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“What the hell happened? I go away for a few days, and everything goes to shit?”
“It’s not like it was a done deal when you left. The commissioner has been on the fence about it for months. Clearly, Dante did something to shove him over to his side.”
“How are we going to fix this?” he snarls.
“I’ll figure it out. You keep your head on the task at hand.”
“I’ve got a handle on the Puerto Ricans. It’s not my head I’m worried about, it’s yours. You’re too obsessed with that damned girl. If she wasn’t in the picture, there’s no way this deal would’ve fallen through.”
“Fuck you, Marco, you have no idea what you’re talking about.” My free hand curls into a fist at my side.
“If I’m so wrong, where are you right now?” I can practically hear my brother’s shit-eating grin over the phone.
“You’re probably tracking me with that stupid friends and family app. I’m disconnecting you from the service immediately so you stop stalking me.”
He snorts. “Right… because I’m the stalker. End this thing with the redhead and sign the damned agreement with Qian. It’s the only happily ever after we’ll get, brother.”
Soft footsteps resound across the tile and before Maisy turns the corner, I already know it’s her. I don’t even know how it’s possible, but every part of this woman is already ingrained in my mind. “I’ll take care of my business, you take care of yours.” Jabbing the call end button, I slip my phone back into my pocket as my little fox rounds the corner.
A few tendrils of red hair have come loose, framing her face in that cute, frazzled way. I haven’t seen her all day, and my childish heart comes alive at the sight of her. I’m smiling like an idiot.
Cazzo. What if Marco is right? Have I lost sight of what’s truly important because of my crazed obsession with this woman?
“You’re early,” she says as she approaches.
My phone vibrates again in my jacket, but I ignore it. I’ve had enough of Marco for now. “I had a meeting nearby,” I mutter lamely.
The receptionist glances up at my blatant lie, but she doesn’t utter a word, dropping her gaze to the computer screen. Smart girl.
“Come on, Max is waiting outside.” My hand instinctively falls to the small of her back, and perhaps I’m imagining it because I truly am delusional when it comes to my little fox, but I could swear she leans into my touch.
By the time we reach the BMW parked outside on Central Park West, I’m breathing easier, my entire body more relaxed simply because of her presence. Which is insane. I’m not certain at what point the tables flipped in this dynamic.
Max jumps out of the car as we approach. He runs his hand through his shaved hair, a nervous twitch making his brow jump.
“What’s wrong?” I hold the door open for Maisy as she slides into the backseat.
“I just heard from Jimmy, boss. I got bad news.”
“What now?” I reach for my phone again, remembering I’d ignored an incoming call only a few seconds ago.
“The Red Dragons broke into two of Qian’s warehouses. They got away with hundreds of thousands in blow. Jimmy thinks they’re retaliating for the shit the Four Seas burned down last week.”
“Merda,” I snarl.
“Qian wants to know what we’re going to do. He lost a shit ton of money, and he’s pissed. He’s threatening to pull out of our agreement.”
Damn it. If we lose the Four Seas, everything else will crumble.
“Where is Qian now?” I bark.
“He’s at the warehouse on Grand Street assessing his losses.”
I eye Maisy who sits in the car, scrolling through her cell phone. I hate bringing her to this meeting, but I need to handle this ASAP.
“Take me there now.” I slide into the backseat beside her, a lethal mixture of rage and irrational fear twisting my gut.
Max guns the engine, and we weave between the traffic deadlock of rush hour.
