Page 20 of Bobby

But after one meal with her family, I’ve changed my tune. Something my mama might be proud about too. She never gave me advice in the business world, but she’s made it pretty obvious that she isn’t a fan of me putting work before family. And that I keep those same expectations for those who work for me. I’ve handled her concerns with the weekend rule, but it seems like I’m about to make a few more changes.

“We’ll see how it works with you and the girls first before I use a bigger testing group.”

“Makes sense. You wouldn’t want to dish out money without a return on investment. Especially with how some people view work and what they feel is ‘owed’ to them. If you just offered them free daycare without showing they could do the work to compensate for it, they might start demanding other free things, like housing and food.”

“Exactly.” I smile softly, enjoying that we’re on the same page. I understand some people can’t do things on their own, but others can. And should. Handouts prove nothing.

“We’re here,” Marco says as he pulls up to the curb. We’re a few minutes early for when school lets out. We pull closer to the front of the building than I expected.

I like that Willow doesn’t even bat an eye that we know where her girls go to school or what time to arrive. Or I thought I did. The way she unbuckles and turns to me makes me think I’m about to get confronted.

“Before the girls come out, can you explain this?” She pulls out her phone and shows me a deposit from the company.

“I told you you’d get a bonus and back pay.”

She slides her phone into her bag and rolls her eyes at me. “Yes, you said that. But I only just submitted the hours to human resources. There’s no way payroll could have updated everything that fast.”

I shrug, which makes her eyes narrow. “Are you saying that you gave me a forty-grand bonus on top of the seventy-grand pay increase?”

I tilt my head, not sure if she’s angry. “Not enough?”

Her eyes widen at my genuine question. “Are you crazy? I was making sixty grand part-time. Over a hundred and thirty is more than enough, plus all the other benefits you’re giving me. It’s almost too much, and I have to question if you really think it’s a wise decision. I might be shooting myself in the foot, but I’m not sure you’re thinking about the long-term financial debt you’re giving yourself all because of me.”

I shake my head. “That’s not how I see it.”

“How do you see it, then?”

I unbuckle my seat belt with ease and move just an inch closer so I can taste her honeysuckle scent on my tongue as I breathe her in.

“If you hadn’t caught what was going on, my company would have lost over a million dollars in revenue for this year alone. I considered giving you the full amount you saved me, but I had a feeling that might freak you out. I’m going to pay you fairly as someone I expect to lead the team, as well as make sure you get quarterly bonuses, comfortable shoes, and no worries about what your girls are doing while you’re continuing to save me money.”

Her mouth has slowly dropped open with each sentence I say. She’s stunned into silence, and I resist the urge to pull her in for a kiss. Seeing movement behind her, I press my finger under her chin to close her mouth.

“School’s out.”

She just nods.

Marco, who got out a moment ago, opens her door and waits for her to exit. She takes a moment to collect herself, or to process the full impact of what’s about to happen to her life financially now that she brought this to my attention. But when she pulls herself together, she exits the car with grace and walks to the line to wait for her girls.

I slide across the back seat and exit as well, letting Marco shut the door as we watch from afar. The moment I see the girls come out, I pull out my phone and check my messages. I don’t want to spoil a moment between mother and child, nor do I want to feel as if I’m intruding on how close-knit they are. Plus, I took off three hours early. The building won’t fall apart without me, but I prefer to still be on top of things.

“Sir.”

The way Marco speaks, his tone edged with a hint of malice, has me pocketing my phone mid-typing an email and looking up, already knowing instinctively where Willow and the girls are. A man is talking to them, yelling at Willow based on his facial features. He might not be loud enough to hear from here, but the body language is clear. The fact that Lily’s hiding behind Ivy and her mother has both me and Marco moving to them quickly.

“If you can’t drop them off on time, then maybe they should stay with me during the week. I can at least guarantee that they’ll arrive when they’re supposed to.”

“I already told you, Trevor, the bus broke down. It was the first time. I’m sorry that you received a text that inconvenienced you this morning, alerting you that the girls were tardy, not absent, while you were picking out wallpaper with your wife.”

The venom in my girl’s voice has me pulling up tall. I allow the essence of what makes the Leone famiglia the ruler of the East Coast to surround me as I walk right next to her, pushing Ivy back slightly to stand behind us, along with her sister.

“Is there a problem here, Willow?”

“Who the fuck are you?” the asshole snaps.

“Trevor,” she scolds him. Not sure if it’s the cussing or his question that has her looking ready to hit him with her bag.

“I’ll ask that you not cuss with children present.”