Page 22 of Loyalties & Longings

After another round of drinks for everyone, we stand to leave. The men declare they would be more than happy to do businesswith my father. Blaze shakes their hands, sealing the deal with the hand that was between my legs not twenty minutes ago, and my face flushes with heat.

Chapter Fourteen

Lake

After a grueling month-long search, I’m quite sure I’ve found the perfect place for my bar. It’s a quaint, almost hole-in-the-wall establishment on the outskirts of the city. I take my laptop to Dad’s office to show him the property online. He takes a long look at the details—the address, photos, and cost, going over it all with rapt attention.

“It looks as though it has potential.”

“I called them today, and they said they can meet me there this afternoon to have a look around,” I say with enthusiasm.

Dad’s eyebrows crease together. “I would much prefer you have someone go with you to view it. I can’t this afternoon, though, because I have a meeting with Nico Costa out at Golden Dawn. He’s trying to tell me after thirty-five years of doing business, he no longer wants to work with us. I’m going to try to calm him down and see if we can renegotiate our terms. I can get one of the boys…”

“I’ll see if Blaze can come along with me.” I cut him off quickly, not wanting to risk having to spend an afternoon on my own with Massimo. I’d much rather break all my limbs than be subjected to any more time than necessary with Massimo.

“Okay.” Dad hesitates a little, he must sense how uncomfortable I feel. “So long as you have someone with you.”

“I will. Promise. I’m going to get ready and head over to see if Blaze is home.” I press a quick kiss on the top of his head, then retrieve my keys, jacket, and bag.

“Sure,Bella,” he replies, already half-distracted with whatever he was doing before I walked in.

“Hey, can you give me directions to Blaze’s place?” I ask before he forgets I’m there.

He gives me clear directions because I don’t often venture into his part of town or alone. Sure, it would have been quicker or easier to ask for his number and call him instead, but I haven’t seen him for days, and I want to get a look at his place.

Blaze’s building is huge and slim for an apartment building, but it’s got to be at least thirty levels high. It has some kind of dome structure on top as well, and I give a little snigger at what it reminds me of.

Geez, I’m so immature.

Parking on the street roughly thirty yards from the building, I walk the short distance, regretting my choice of a short skirt. The wind has picked up, and I don’t need to think about why short skirts and windy days don’t mix. I silently thank myself for actually wearing underwear today. Taking in the structure, I see it has dark glass windows along one side with a few balconies overhanging the side facing the road.

It’s a weird design. Usually, places like this have balconies on each level, but they’re only on every second here. It makes me wonder if the alternating levels have balconies on the opposite side of the building. Walking up to the front door, I see a panel of buzzers.

It turns out the building has thirty-eight levels. My eyes search the names near the door until I find E. Diavolo. Of course, he lives on the thirty-eighth floor. Rolling my eyes, I press the buzzer next to his name, trying to hold down my skirt with my other hand.

“Hey, Lake. Come in. I’ll be right down,” he says enthusiastically. Hearing the front door snick unlocked, I enter the phallic-looking building.

Screwing up my face at how enthusiastic Blaze sounded, I enter the building and wonder if Dad called ahead to let him know I was on my way or if there’s a hidden camera outside that I didn’t see. I wouldn’t be surprised. The building floorplan is alittle weird too—the elevator is in the middle of the building, like right in the center.

I’m waiting for barely a minute before the elevator dings, and Blaze holds the door open, calling over to me.

“Lake. Let’s get upstairs,” he says, ushering me in. I walk a few steps to the elevator. Even though the elevator is huge, it feels small with Blaze’s frame in here. He scans a key fob that’s hanging on his key chain across a white scanner. The panel beeps, and he presses the button for level thirty-eight before smiling at me.

He takes up enough space for two people with the width of his broad shoulders, making the enclosed space feel like it’s shrinking by the second. We are close. Too close.

No, not close enough. Again, I feel the heat pouring from his body, and I wonder if he is always this hot.

“So, the shape of this building is interesting,” I point out. I look at him out of the corner of my eye as he gives a bellowing laugh.

“Yeah, it’s very phallic-looking, isn’t it? Probably a little too thin, though, to be a replica.” He smiles, giving me a suggestive wink. I feel my face instantly flush. He’s not wrong, though, and I squeeze my thighs together, thinking back to when I had his enormous girth in my mouth.

“So, did Dad call you to tell you I was on my way?” I ask, quickly trying to change the subject before I get a little carried away with my thoughts.

“Yeah, he called about twenty-five minutes ago, telling me to expect you. You made surprisingly good time,” he replies. I can’t tell if he picked up on my deliberate redirection of the conversation.

“I’ll just have to put Lucifer away when we get inside. He isn’t too good with new people.”

“Oh,” is all I manage to say before the elevator dings andopens onto the thirty-eighth floor.

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