by Bethany-Kris
Melina made it work—somehow. She did paperwork at home, and worked evenings when Mac was done for the day. She broke her days up between being home, or at The Dollhouse, and then back again.
She was tired. He knew she had to be. At the same time, Melina was too stubborn, and too hard of a worker to let any venture of hers fail.
Mac had all the respect for his wife in that regard.
He was not about to tell her that she couldn’t do something when he, more than anyone else in their lives, knew exactly what Melina Morgan Maccari was capable of. So far, they had made this work, and that was exactly what he planned to continue to do as long as his wife wanted to do so as well.
Of course, he didn’t think for a second that Melina would ever be the barefoot-homemaker type, but should there ever come a day when that was what she wanted, he’d make sure she had all of that and more, too.
Happy wife, happy life.
Mac had already learned that in his short marriage.
At the end of the hallway, Mac was surprised to find his wife’s office door firmly closed. She knew he would be there to visit for the afternoon before he had to pick up Enric after the appointment, so he was confused why her office wasn’t open as it usually would be. Melina only closed her door when she had someone inside, and didn’t want the conversation being overheard.
Like when Mac was there.
He knocked three times on the door—twice lightly, once firmer. That way, Melina would know it was him, and not just anyone waiting on the other side of the door. It took another ten minutes before he heard the latch slide for the inside deadbolt.
Mac took a step back from the door, curious as to who would be so important to his wife that she wouldn’t even allow him inside while she talked with them.
Relief settled through Mac as one of Melina’s girls who worked at the club stepped out of the office, giving a quick assurance over her shoulder before passing him by in the hallway. She barely spared him a glance at all. Mac recognized the girl as one Melina considered a friend, of sorts, as she had been stuck with the girl as a bunkmate while in jail.
Erika, he believed was her name.
The relief he had felt was short-lived, as Mac was once again reminded that his wife had made him wait while she talked with Erika. Had it been a man inside, one of the many guards for the place, Melina would have let him inside in a heartbeat, especially if there was an issue to discuss about a girl or patron.
What had been so private with Erika that Melina didn’t want Mac to hear it?
“Are you going to stand out there in the hallway all afternoon, or bring me the take-out you promised?” Melina called from inside the office.
Mac pushed his concerns aside for the moment, plastered on his signature smirk, and entered his wife’s office. As usual, Melina sat behind her large desk, queen of the room like always. It made him smile—genuine and wide—to see how well she commanded her own space, and how damn good she looked doing so.
He held up the bag of take-out. “From your favorite place.”
“Life saver,” Melina replied, snatching the bag as soon as he was close enough to hand it over. “Thanks.”
“Always welcome, doll.”
Mac dropped a kiss to the top of his wife’s head as she began emptying the cartons from the bag. His hand found the back of her neck to feel the heat of her body and softness of her skin. It was also a way for him to gage whatever internal stress she might be feeling, but not exactly showing, depending on how taut her muscles felt there.
She was smooth and relaxed under his touch.
Mac took the carton of chicken and noodles Melina offered, setting himself on the very edge of the desk as he dug into his food and she opened up her own. “Important meeting, or what?”
Melina glanced up, her plastic fork freezing in front of her opened lips. “Pardon?”
“Erika, right?”
She set her food aside. “What about her?”
“I know she’s someone you consider a friend and all …”
Melina’s eyebrow arched high. “Say whatever it is, Mac.”
Mac was too smart for that, especially where his wife was concerned. Nothing good would come from him spitting out his thoughts without any consideration to how she might take them, especially if the way he felt was the complete opposite to his wife’s feelings regarding the girl.
“You know I have access to the books, right?” Mac asked. “Both sets of books, doll.”
By both sets of books, Mac was referring to Melina’s accounting that happened before the clean-up came. Books that showed specific girls, clients, and how much cash men were throwing at which woman when he spent his time with her. Mac knew exactly which girls brought in the most cash at The Dollhouse, and from which man that seemed to favor them.
Erika was no exception.
“Is there a point you’re trying to make?” Melina asked calmly.
Well, Mac was taking that as a win. He hadn’t seemed to piss his wife off yet, and that was one of his many priorities next to keeping her safe, of course.
“Erika brings in decent cash,” Mac said.
“Yep.”
Melina popped a bite of food into her mouth, saying nothing else.
“But it’s all from one client, too.”
“And?”
“That client is Anthony Corelli, doll.”
Melina didn’t blink a lash. “I’m aware.”
“You’re not going to make this easy on me, are you?”
A sensual smile curved his wife’s lips at the corners. “Nope.”
Mac sighed, putting his food aside and stepping down from the edge of the desk. Melina turned her chair to face him, and he bent down to put his hands on her bare knees while his eyes met hers. Face to face, there were no games between them, no jokes or misinterpreted words. He really needed his wife to hear him for this, and this was one of the only ways he could ensure that would be the case.
“Melina, that girl’s only client is a man that has—at times—made it his mission to ruin me,” Mac said, “and you’re hiding behind closed doors with the chick.”
Melina frowned. “Is that what you think?”
“No, not necessarily, but it could have that impression on certain people.”
“People like Anthony?”
Mac shrugged. “Exactly.”
“Maybe that’s part of the point, Mac.”
Well, he had not been expecting to hear that. “Go on.”
“Erika isn’t interested in picking up other clients besides Anthony because she doesn’t need to. He keeps her well paid so that she is always at his beck and call, and only his. He likes that, and I think part of that reason is—”
“You,” Mac interjected quietly.
“She’s mentioned things—he talks about me, sometimes you. Obviously there are some similarities between Erika and I.”
Mac tried really hard not to scoff, and failed like a cafone. “Skin color, but that’s about it.”
“Be nice.”
“That’s it, doll.”
“Be that as it may, Mac, I think Anthony has a taste, and Erika fits that bill. He is her client, he keeps her paid, and she doesn’t mind … feeding into whatever it is he wants at the time. So, if I can use that to my—our—benefit, than I plan on doing exactly that.”
Mac took in his wife’s words slowly, and what they might mean. “And what are you planning with him and her, exactly?”
“Right now? Nothing. But should there come a time when that trust he has for her can be used to my benefit for something, then yes, you can bet your ass I plan on using it for anything I can.”
“Doll …”
“What?”
Mac sighed. “Don’t go making games where there aren’t any to be played.”
Melina smiled in that way of hers again. “There’s something I’ve learned about this life of ours.”
“Do tell.”
“Everyone is playing a game, even if you don’t
realize you’re a piece on the board. This is no different. I just might be a step or two ahead of the rest.”
“Be careful, Melina. I don’t want you stepping into someone else’s pile of shit.”
“As long as Anthony is the one cleaning it off my boots, I don’t give a damn.”
Be that as it may …
“You need to be careful who you trust,” Mac said simply.
Melina nodded. “That, Mac, is one thing you don’t need to worry about.”
“But you will tell me if something important comes up, or if shit turns sour in some way, right?”
“Always.”
That was all Mac needed to know. While he still didn’t feel one hundred percent okay with whatever plans Melina had going on where Erika and Anthony were concerned, he had to step back and trust his wife to do the right thing.
And hell, if she did stumble upon the kind of information that might do Mac some good while doing harm to Anthony at the same time, he wasn’t about to complain. He simply didn’t want to see his wife get hurt in some way over her … scheming.
“Be careful,” Mac said again as he retook his seat on the edge of the desk.
“Got it. Now you tell me, how did it go with Enric?”
“Easier than I expected.”
“How much guilt did you put on his shoulders?”
Mac smirked. “A bit.”
“He’ll be grateful, Mac.”
He knew that, too.
“But he’s going to hate me on the way there,” Mac muttered heavily.
“Probably.”
It was not going to be an easy road.
It would be a road worth traveling, though.
That made all the difference.
“Before I forget,” Melina said, gaining Mac’s attention again. “Meet me at your mother’s tonight for supper—bring Enric, too. We have plans to make.”
“What now?”
He didn’t mean to sound so whiney, but Jesus, they hadn’t stopped since the baby was born.
“Marquise’s christening.”
Ah.
Yeah.
Mac couldn’t say no to that. “Family first, doll.”
Melina laughed. “God is a very close second.”
Very close.
It would be a big day for them all, and they had some important choices to make regarding who would be involved in a special way. Mac had to admit, he was looking forward to it a little bit.
Christenings were … special in their lifestyle.
Almost, if not as important, as weddings and births, really.
Mac finished his meal quickly, knowing by the time he got back to the other side of the city, Enric would be just about done with his appointment. He didn’t want to make the man wait, because as it was, Enric wouldn’t be in a good mood once he got out of the physical therapy appointment. It was hard, exhausting work. Mac didn’t need to pile on to Enric’s troubles.
With a goodbye kiss to his wife, one that lingered long enough to make him wish time would speed up just enough for Melina to get her medical okay from the doctor to resume intimacy, Mac was heading out of The Dollhouse without a look back. He had noticed a couple of new faces in the main floor as he left, however, and he’d seen Erika sitting alone at the bar, nursing a cocktail of some kind.
Anthony hadn’t been there at all, it seemed.
Mac wondered why Erika bothered to spend time at The Dollhouse when her client was not there. He knew Melina didn’t require the girls to put in a set number of hours, and if Erika only really catered to Anthony, her presence wasn’t needed at the business all the time.
He put the thoughts out of his head, deciding to worry about it another day. Erika was just a woman working for his wife, after all.
And what was good for Melina, would always be just fine for Mac.
If you wanted things done right, sometimes you had to do them yourself.
At least that was the motto Melina was currently subscribing to.
It wasn’t that she didn’t think she had fully capable people available to assist her with her current undertaking. It was just that she knew the importance of tonight’s event, and she wanted everything to be perfect. Mac had expressed his appreciation that she cared about the men in his crew. Tonight would be a chance to show just how much.
For probably the hundredth time, Melina moved around The Dollhouse, checking things off the list she’d made earlier. Actually she’d moved past checking hours ago. Rechecking was more like it. She stopped and frowned when she noticed Mac sitting at the bar watching her with a smirk.
“Nice to see that one of us is acting like he doesn’t have a care in the world,” she said.
“And why would you think that, doll?”
“Because I’m running around here like a chicken with my head cut off, and you’re all easy breezy.”
Mac raised a brow. “Easy breezy? Hardly. I just know that my wife is fully capable of doing an amazing job at whatever she puts her mind to, so there is no reason to stress about tonight.”
“Oh.”
Mac moved from his seat and walked over to his wife. He tipped her chin up with his finger and offered her a full smile.
“You’re the most confident woman I know, so tell me what about this night has you so rattled?”
“I wouldn’t say I’m rattled. I just want to do this right. With everything going on, I think it’s important that we all have a chance to decompress and enjoy some of the good in life. Besides that, I just want your guys to feel appreciated. Not that you don’t do a good job of that on your own.” Melina held up a hand in defense.
Mac put his arms around her waist. “You’re doing something no other Capo’s wife has even thought of doing. Your heart is in the right place and because of that tonight will be a success no matter what.”
“Flatterer. I knew there was a reason I married you,” Melina teased.
“The only reason?”
“Hardly.”
Melina kissed Mac, her tongue slipping in his mouth in a kiss of love and appreciation. He returned her kiss with the same fiery fervor. Mac was a rare man and every day made her realize just how lucky she was to be married to him.
“The lovebirds at it again.”
Melina eased apart from her husband and rolled her eyes as Erika walked in. “Don’t hate. Appreciate.”
Erika laughed as she came closer to her boss. “No hate here. Always happy to see you smiling.”
“Good to hear. You look especially nice this evening.”
“Always dress for the occasion, Boss Lady.”
“I like that way of thinking. I’ll see you in a few minutes, doll.”
Melina nodded as her husband walked away before turning back to Erika. “Well.”
“Nothing yet. Just the usual complaints about not being respected and there needs to be change.”
“Really?”
Erika nodded as she flicked away a stray strand of hair. “Yes. That man has a major chip on his shoulder.”
“Thanks for the info. Look for your first bonus,” Melina said.
“That wasn’t much. Glad it helped. Excuse me while I check my makeup.”
Momentarily left alone, Melina finished going through her check list before the club started to fill with people. The bartenders and wait staff appeared first, followed by the caterers and the DJ. Her girls came in next, and she was happy to see almost every girl that worked for her had volunteered to work tonight. If nothing else, Mac’s men wouldn’t be lacking for female company.
“Melina, the crew is ready to come in,” Mac said appearing at her side.
Giving one last look to make sure everything was set up correctly, she took Mac’s hand and joined him at the entrance to the club.
“Moment of truth.”
“You know you don’t have to do this. The party itself is enough.”
She shook her head. “Nope. This is non-negotiable. Introduce me to everyone. I don’t have to know what they do for you
. I just want to know their names and thank them.”
“Whatever my wife wants, she gets.”
“I’m going to remind you of this conversation at a later date.”
“I have no doubt of that,” Mac said.
Before Melina could say anything else, the doors opened and one by one, the men started to file in. A good majority of them she didn’t recognize, but she greeted them with the same enthusiasm of those she did know. Every man was not only respectful, but seemed deeply humbled that she had gone out of her way for them. The appreciation in their eyes was one of the best gifts she could’ve ever received. Enric was the last of the men to arrive.
“Enric. So glad you could come,” Melina said.
The young man rolled his wheelchair up to where she and Mac stood. His eyes shifted briefly to her husband before they went back to her.
“Thank you for inviting me.”
“Always.”
Melina leaned down and kissed his cheek. Enric had the good grace to blush before he addressed Mac.
“Skip.”
“Enric. Enjoy yourself.”
The young man nodded and wheeled away leaving Mac and Melina alone.
“Was that everyone?” Melina asked.
“Yes.”
Melina released a breath. “Good. That was a lot of men to meet and greet.”
“That meant a lot to them.”
“I could tell it did. What was that between you and Enric?”
Mac put his hand against the small of her back and guided her back to where the party was in full swing.
“Nothing. I spoke some harsh truths to him, and he’s still a little sore about it. He’ll get over it eventually.”
“Just how tough were you, Mac?”
“Enough. He has to shake this shit off. There are so many people that need him.”
“I’m sure he will in his own time. Now how about you and I enjoy ourselves?”
Melina took Mac’s hand and pulled him out onto the middle of the floor where a few of his crew and some of her girls were dancing to the slow grooves the DJ was playing. Melina slipped her arms around her husband and laid her head against his chest.