AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And even more intrigued.
The buzz of my phone jars me from my thoughts. I glance at the screen and suppress a groan. It’s Mr. Fonelli, the Mancini Family accountant. Just the reptile I want to deal with before my second cup of coffee.
And when he tells me that he’s waiting at the entrance, well, things get even more depressing.
I paste on a dazzling smile as I unlock the side door for him. It would never do to have a man like this tramping through the private club itself. He enters with a briefcase clutched in one hand and his perpetually dour expression fixed on his face.
“Mr. Fonelli! What a lovely surprise.” I speak with my usual bubbly warmth, even as my fingers clench hard on the door handle.
His stern face doesn’t crack. “Ms. de Luca. I’m here on orders from the Don. He wants a full audit of the Ruby Realm’s books for the quarter.”
I keep my smile pinned in place, but inside I’m seething. The Don himself ordered this? He’s been getting greedy lately, trying to dig his grubby fingers deeper into my pie. The Ruby ismybaby, built from nothing into New York’s most elite paradise for women. I won’t let him bleed me dry.
“Of course, of course,” I say smoothly. “Please, follow me to my office.”
This audit is a necessary part of doing business with and for the Mancini Family, but it doesn’t make the process any less nerve-wracking. I just hope he won’t find anything in the damn ledgers. I keep them by hand, rather than digitally—easier to hand-wave discrepancies, and much more difficult for the Feds to get a look at.
“Have a seat,” I tell Fonelli as we enter my office. The walls are decorated with photographs of the women who’ve passed through the doors of the Ruby Realm—women who’ve found friendship, support, and even love within these walls.
“Thank you,” he murmurs, settling into the leather chair across from my desk. “Now, let’s see those books.”
I move aside the Monet that hides my safe, then press my fingerprint to the scanner to unlock it. I pass Fonelli the ledgers and watch him like a hawk as he flips through, scrutinizing every number down to the penny. His lips purse occasionally, and he pulls out a small notebook, jotting figures.
But as he flips through the records, my thoughts drift back to Natalie. Her surprised smile every time I make a joke, and the way her eyes seemed to see straight through me…She’s a hard woman to shake off. I find myself wondering what she’s doing right now…if she’s thinking about me as much as I’m thinking about her. I clench my fists under the desk, cursing myself for being so distracted during such an important meeting.
After a deadly dull half hour, he snaps the books shut. “I’m noticing some discrepancies in the blackjack tables’ earnings reports. They’re lower than projections for this quarter.”
I wave a hand airily. “Oh yes, we had some defective card shufflers that caused us to close two tables for a few nights to recalibrate them. Just a small hiccup.”
Fonelli’s eyes bore into mine, assessing my story. I meet his gaze unflinchingly until he gives a short nod. “I see. Well, everything else seems in order.” He tucks the ledgers under his arm. “I’ll be back to audit the next quarter. The Don is eager to ensure all his businesses are running smoothly. Give my regards to your father.”
“Of course, thank you Mr. Fonelli! Always a pleasure,” I chirp as he leaves, but I’m still furious at his description of the Ruby as “the Don’s business.” As soon as the door shuts behind him, I go back to my office and sink into my chair, rubbing my temples.
This is getting out of hand. If Don Mancini keeps demanding larger tributes, soon there’ll be nothing left of my hard-earned profits. I need to buy myself more time.
There’s a knock at the door. Devon, one of my most trusted bartenders, peers around it. She’s been with me from the early days when the Ruby was just a hole-in-the-wall lounge with big dreams. Her ice blonde hair and pierced nose remind me of my own rebellious youth.
“Any news about that champagne shipment?” she asks.
“What? Oh. That. No, not yet. I’m sorry, Dev, that was the accountant. My head’s spinning with numbers.”
“Let me guess, the men want a bigger cut,” she says bitterly. “Trying to bleed you dry after all the success you built. You don’t owe them anything, boss.”
I give her a grateful smile. “You’re lovely. Unfortunately, I do owe them a teensy little more than I’d like. So for now, I have to play nice or they’ll shut us down.”
Devon sniffs, but she knows better than to ask any more questions. “You’ll figure this out. You always do.” Her steadfast confidence lifts my spirits.
With the books temporarily balanced, Fonelli’s stern specter finally fades from my mind. But thoughts of Natalie Moreau quickly swoop in to occupy the empty space.
Most women easily fall under my charms, seduced by candlelight, fine wine and my considerable skills of conversation. Yet Natalie remained an impenetrable fortress I couldn’t breach. Each time I thought I glimpsed a crack in those polished marble walls, a way in, they sealed back up moments later.
Her demeanor toward me was almost…disapproving.
As if she saw straight through the glittering facade of my world and found it tawdry and hollow.
But for God’s sake, if that’s the case, why did she bid an exorbitant amount of money at auction just to share my company for a few hours?
What game is she playing?
