at his door in a gold-sequined, black-fringed, knee-length dress with a matching headband. Her beautiful thick hair was neatly pinned in waves falling around her face and her shoulders.

  Lorenzo’s mouth went dry. He searched for words, but he couldn’t get any sound to come out.

  Her lips, rose-pink, matched her cheeks and the lids of her eyes. Her beauty was unparalleled. The way her lashes fluttered each time she looked down, like she had no idea how beautiful she was, made Lorenzo want to fall to his knees in front of her and beg her to... He wasn’t even sure what he wanted to beg her for...just something...anything to keep her near him.

  He had to get a handle on himself. Lorenzo De Luca didn’t fall like this for a dame.

  “Did you want me to come back later?” Her brows knit together. Concern shadowed the features of her face.

  “No...no, you’re right on time. Benny’s ready whenever you are.”

  Evelyn shifted her weight.

  Lorenzo noticed her handbag. “Would you like to keep that in my safe while you’re on stage?”

  “No, I don’t want to be a bother.”

  “No bother, really.”

  He walked up to her. And why had he done that? She smelled like summer, and freshly picked fruit, coconut and candy. His mouth, formerly dry, now watered with the desire to taste her soft skin. She smiled, sending a shock straight through his chest. He took a deep breath and hoped his smile didn’t give away the turmoil of emotions roiling inside of him.

  “Let me take that for you.”

  She handed him her bag. Her gloved hands brushed his and their eyes met.

  “Thank you,” she said, somewhat shakily.

  Lorenzo attributed it to nerves. “I’ll take you around and show you the club. I want you to be comfortable. We have an area for the band. Or I can get you your ow
n room if you’d like.”

  “No, that won’t be necessary.”

  “Well, you’ll be spending a lot of time here. I’m sure you’ll want somewhere to go to relax between sets. I want you to be happy here.”

  He meant that. His own sincerity rattled him, and he knew it was more than just about his business. But he would stay away from her. He had to for her own safety.

  Lorenzo led her to the back of the club first. “This is the kitchen. They can make you whatever you want—on the house. We serve the best homemade pretzels and hot ham this side of the Missouri River, but we usually eat breakfast together as a staff, while we have the fewest customers.”

  Showing Evelyn around made Lorenzo look at his club through fresh eyes. He’d renovated the old building to include a state-of-the-art kitchen. Most nightclubs served only a few items, but Lorenzo wanted his speakeasy to be different. He served what the other clubs served—pretzels and ham—but they were the best pretzels and ham you could get in the city, and that wasn’t an exaggeration. Lorenzo had to put in a lot of effort.

  “This is lovely. I’ve never been in a kitchen like this. You have three iceboxes. Why do you have so many?”

  “The largest one is for the bar. The other two are for the kitchen. If you have a special request, I can have it ordered and keep it in stock for you. What’s your poison of choice?”

  Evelyn looked down and said in a small voice, “I... I don’t drink.”

  “You’ve never had a drink?” Lorenzo suddenly noticed how young she looked. Her body was all woman, but her face was innocent.

  “Yes, I have. I just don’t like to.”

  Lorenzo stared at her for a moment. “May I ask how old you are?”

  “I’m twenty-two.” Evelyn’s gaze dropped to the floor and she wrung her hands together.

  “Baloney,” Lorenzo said, immediately regretting it.

  “Excuse me?” Evelyn’s eyes narrowed as she looked at him once again.

  “No, I mean...you look young, but you’re so sophisticated. How could you only be twenty-two?”