Page 39 of Reluctant Surrender

“The only words you get to say on the matter are I do.” He pulled a strand of my hair.

“You are impossible,” I groaned, sliding off the bed.

“And watch out for your boss. I don’t like the way he was looking at you yesterday. He’s got a thing for you.”

“I’ll be lucky if he doesn’t fire me after what you did yesterday,” I grumbled. Though I could admit—just to myself—that his Neanderthal behavior felt good. Having someone in your corner ready to pummel any threat to you, it was nice.

Could I have someone like that? Could Lukas be that someone?

Chapter 19

Lukas

“Camille wants a word with you sometime in the next few days. I guess she found some local celebrities that she wants to pay to party at the club?” Andrezj’s forehead wrinkled with confusion.

“It’s a new thing she wants to try to get more people in the door,” I explained. “I don’t need to talk with her, she can go ahead and do it.”

“You don’t want to know who it is?” Andrezj lit a cigarette, blowing a large cloud into the chilly fall air.

“I hate the damn club,” I muttered, taking my phone from my back pocket. “I think I’m going to get this patio screened in.” I looked around the yard. After my cousin died, and Christian had put me in charge of Chicago, I’d moved into my cousin’s estate. I’d already gotten rid of all the over-the-top shit that made the place look more like a museum than a home. The patio was next.

“If you hate the club, why do you still have it?” Andrezj asked.

“Piotr ran it before,” I said as though that explained it all.

“So? This is your city now, you don’t have to keep the crap that was here before. Get rid of the damn thing if you don’t want it.”

I raised a brow. “You want it?”

He laughed. “Fuck, no. Business licenses, payroll, liquor licenses, who needs that shit.”

I grunted. He was right. Camille handled all the business stuff, but in the end, it was my ass on the line if I’s weren’t dotted.

“It brings good money in.” Christian liked the amount of profit coming from the club. If I were to get rid of it, I’d have to make up the income somewhere else.

Andrezj finished his text and stuffed his phone into the inside pocket of his jacket.

“So. You’re really going to marry Maggie?” he asked, blowing out another gray cloud of stench.

I glanced at him. “I am.”

He took another drag. “She didn’t seem so happy about the idea.”

“She’ll get used to it, but we have to get it done soon.” I checked my watch. “What’s happening with her apartment?”

“It’s all cleaned up. What wasn’t trashed was boxed up and is being brought over this afternoon. I talked to the landlord this morning and he’s agreed to let her out of her lease.”

“Just like that?”

“It took a conversation.” He ground his cigarette into the patio.

“So long as she gets the money back from her deposit.”

“Already in her account.”

“Good.” The patio chair scratched against the brick of the patio as I got to my feet. “Anything else?”

“Yeah.” His frown deepened. “Another delivery was hijacked last night. We found the driver dead inside the back of the truck.”

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