AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Our home is secure, but I’m sure you wouldn’t be comfortable coming here,” mom said, making me shoot her another look. She was up to something, and I knew it. “One of our restaurants, maybe? We know they’re secure, but they’re also public. A good compromise, I think?”
“…I appreciate the understanding,” Lauren said. “And yes, I can agree to that.”
“Alright,” I said, jumping in to take control of the conversation before my mom could hijack it again. “I can come pick you up. When does your office close?”
“Wait!” Lauren sputtered. “That’s—thank you for the offer, Mr. Marino, but I’m sure I can get wherever you need me to be, if you just give me the address…?”
“I’m pretty sure I just told you to call me Rich,” I reminded teasingly. “And I’m sure you could, but you’re not going to. Let me drive, I insist.”
“Mr. Marino,” she emphasized, making my mom cover her smile with her hand. “We are in Chicago—there’s nowhere in this city a taxi can’t get me. Where would you like to meet?”
“Mm, I don’t think I’ll tell you,” I said playfully, ignoring my mom’s obvious entertainment. “I will, however, be waiting outside your office at 5:00, if you do so please.”
Lauren huffed, and my mom couldn’t help but giggle quietly. “So I see you expect me to climb into a car with a man I’ve only met once, with no idea where we’re going or if I am going to return?” she asked. In spite of her words, I could tell she was enjoying our banter.
“Pretty much,” I said cheerfully. “See you at five, Miss Kylin. Bye!”
“Wh—bye?—"
I hung up, the back of my neck burning while my mom just grinned at me. I pouted at her. “Not a word,” I demanded. “And I know your lecture isn’t out of town, you schemer.”
Mom just laughed and said, “You’re welcome!”
Chapter Nine
RICHARD
Iscrolled through my phone, standing casually by my Mercedes-Benz while I waited for Lauren. She was a little late—it was already 5:15—but I was in no rush. I didn’t need a reservation to eat at one of our own restaurants, after all, and I was enjoying the looks on the faces of her coworkers as they noticed me.
It was always funny when people gawked at me. After all, even though I didn’t try to claim some high standard of masculine beauty, I did have the lucky combination of good genes and enough money for top-shelf care products. I drew eyes pretty frequently.
But then the moment they placed me? That split second where they realized the handsome stranger outside their office was the mafia heir of Chicago? The recognition that slid onto their faces in that moment, always excited me.
The underworld ran off of fear, after all. I was programmed to view it as power. And the way they paled, jerking their eyes away to pretend they hadn’t recognized me? Yeah, that was fear.
They didn’t need to be afraid of me. They were civilians, they had nothing to do with our business, and as long as they didn’t go meddling, I wasn’t about to break the Cosa Nostra tenets to pull them into it. I wasn’t going to hurt them, and I was aware that it was a little twisted for me to enjoy their fear, but, well, what was a Marino, if not a little twisted?
That was one of the many reasons why the people who had the chutzpa to approach us were so immediately intriguing—like my pretty lawyer, who was now almost half an hour late.
I frowned, checking my watch. She hadn’t contacted me in any way, and even though I’d ended our call with a little friendly antagonizing, I didn’t think she was the type to jeopardize a case over something as petty as that. I could have been wrong, of course, but I got the feeling that if something had come up, she would have informed me to change the time.
I frowned, growing more uncertain of her safety. She’d insisted on meeting in person—maybe it was more than paranoia that led to that request? By now, the river of employees on their way to their cars or the busses had slowed, but I caught a young man on his way out. He looked up at me with wide eyes.
“Can I help you, sir?” he asked, shoulders tense.
“Lauren Kylin,” I said. “Was she here today?”
“Yes, sir,” he said, looking uncomfortable. “Can I… ask the reason you’re looking for her? Maybe I can help.”
I wanted to scoff. A do-gooder—exactly the type of guy who would be unable to manage a case like my father's, knowing he was representing a client who was fully guilty. But, I couldn’t be too annoyed at him. After all, he was trying to figure out why I was here looking for his female coworker after hours. Regardless of who I was, it seemed to be a potentially dangerous position for her to be in, therefore I could only reluctantly appreciate his intentions.
“She’s my attorney,” I said blandly. “She’s twenty-five minutes late for a meeting with me without contact. If she left early, I should have been informed about it.”
The young man blinked at me but recovered quickly. “I didn’t see her leave,” he said more openly. “But I’m just an intern.”
“Are any of the senior partners still in the office?” I asked, starting to lose my patience. I kept smiling, though, reminding myself that his stupidity wasn’t his own fault.
“Attorney Carter is,” the young man responded.
