Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 77160 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77160 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
“I don’t need a yacht and six houses. I need to be able to sleep at night. Helping someone who is struggling right in front of my eyes is a way to do that. It would barely be a blip on my bottom line. But it would change his life.”
“Wow,” I said, not sure what else to say.
“You know how the mob got away with the bat-shit crazy shit they used to do in the Golden Age?” Remo asked.
“No.” But I suddenly felt like I needed to brush up on mafia history.
“They took care of their neighborhoods. Sure, they were doing shady and illegal shit. But they also suppressed violent local street crime. They protected businesses and seniors. They donated to food banks. Bought uniforms for the school sports teams. People remembered that. And kept their mouths shut when the cops had questions.
“I’m not saying it was all gentlemen dons or some shit like that. Just like any other corner of the world, when you give the wrong men too much power, they exploit it. The same people they used to help get hurt.”
“I dunno, maybe I’m a fucking idealist or some shit, but I felt like the world was a better place when people gave a damn about their communities. I want to see that here. Fuck knows the area needs it.”
“I like you, Remo,” I declared.
“Yeah?” he asked. This time, his smile was wicked. “Wanna transfer your affections for my cousin over to me?” he asked. “A king ain’t shit without a queen, you know.”
“Which is probably why, historically, women have been better leaders,” I teased. “But, sorry, no. I like you. But what I feel for Milo is… different.”
“You can name it what it is, you know,” he said. “Pretty clear he feels the same way.”
“Who feels the same way?” Milo asked, coming out of the bedroom.
He walked behind me, his hands going to my shoulders, automatically rubbing at the tension still held in the muscles there.
“Just talking to your woman about the history of the mob,” Remo told him.
“Oh, great,” Milo said, his tone suggesting it was anything but.
“He’s going to give Archie a retirement so he can relax at home.”
“He deserves it.”
Huh.
Simple as that.
No questions about the financials of it.
Were they all just… fundamentally good men who wanted to see good done toward people who couldn’t catch a break?
“What about the pit boss?” I asked.
“What about her?”
“Is she fired too? Or retired?”
“Fuck no,” Remo said. “Woman who will beat a man’s head in with a metal door lock? That’s someone I want working the pit in my casino.”
“But she let me snoop in Frank’s office.”
“I think we both know why she let that happen,” Remo said with a shrug.
“Can I ask how you plan to get the casino? If something happens to Frank, won’t it just… go up for sale to the highest bidder?”
“That’s exactly what would happen. Which is why Frank isn’t falling off any balconies. Yet,” he added with a small chuckle.
It was another comment that should have horrified me. Frank hadn’t, after all, been the one to beat me.
But he had walked away and allowed it to happen. He would have assaulted me, given the chance.
Him ‘falling off a balcony’ could be seen as an act of harm reduction, saving hundreds of other women from his predatory ways.
“This part is boring,” Remo admitted. “It’s about untangling the mess that is his finances to know exactly how I can get him to sign the place over to me. Legally.”
“You’re right. That does sound boring. It’s a good thing you got a little sleep then.”
“Two whole hours,” Remo said. “Could go for another three days now.”
It was right then that Dom came out of the bedroom, hair wet, face looking even more bruised than before, wearing Milo’s clothes that were too snug all around.
“Baby, do you mind letting us talk in private?” Milo asked, giving my shoulders a squeeze.
I won’t lie; I was disappointed. After worrying about him for days, I wanted to know what happened to Dom. And, yes, after I’d been the one to kind of crack his case.
But I wasn’t part of the mob.
I couldn’t be privy to everything.
“Sure,” I agreed, popping up. “My head is a little spinny from the meds anyway,” I added. “I could use a lie down.”
I got a kiss on the temple before I walked away.
And as I listened to low male baritone voices, I couldn’t make out any actual words, and I really hoped that maybe pillow talk would get chatty later when everyone was gone.
Because what the heck had Dom done to make a woman stalk and kidnap him?
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Milo
“You’re not fucking leaving,” I snapped when Dom informed us that he had to get going.
“Sorry, Remo. Know you got shit going down. But it seems like I do too now.”