Page 71 of Use Me, Daddy

Leonardo Santini. Why?

I hesitated, chewing on my bottom lip as I thought about how to frame my answer.

I think he might be interested in some of the pieces at the gallery. I’m going to arrange a meeting.

A few dots appeared on the screen, and then her reply came through:

OMG. Are you seriously going to approach him? He’s dangerous, Amy. Like… might-be-mob dangerous. Just saying.

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help smiling.

I’ll be fine. He’s not the only dangerous man I know.

Zoey sent back a string of laughing emojis and a gif of a woman fanning herself, but I didn’t reply. I was already opening my email app, drafting a message to the gallery’s client relations team to start setting up the meeting.

The idea of doing it on my own had started as a small, rebellious thought. I didn’t want to be just the girl on Aleksei’s arm or the employee following his lead. I wanted to show him that I could handle myself, that I wasn’t some fragile thing that needed protecting at every turn.

I could do this. I could make connections, close deals, and prove that I was more than just a liability in his dangerous, complicated life.

But even as a plan formed in my mind, there was a nagging voice at the back of my head, warning me of the risks. Santini wasn’t a regular client. He was in the mafia himself potentially, and that could be incredibly dangerous for me to navigate on my own.

Still, the temptation was there. I hated the idea of waiting for permission, of being told to stay out of something because it was ‘too dangerous.’

If Aleksei could navigate this world, why couldn’t I?

I decided to tell him after all.

I stood outside Aleksei’s home office. I hadn’t sent the email to Santini yet, and I’d thought about it, but the idea of doing this without telling him felt… wrong.

So, here I was, about to tell him everything and either get him to call me a good girl for my ingenuity or get pinned over his knee for a hard spanking. I wasn’t sure how this was going to pan out.

Taking a deep breath, I tentatively knocked on the door.

“Come in,” his deep voice called.

I pushed the door open, stepping inside to find him in his chair, a stack of papers spread across his desk. His eyes lifted to mine, and the faintest hint of a smile tugged at his lips.

“Baby girl,” he murmured. “To what do I owe this visit?”

I stepped closer, my heels clicking softly against the floor. “I have an idea for a client,” I began, my voice steady despite the fluttering in my chest. “Someone I think could bring in significant business for the gallery.”

His brow lifted slightly, and he set the papers aside, giving me his full attention. “Go on.”

“There’s a man, Leonardo Santini. Zoey mentioned him. He’s known in the art world—buys a lot of pieces, always in cash. He’s wealthy, connected, and has the kind of influence that could help us.”

Aleksei’s expression shifted, his jaw tightening almost imperceptibly.

“Santini,” he repeated, leaning back in his chair. “Italian. Mafia connections, if the rumors are true.”

I nodded. “Exactly. Which is why I think we should approach him. He could be a valuable client and he might be able to help us with the Orlovs—if we handle it right.”

A long silence stretched between us, the weight of his gaze pressing down on me.

“You’re bold, baby girl,” he said finally, his voice low and measured. “But you’re playing with fire.”

“I know,” I said, meeting his eyes. “But isn’t that what you do every day?”

His lips quirked into a faint smirk, though his eyes stayed serious.

---