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Freya inhaled her food but somehow still managed to hold a conversation between giant bites. “I’m surprised she’s not down here every weekend.”
My parents had a hard time letting me go, but I’d finally found enough courage to tell them I wanted to expand. Our restaurant in Ferguson had been booked out weeks in advance, and it had been time to branch out.
“They weren’t happy but know it was the right decision for the business. I left them with a fantastic manager who’s been with us for years, and I still do some of the work from here.”
Freya studied me, her eyes lingering on the deep-purple circles under my eyes and the new lines that had etched themselves into my face. And because she was my friend, she wouldn’t just give me a disapproving look. She’d tell me all about it. “You pretty much managing two restaurants tells me about the lack of sleep you seem to be getting. But the more pressing question is why haven’t you settled in yet? Amara tells me you never go out and haven’t made any friends besides Vlad. And he doesn’t count since he works for you.”
I put my fork down, suddenly too full to continue. “Amara has a big mouth. And I’m fine. Work has always been my happy place. You know this. And I want to make this restaurant work. I can’t fail.”
She pushed her now-empty plate aside. “I know how much you’ve always wanted this, but you won’t get to enjoy it if you keel over from a heart attack before you’re forty. You used to love life. Dated. Tried weird sex positions. Whatever happened to that Quinn?”
I made a noise in protest, but she ignored me and kept going. “Everyone needs a break every once in a while. And I’m here to give you yours. Because the last thing you want is to end up like my brother and turn into a grumpy robot.”
I knew which brother she was talking about because her other two certainly knew how to have fun. “I’m not going to turn into Liam. And I’m sure he does plenty of things to unwind that you just don’t know about.”
I wondered if breaking into my apartment and watching me pretend to sleep counted as fun.
“You’re probably right. But there’s something going on with him. He just disappears, and nobody can get a hold of him. Not even Dad. And Liam always answers the phone for Dad. At least he used to. I think he’s seeing someone. Or maybe he spends his time off at a spa. Who knows? He’s as forthcoming with information as a rock.”
I cleared our plates and turned on the TV. “I’m sure he’s fine. Now, what do you want to watch?”
We spent the rest of the night eating cannoli and yelling at the TV. I’d needed a night like tonight more than I’d care to admit to Freya. And I vowed to kick my unhealthy habits and get myself back out there. Starting with forgetting about Liam and finally dating again.
2
Liam
I lost another man tonight. And despite having grown up in this life, it never got easier. My humanity had been on a slippery downward spiral until I met her. My little sister’s best friend.
Her presence soothed my aching soul; her tinkling laughter repaired my fractured heart. And like the lawless asshole I was, I didn’t do the right thing and stay away. Instead, I snuck into her bedroom when the pain became too much, watching her, longing to slip into bed with her as if I had a right to.
And here I was again, doing the one thing I promised myself I wouldn’t. Sitting on her only piece of furniture besides the bed, listening to the sound of her slow inhales, watching her angelic face aglow in the moonlight.
Her small form was barely visible under the mountain of blankets she liked to pile on top of herself. I’d memorized every curve and dip of her beautiful body. She was as addictive as the purest heroin, as enticing as the clearest cut diamonds. I couldn’t touch her, but I wasn’t strong enough to stay away.
If she ever woke up and found me in her room, she’d freak out. Because what sane person broke into someone’s apartment just to sit in a chair in the corner? But it was the only time the rage inside me turned into a soothing stream and I could just be.
I shouldn’t have come tonight. Or any night, for that matter. She was a distraction when I had to stay focused. I’d take over the Olysses empire one day, and I had to be prepared. There was no room in my life for someone as good as Quinn.
She was an innocent, unknowingly swimming in a pool full of sharks.
Standing up, I allowed myself one last look at her glossy dark curls spread all over her pillow. I longed to reach out to discover if her skin was as soft as it looked, her lips as kissable as they promised.
Finally walking out of the room, I made sure her window was closed and her front door secure. Her tiny apartment in the Mission District was a security nightmare, but I’d installed cameras on her front door and alarms on all her windows. I also made sure someone drove past once a night to check on things. It was as much as I could do without drawing attention. No matter how much I wished for her to be mine to care for, she wasn’t. I had to remember that.
Slipping into the cool interior of the black town car waiting for me outside, I opened a drink from the minibar. I didn’t check what it was. Didn’t care as long as the burn of the alcohol took away the edge.
I had to get my mind back on business. Tonight’s agenda included finding out who was skimming money off one of our legitimate businesses. It always surprised me that people made the stupidest decisions when it came to money, often ensuring they wouldn’t live long enough to enjoy it.
The Irish were also still causing issues. Every time I thought I’d put them back in their place, they kept coming back like the cockroaches they were. But despite all the things that required my attention on the flight back to Chicago, my mind was only on one thing: Quinn.
It was windy and raining when I landed, the city feeling as vengeful as I did. The rain was pelting down, giving the inside of the airport the feel of a busy highway.
Ray, my driver, was waiting with an umbrella outside the doors. The rain didn’t bother me. Never had. But he’d trained in England and had driven royalty before his wife insisted on moving to the States, so his etiquette was impeccable. He’d worked for my family for over ten years, and in all that time, I’d never been able to get him to use my first name or let me open my own car door.
“Mr. Olysses, good to see you back safe and sound.”
I nodded at him, fighting the urge to hold the umbrella steady. Holding anything bigger than a briefcase in this weather was a fruitless endeavor, but Ray was determined and somehow managed to get me in the car without letting a single drop touch my body.
