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"Fuck her into compliance, for all I care, but we need Nuovi Inizi working with us," Zeus says harshly.
"Piss off!" I slam my knuckles down onto his desk. "I am not touchingílios moufor any other reason than that I want her bangin' body."
Not to threaten her and sure as shit not to fuck her into submission. No matter how fun that might be in fantasy scenario.
Instead of lurching to his feet and taking a swing at me like I half expect, Zeus rubs his eyes the weight of his position in the lines of fatigue on his face. "Then use fucking logic andconvinceher. We can't get our own clubs up and running soon enough for what we need."
We have twenty soldiers coming up from California to fill our ranks. Even after we recruit the numbers we need, some may decide to stay. All members of the Hades Brotherhood need jobs to do and a source of income. Nuovi Inizi is pivotal to all of it.
Because I made it that way.
But how is Lucia going to react to having her club become such an integral part of the Greek mafia? We're beyond setting her up to pay a protection tithe now. Too many of our plans hinge on access to the club. Access to her and her knowledge of the city.
"We have to expand our numbers now for all our safety. Including hers," Orion adds when I scowl in silence at my oldest brother.
Zephyr and Helios haven't said a word during the discussion, but both are looking at me like they're wondering if they can trust me. Like my loyalty is in question.
Fuck that. Fuck them. And fuck this situation.
Maybe I have been hoping we could figure a way around charging Lucia a protection tithe, much less using Nuovi Inizi in any other way. So, the fuck, what?
Lucia's club is about to become our contact spot like that seedy bar on the other side of Portland has been for the bratva. A move like that makes Nuovi Inizi ours even if her name stays on the deed to the building.
Gamó.
"Your girlfriend is a savvy businesswoman," Orion reminds me. "She'll understand what has to happen once you tell her what the bratva planned to do with her club."
Like hell I'm going to tell her that. Unless I have no other choice. She doesn't need to worry about something that never happened and I will not allow to happen in the future.
"No one is going to hurt her," I warn my brothers.
"Of course not," Orion says but the look on Zeus's face puts our middle brother's assurance into question.
Orion ignores Zeus's glower and appeals to me. "Her business must be brought underÁdis Adelfótitaoversight for Nuovi Inizi to have all of our protection."
"If she refuses to pay a protection tithe and does not want to sell, we will buy in as partners," Zeus offers his version of a compromise with cold finality.
Myanaxis only willing to go so far to appease my woman. TheÁdis Adelfótitacomes first.
What I don't say is that Lucia will be forced into cooperation, taking a partner she doesn't want or selling the business she worked so hard to build over my dead body and maybe theirs.
LUCIA
I'm so happy, I'm fizzing with it. It's the final walkthrough of the house before closing.
"You need to sign off on the repairs the seller made and then the final paperwork will be drawn up by the bank," Elaine says. "The inspector has already approved them."
He is leaving as I arrive and tells me that everything looked good. But as the homeowner, I'm expected to give my authorization as well. I like that, so I don't mind taking time from my day to essentially rubber stamp what the inspector said.
I only wish that Atlas could be here with me. It's an important milestone for me, and I want to share it with him. He's way more important to me than he should be after only a matter of weeks, but there's no help for it.
The heart wants what the heart wants. And the dreams I thought dead are coming to life again inside mine. But he's working with his brothers today and I could hardly ask him to tell them no when he spends so much time with me already.
Walking into the master bedroom where one of the windows had to be repaired, my gaze automatically goes to where we made love on the floor.
There's a tell-tale spot on the carpet. Elaine doesn't notice it. I doubt the inspector did either. It's very faint, but I know where to look. Atlas's fluids mixed with mine, right under where the bed will sit.
Does it make me sick that I want to leave it there? Something private and secret just for me. A memory no one can take away.
