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It was one of the longest days of my life. I keep on glancing at the clock, willing it to go faster. When it’s finally time, I almost jump out of my seat.
Everything is set for the evening, and Camilla’s almost done with work.
Kicking my feet up on my desk, I look around my office as I wait for her to finish. The few items I’ve collected over the years adorn my walls, most of them spoils from other groups we’ve taken over. Even with the authorities driving us back, making us extra wary of every single thing we do, I’m proud to say that we’re still thriving—business and financially-wise.
A knock rattles my door. I already know who it is just from the small lick of blonde hair visible through the door’s glass pane. She slowly turns the knob, a wide smile across her face as she takes a step, then another into my office, shutting the door behind her.
“Cassio! I love this so much. Thank you for taking me here and giving me a job. I can definitely get used to working here. It’s a lot easier than any of the salvaging I used to do before.”
“Salvaging?” I return her smile as I get up from my desk. I watch as she grabs her things from one of my clientele chairs that I allowed her to use.
“Yeah, like… look for scrap in a scrapyard and hand it over to the people that recycle it,” she replies, offering a quick wave that she’s all set.
I get up from the chair, taking her hand in mine as we leave my office and exit the building.
“You don’t have to do any of that anymore. You understand that, right? I promised to take care of you and that’s exactly what I’d do.”
“I know. It’s just that, sometimes, I have to pinch myself because I keep on wondering if any of these is even real. What if I wake up and it’s all just a dream?”
I pull on her hand, signaling her to stop. Before she can say anything, I take her face in my hands and claim her lips in a searing kiss.
When I pull back, her cheeks are beet red, and her pupils are dilated. “Does that feel like a dream, Camilla?”
She shakes her head and bites her lower lip. I plant a kiss on her forehead and wrap an arm around her shoulders, continuing the walk to my car.
“So… what did you have in mind for tonight?” She fastens her seatbelt as she turns to me. The same Boston traffic greets us as we peel into the road, wasting no time as we progress further and further to the outskirts, across the way into a very significant development nearby.
One connected to and controlled by our family.
“Something special,” I reply, watching as the towers of the building come into view. Before us is one of the bigger casinos in the area, having first been on some other government land only to be shifted to something far more valuable when our family bought it. Camilla stares with her mouth slightly open, clearly impressed by the lights and impressive architecture.
“Tonight, everything you see is all ours,” I tell her, putting my hand on her thigh as the car rumbles into the garage. I stop in the parking space reserved exclusively for me. It takes every ounce of my strength to remove my hand from her thigh and not take her there and then. My pants tighten, and I’m thankful for the semi-darkness so she can’t see what she’s doing to me.
I get out of the car, feeling something rattling on the inside of my jacket, something that’s going to make this evening extra special. It’s a gift of sorts, made specially for the girl who has upended my life—in a good way.
She’s the one who made me feel all sorts of emotions—things I never thought I was capable of feeling. My business and everything I’ve been through has hardened me and turned me into the man that I am now, but she makes me want to break down the walls I’ve erected around myself.
And by the end of the night, I’ll make sure she knows she’s mine—now and forever.
6
Camilla
“Wow, this place is fancy.” I look around as we enter the casino. There are flashing lights and beeping sounds everywhere. My senses are in danger of being overwhelmed. Cassio shields my eyes with a single hand, and after a moment, he moves his hand to gently press around the back of my neck. His touch is slightly alarming with his warm hand but provides some kind of welcome comfort.
“Sure is,” he affirms, nodding as we walk deeper into the mess of colors and lights. “Don’t ever get addicted to this stuff, you hear? This is an idiot tax meant for people that have far better things to spend their money on.”
“Idiot tax?”
“Payment they make for the idiots that don’t know any better,” he responds, shaking his head. “That’s where we make money—drugs, lottery tickets, betting, anything like that. Those are our money machines. It’s just one way of handling things, just how everything works. Not that you need to worry about that kind of stuff, anyways.”
“Ah, I think I get it,” I mutter, trying my best to understand. We don’t linger on that topic much longer as we pass through a much bigger part of the casino, walking through a restaurant near an artificial waterfall. Cassio leads me all the way inside, still with his hand on the back of my neck.
“Mr. Cardozzo, good evening,” the waiter greets us. The interior is a mix of classical and modern styles, with plush seats upholstered in leather. I turn my head and notice that there’s not a soul in sight. Save for the soothing burbling sounds of the waterfall, it’s fairly quiet.
“Good evening,” Cassio replies calmly. He unbuttons his coat, takes out a piece of paper from his pocket, and hands it to the waiter, who quickly scans the note. I assume that it’s not meant for my eyes to see. “Do you have that table prepared?”
“We do. Please, follow me.”
