Page 10 of Sweet Deception

"Good. I didn't miss my chance at the new stock," Gio announces as he swaggers into my office, heading straight for the sidebar.

Turning, I scowl in Gio's direction. "By all means … help yourself."

He chuckles at my irritation.Not that I'm really irritated with him. It's Kylie who's got me feeling out of my depths.

The guys know they can always help themselves to my stash. They may work for me, but I also consider them brothers. We've known each other since we were kids, growing up in the same neighborhood, bonding over our shitty home lives. When I began having success in real estate, I hired them both to be my right and left hand. I pay them well for it because loyalty and trust are priceless to me.

With my natural affinity for numbers, I was determined to make it on my own. While I started out with illegal poker games, Gio and Rafael became runners for the small dealers in town. By the time I earned enough to invest in my first rental property, they were on the verge of becoming a permanent part of the mafia. It took little to convince them to come work for me instead when I could afford to take them on. They knew the odds of living a long life of crime were slim.

Many people in town have the misunderstanding that I'm part of the same mafia since I'm a cousin to the current family, but I'm distant enough—I have a choice. Not one to follow orders, I declined any involvement in their business.

A few of my mafia cousins joined Sweet Connections, but that's as close as it gets. I keep a respectful distance from their business, and they leave mine alone in respect to our family name. But more, they leave me alone for not interfering when I was a child. They claimed they were unaware of what was happening. I have yet to decide if I believe them.

I run a hand through my hair and walk to my desk, my mind already wandering back to Kylie. If she's doing this to help her parents, it proves even more what a good person she is. I have no doubt her dad has no idea. Lucky for him, I'm all too willing to step in and protect her from this choice. She'll still become my sugar baby, but at least I can protect her while she's in my care. When it's time to let her go, I'll pay her parent's bills so she'll have no reason to jump into another contract.In fact, I'm on the hospital's board of directors. There may be something I can do there.

With that decision made, I settle back into my chair and focus on Rafael. "Check into the bank that holds their mortgage. I want to make sure her parents don't lose the house. I'll have my assistant schedule an appointment with their banker and make arrangements to keep them off their back."

Rafael lifts his chin but says nothing more. He's been observing me more closely since he arrived, and I can guess why. He wants to ask about her, but I'm not sure I can explain why I'm willing to go as far as I am for a woman I've seen only once. She's a knockout, sure, but there's plenty of beautiful and willing women in the city. I'm not ready to look any further into my reasoning.

It doesn't stop Gio from asking. He's always been the more talkative of the three of us. As deadly as he can be, he's also the friendliest. He has a knack for getting information out of anyone without the target noticing what they gave away.

Rafael is the silent observer. He has a stillness about him that gives him the ability to blend into any background and go unnoticed whenever he wants.

We each have an important role to play and it's the reason I've been so successful.

"I'm glad you're no longer impotent, boss." Gio smirks as he lays that shit on me right when I'm taking a drink. The liquid goes down the wrong pipe, causing a coughing fit and making me spill on my dress shirt.

"Fucking asshole," I grumble, making the guys laugh.

Scowling, I duck into the kitchen to grab a towel and run it under water before returning to the office as I dab at the spots. "See what you did, you fucker? I liked this shirt."

My irritation only amuses them more.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." I throw the towel on my desk, giving up on the stains.

"Seriously, man. I've been worried about you. Your sex life has diminished. It's not healthy, brother. I read somewhere that statistics prove men need sex to live longer. Rafael and I don't want you dying young, that's all." Gio shrugs as he sprawls onto the opposite side of the couch.

The man takes up the space of two smaller men combined. Rafael and I may be leaner, but we can be just as deadly as Gio. With as much shit as we got into in our teens, we all have a healthy appetite for the gym. So much so, I eventually built a gym in the basement for all three of us to use. We may not get into many brawls anymore, but with Gio's mouth, it's inevitable. He can start a fight as easily as he can snuff one out.

I unbutton my shirt and hang it on the back of my chair, leaving me in my undershirt. Needing another drink, I move back to the side bar to pour myself another.

Deciding on a bit of payback, I throw my own jab at Gio. "You'll not live a long life if you keep fucking anything that moves, either. I'm surprised you haven't caught an STD by now." I eye him over my shoulder. "Or have you?"

"Fuck no. I keep Big G wrapped up tight. You know I don't take any chances. I know what having a kid with a rando does to a child."

I regret my jab because Gio went from laughing to scowling into his glass. The reminder of his childhood sobered us all.

Picking up the bottle, I refill Rafael and Gio's cups before settling back into my chair.

"Are you sure this bird's going to satisfy you? She's pretty tame." Rafael leans forward again, elbows back on his thighs as he dangles his glass in one hand.

He's restless tonight.

Gio perks. "What'd I miss? Did she sign up for the dating service?" He hits Rafael with the back of his hand and lifts his chin. "Can you see Luca dating?" Gio chuckles, shaking his head.

I resist the urge to fling my drink at him.

Rafael turns to Gio. "No, man, a sugar baby, but we think she's doing it to protect her family. The girl is going to college to be a teacher. Plus, her dad's a retired cop, and her mom is a junior high school teacher. You can't get more Pollyanna than that."

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