Page 88 of King of Temptation

I exit, making my way out the front door and down the street by the parking garage where I find Jake and Gris already talking.

Jake is furiously tapping a cigar I know he wants to light up. But he doesn’t. Good for him.

“I did as you asked,” Gris says in his slick accent. “Set up a date for next Friday night. Group thing. Her friends. My brothers. I’ll keep it gentlemanly and then make another…”

The Dukes have been promised the bones of the Italians so they are exceptionally motivated to make this plan work. “Just remember, the second date you send an Uber to pick her up. Make up any reason you want.”

“I’m aware of the plan,” Gris says. “And I’ll text the date in advance and then a fifteen-minute warning. Don’t worry. This is going to be like taking candy from a baby.”

“In this case, the baby is a murdering Italian, which means nothing is easy…I promise you that,” I add into the conversation. “You take care to make certain this doesn’t come back to you.”

Gris turns to me. “You’re the one who got both Vendetti and little Anthony in prison?”

I jerk my chin in affirmation.

“If you say it then, I believe you. I won’t underestimate Toni. But to be honest, I think what my brothers and I are more concerned about is which Italians we’ll be dealing with when Toni is dethroned. Whoever they are, they’re not going to take kindly to us buying out their casino dirt cheap.”

For once, I don’t even think about his words. That will be Mason’s job, not mine. And I’m glad it’s not mine. No jealousy, no malice. Mason will be better at that than me. My job is to take out the enemies threatening our family. I am the fist. And Toni Carcetti is going to feel my punch. Hard.

And after that, I’m going to be supporting Kim during her pregnancy whether she wants to be with me or not. Hopefully with me, but either way, I’m hers to command.

Gris leaves and I turn back to Jake. “We’ve got a few weeks before this all goes down. I think I might make a quick trip to Minneapolis.”

Jake grimaces. “You sure? Maybe what you need to give that girl is space.”

“You’re not wrong,” I answer with a sigh. “But I’d also like the chance to prove to her that I’m ready to be whatever she needs. It’s not about me, it’s about her.”

“Where is my nephew, Leo?” Jake asks, pushing my shoulder.

I know what he means, but the truth is, I feel more like myself than I have for a very long time.

Now, I’ve just got to convince Kim that I can be the man she needs.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Kim

I read Leo’s text a hundred times over the course of the evening, his words and my mother’s pinging in my head.

Finally at about midnight, lying on my mom’s couch, I lift my phone to type a response.

I miss you.

It’s simple, it doesn’t make promises. Drawing in a deep breath, I hit send.

My phone rings almost instantly.

I shake my head. Patience is never going to be Leo’s virtue.

“Hello?”

“It’s late, baby, you need your sleep.”

I smile. “I’m on my mom’s broken-down couch. It’s not very comfortable. Which means I’m not likely to sleep.” The truth is, though, that I’ve just been thinking about him. Thinking about all the things he’s done for me since that one time that he didn’t act in my best interest.

“I can get you a hotel room.”

I shake my head. See. That’s the Leo I know. “No. It’s okay. I’ve got to help my mom anyway.”

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