by Nyx, Angel
“She sat down and I am too much of a gentleman to push a woman onto the floor.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Right. I’m sorry, but where I come from, we call that bullshit. If a woman sits in your lap and you don’t want her there, you move her. You don’t let her stay sitting and then let her kiss you. Not unless you’re actually interested in her.”
“Ah, Bella, you are going to make me work for it, aren’t you?”
My eyes widened when he trapped me against my desk and kissed me again.
“Challenge accepted.”
His growl sent a shiver of anticipation through me. I watched him walk out of my office and slumped against the desk. The man was definitely a danger to my peace of mind. As the music from the stage filtered through the office door, I gave myself a mental shake and pushed his kisses out of my mind and went out to focus on work. If I kept my mind occupied maybe I could get through the night without embarrassing myself.
“I hear Chablis made a play for the new boss.”
I looked up to see Camille sliding onto the seat across from me. Tonight was the night we split the shift between us. “Of course she did. Who’d you hear about it from?”
“Midori told me. I swear she needs to be put on a leash.”
Laughter bubbled up at Camille’s words. “Like the bitch she is.” We both cracked up before I sighed. “We might have a problem. Tony and I did inventory and some of the stock is missing.” I watched as her gaze traveled to where he stood behind the bar.
“Do you think one of the staff is stealing?”
“I don’t know. I hope not but we’ll be checking it again in a few days, if you’d like to help.”
“Maybe I will. What are you going to do if the numbers still don’t add up?”
“Take it to Gio and find out what he wants to do about it.”
“Speaking of Gio, he is watching you like a hawk.”
“He’s been doing that since we opened.”
“Maybe he’s got the hots for you.”
I felt my cheeks warm and knew I was blushing.
“No way. Girl, you better dish. I know that look! What happened?”
“He’s kissed me. Three times. I swear I felt my toes curl and my panties got wet. He’s...a very good kisser.”
“Oo la la! You should jump on that Italian stallion and take him for a test drive.”
“Camille!” I balled up a napkin and threw it at her. “I have Eli to think about. Hooking up with the boss isn’t an option.” Still, I couldn’t keep my gaze from moving to where he stood leaning against the bar talking with Tony.
“Uh huh. Sure. That’s why you can’t stop looking at him.”
“There’s no harm in looking but that’s all it’s going to be. That’s all it can be.”
“Keep telling yourself that, Carly.” As Camille got up to go backstage, presumably to check on things, my eyes again trailed to where Gio stood. He was a gorgeous man. When our eyes locked I felt my pulse speed up and it took more effort than I care to admit to to look away from him. I was in so much trouble.
Chapter Twenty
Gio
I didn’t believe in hurting women. That was the only reason Chablis was still able to walk. When I saw Carly’s face, after Chablis threw herself at me, I knew I was going to have to work even harder to tear down her walls. If I’d been a lesser man, Chablis would be sporting bruises for days.
“What was all that about?”
I turned to give Tony a look. “What was what all about?”
“Up in the VIP section, just before we opened. Thought you were into Carly.”
“I am.” My voice came out in a growl and I watched Tony hold his hands up as if in surrender.
“Hey, if you say so. I’m just saying, kissing one of the dancers tends to send a different message.”
“She kissed me. She’s lucky I don’t believe in hitting women or I’d have knocked her on her ass for it.” When Carly got up from the table where she and Camille had been talking, and headed toward her office, I pushed away from the bar. “Keep an eye on things out here.”
“Sure thing. Go get your woman.”
“I intend to.” I stalked after Carly and reached the office door before she got it closed.
“Gio. I have some paperwork to get done before I leave. It’s Camille’s night to close.”
“Go to dinner with me.”
“What?”
The surprise on her face amused me.
“You heard me, Tesoro. Go to dinner with me.”
“I don’t think...”
I put a finger to her lips. “The only word I want to hear from that pretty mouth is ‘yes’.”
“You’re insufferable! If I say yes, will you let me finish so I can get home to my son?”
“Of course, Bella.”
“Fine then. Yes. Happy?”
“Si. Very much, so.” She wasn’t getting away that easily. I pulled her into my arms and molded our bodies together before I kissed her yet again. She tasted like cinnamon and spice and it made me groan. “Tomorrow night. I will pick you up at six. Be ready. And wear something sexy.” The dazed look on her face when I walked out of the office made me smirk. She could pretend like she wasn’t affected as much as I was but her body said otherwise.
“I take it, judging by your smirk, things went well.”
“That they did, Tony, that, they did. I want you to look into Chablis’ work history. She says she was a manager before she came to work here. I want to know where and why she left.”
“You thinking you should have made her manager instead?”
“I don’t know.” My phone vibrated in my pocket and I pulled it out.
La famiglia needs you.
“I have to go. We’ll go through the inventory again on Monday.” That would tell us if we had a thief on the payroll.
Arriving at the address that accompanied the text, I headed into the warehouse. It was on the outskirts of the city, and from the outside it looked like it was rundown. The inside was completely different. State of the art surveillance equipment lined one wall. A steel staircase led to the second level where a series of rooms were built. Three of those rooms were soundproof.
“What do you have for me?”
“Ciao, Gio. Third room. Guido caught someone snooping around outside. Thought you'd like to be the one to interview him. Find out what he's doing here.”
I rubbed my brow in frustration. I wasn't an enforcer anymore but sometimes it still fell to me to take care of the dirty work. “I'm on it.” With a nod I headed up the stairs.
When I stepped into that room, I couldn't have been more surprised if the Pope was waiting for me. “Naz.” Nazario Baretti, Naz for short, was an old childhood friend. “What in the hell are you doing here and why were you sneaking around outside?” Old friend or not, if he put la famiglia at risk, I would end him. It didn’t matter to me that he worked for the Ricci family. I had my own people to worry about and protect.
“Gio. It’s about damn time you got here. I’m here because word got back to La Famiglia, the Ricci’s, that there was an incident that could bring unwanted attention to our business.”
Fucking Deo. I could wring his damn neck. “It’s being handled, Naz. La Famiglia has nothing to worry about.” While the Marchetti family had full control of New Orleans, we still answered to the Ricci Crime Family and they were wellwithin their rights to send their main enforcer here to make sure nothing could connect them to crimes here in the Crescent City.
“Gio, Gio, Gio. You know better than that. La Famiglia worries about anything that could bring la polizia to our doorstep. I am here to make sure the problem is fixed.”
“Of course. Let me give you a tour of our operation. Where are you staying while you’re in town? You know Mama will insist on you staying at the house.”
“She is testardo.”
“Mama prefers persistent over stubborn but they’re the same thing in my book.” We both chuckled while I show
ed him around the warehouse.
“I need to know what happened, Gio.”
I rubbed a hand over my face. “Deo happened. He’d been wanting more responsibility and I thought he was ready. I was wrong and everything went south. Ultimately, the fault is mine.”
“There are rumors there are connections to la polizia.. Tell me it isn’t so.”
“I can’t do that without lying, Naz. It’s been taken care of. Nothing is going to connect la famiglia to the body.”
“You know I will have to question him myself. I know he’s your brother, but it is my job to protect La Famiglia. This isn’t about trusting your ability to clean things up.”
“Yeah. I know, Naz. I won’t ask you to go easy on him. I won’t insult you that way.” Mama wouldn’t be happy about her bambino being questioned but maybe this would be the kick in the ass Deo needed to straighten the fuck up.
Chapter Twenty One
Carly
It was late afternoon and I stood in front of my closet in dismay. There wasn’t a single thing in there that I felt was good enough for a date with a man like Gio. Every time I saw him, he was dressed impeccably. There was no doubt in my mind that his suits were expensive, and those shoes? If they weren’t Gucci I’d eat my leather bustier. What do you do when you have a date and have nothing to wear? You call in reinforcements.
“Never fear, I have arrived! And I come bearing gifts.”
“Risa, you’re a lifesaver.”
“Don’t mention it, Carly. I’m happy to help you. Don’t give me that look, girl. You deserve a night out.”
“What am I doing, Risa? He’s my boss. What am I going to do when he decides he doesn’t really want a ready made family?”
“Carly. He knows about Eli already. If he had a problem with you being a single mom, don’t you think he would have already walked away? You’re worrying over nothing. The man is obviously in to you. So give yourself this chance, chica..”
“I don’t know how.” Admitting it was scary. “It’s been just me and Eli since before he was born. I don’t know how to let Gio in. I’m scared, okay? I’m scared of letting him close and getting my heart broken.”
“I know you are, Carly. But girl, you can’t live like that forever. Give him a chance to prove he’s not a bastard, and if he breaks your heart, I’ll break his neck.”
That made me laugh and eased the tension. “This is why I love you, Risa. You know just what to say to make me feel better. Okay, let’s see what you brought.”
After going through everything she’d brought with her, I chose a black ankle length skirt made from crushed velvet. It flowed around me when I moved and felt delicious against my skin. I paired it with a deep red corset and a black jacket. A dark red belt was added to the ensemble, gold hoop earrings, a simple choker, and my red heels, and I was dressed. I decided to leave my hair loose and just added a little serum and mousse to keep the curls under control. A little eyeliner and some red lipstick and I was done.
“What do you think?” I did a little turn for Risa and waited for her verdict.
“You’re going to knock his socks off, girl. You are smokin’ hot. I can’t wait to see his face when he gets here.”
I rolled my eyes and went out to the living room where Eli was coloring. “Are you okay with me going out tonight?”
“Si, Mama. Aunt Risa said she’ll play my new game with me. You look really pretty, Mama.”
“Thank you, Amato.” I pressed a kiss to the top of his head just as there was a knock on the door. My hand shook when I went to open it. The sight of Gio standing there in a dark suit with a bouquet of lilies made my heart flutter. “Lilies. My favorite. How did you know?”
“A little birdie told me.”
His wink had me arching a brow at him. Camille. It had to be her because I knew he hadn’t spoken with Risa.
“You look beautiful, Bella.”
His gaze trailed down my body and the heat in his eyes had me shivering as I reached for the bouquet.
“Here, let me take those, Carly, so you two can get out of here.”
I blinked at Risa. For a moment it had felt like Gio and I were the only two people in the world. “Thanks, Risa. I’ll be home later.” I gave my son one last kiss, told him to be good, and let Gio escort me out of my apartment.
Chapter Twenty Two
Gio
I watched her from the corner of my eye as I drove us into the heart of the Garden District to August. It wasn’t the kind of restaurant you took just anyone to. No, the ambiance lent itself to romantic dinners with that special someone. “You really do look beautiful tonight, Bella. I get the feeling you’re nervous. Why?”
“I’ll be completely honest with you, Gio. This is the first date I’ve been on since before Eli was born. After I had him, I didn’t have time to date. I was busting my ass to try to keep a roof over our heads while raising a child. Dating wasn’t even on my radar. By the time he was older, and didn’t need constant care, I’d decided I didn’t need a man in my life. There aren’t that many men who are interested in a ready-made family.”
“That, Tesoro, is because they are not men. They are boys pretending to be men. A man will not turn away from a woman simply because she has a child.” I reached over, took her hand in mine, and brought it to my lips. “I am honored to be the one you’ve chosen to take that leap with.”
Once we reached the restaurant I helped her out of the car and escorted her inside. “I’d like to know more about you, Carly.” The look she gave me made me smirk. “Is that so surprising?”
“To be honest, yes. I don’t get it, Gio. You obviously have money. You’re sexy as hell. You could have any woman you want. Why are you setting your sights on a single mother who has spent most of the last decade taking her clothes off for strangers just to keep a roof over her and her son’s head?”
“Is that really all you see yourself as, Bella? Just a stripper? Just a single mother? You are so much more than those two things. You’re smart, determined, beautiful, compassionate. You have a backbone of steel, you’re not afraid to stand your ground for what you believe is right, even if it would be easier to back down. You’re a fighter in every way that matters.”
“I didn’t even finish high school. How does that make me a fighter?”
“You did what you needed to do in order to support your son. That is what makes you a fighter. You were sixteen. Do you know how many children are in the foster care system because their mother was young and, instead of stepping up and doing what was needed, they gave their children away? Too many, Carly.”
“I could have never done that. My mother suggested it, when I told her I was pregnant. I refused. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. My mother raised me by herself because my worthless excuse for a father abandoned us when I was little. I saw how much she struggled to support us both. I was willing to face those struggles for my child. I knew he or she deserved that much.”
I watched as she shrugged her shoulders. She acted like what she’d done was nothing. She had no idea how admirable it was. “Do not treat it as though it’s nothing, Tesoro. You faced single parenthood head on and you’ve excelled at it. You’re a strong woman, Carly. Don’t ever doubt that about yourself.”
Our conversation continued through dinner. I learned that Carly grew up in the Lower 9th Ward, one of the worst neighborhoods, crime wise, in New Orleans. I learned that all throughout her school years she’d gotten good grades, rarely getting below a B on anything. Had she finished high school and gone to college, she’d planned to major in graphic design and business so she could one day have her own graphic design company. The way she lit up about it, I wanted to help her reach that goal.
We were waiting on the server to return with my card when I broached the subject with her. “Why don’t you go back to school? You could get your GED and go to college, Bella. You could still have that dream.”
“Yeah, right. When, exactly, am supposed to have the time to do that? What w
ith raising a child, helping him with his homework, and working at the club? No. It’s just not an option right now.”
“Bella, Bella, Bella. Those are all excuses. They have classes you can take online. You can do this. Think about it. Don’t dismiss it without giving it serious thought.”
“Fine. I’ll think about it.”
“Grazie. That is all I ask.”
“Here’s your card, Mr. Marchetti. I hope the meal was to your liking.”
Before I could answer there was the sound of breaking glass across from me and I looked to see Carly staring at me as if she’d seen a ghost. “Bella?”
Chapter Twenty Three
Carly
We’d been having such an amazing time. I’d told him more about myself than I’d told anyone in years. Then the server returned with his card and it all went to hell in a handbasket.
That name. I hadn’t heard it in nine years. Not since before Rico died. The pain that lanced through my heart wasn’t as sharp as it once was but it was still there. “You’re...Giovanni Marchetti.” It wasn’t a question.
“Si, Bella. What is wrong?”
My breathing became erratic, my heart rate soared, and for the second time in my life I began to hyperventilate.
“Breathe, Carly. Whatever it is, you need to calm down and take slow, deep breaths.”
If he was calling me by my first name I knew he was worried. It took several minutes for me to get my breathing under control. That was when I dropped my bombshell.
“Eli’s father was Enrico Marchetti.” I watched as Gio physically reacted to my words. “I can’t…I can’t do this. I need to go home. I can’t see you anymore, Gio.”
Oh fuck. How was I going to find another job that would pay me what I was making now at the club for the amount of hours I was there? There was no way that was going to happen, which meant back to working long hours. I was going to have to break my little boy’s heart. In that moment I hated Gio, just a little.