Page 59 of Dangerous Contract: Part 1

“Do you? Or are you anxious to see her again? If it’s the latter, then you’ve fallen harder for her than I’d thought.”

Raz spun around. “I have not fallen for her.”

Cas smiled and nodded to the chair Raz had just vacated. “Have a seat then.”

His brother knew how to push his buttons. But Cas was right about one thing, Raz was anxious to see her again. But was she anxious to see him? Hell no. She was probably imagining all the ways she could kill him right now.

For that reason alone, he returned to his seat. Staying away a little longer would give her time to cool off. Maybe she’d even start to miss him. Or at least realize that he was serious about this, about her.

“Good,” Cas said once Orazio was seated. “The worst thing you could do right now is to let her know that she has you riled up. Women thrive off that shit.”

Raz tapped the bar, signaling he wanted his glass refilled. Cas filled it.

“Are you two ready to get back to this therapy session? This could be the last time you get this type of advice from me for free. You better take advantage of it.” Cas glanced over at Bryce. “You ready to talk and to listen?”

Bryce nodded. Raz hoped he didn’t look as dejected as his cousin did.

As Cas refilled Bryce’s glass, he said, “Raz has already admitted that he’s the reason he has woman problems. Are you ready to admit that you’re probably the reason you’re having woman troubles, too?”

Bryce gripped the glass and sighed. “Yeah. No!” Bryce stopped slouching and sat up straight. “I’m not the sole reason. Yeah, I’m part of the reason. But she did shit, too,” Bryce complained. “We’re both the reason for these troubles.”

Raz nodded. “Same here.”

Both men downed their drinks. Cas quickly refilled them.

“How are the ladies causing you two trouble?” Cas asked. “Bryce, you first.”

“My lady left me five years ago...” Bryceson started.

“Wait!” Raz said. “Are you talking about Tatianna?”

Bryce nodded.

“Damnnnn,” Cas drawled. “So, Tatianna is back. No wonder you’re about to lose your mind. Here. Both of you can take a drink. Drink. Hurry up.”

They both downed their drinks and waited for Cas to half-fill their glasses again. Bryce took a deep breath, then continued.

“I’m stepping in to help my mom and grandma at the bakery, Cattaneo Café & Sweets.”

“Why are you stepping in there?” Cas asked.

“I found out they had an employee who was stealing money from the bakery.”

“Did you handle him?” Orazio asked.

“Yeah. But if my mom asks, I simply beat him up and forced him to leave town.”

“Got it,” Cas and Raz said.

Raz and his brothers were close to Bryce’s mom and grandma. Almost every Sunday, they went to their house for family dinner. Bryce’s mom and grandma had been inspired to open Cattaneo Café & Sweets because of Raz, his brothers, and all the other cousins who’d loved eating Bryce’s mom and grandma’s desserts. Had Raz known someone had been stealing from them, he would’ve helped Bryce end the bastard.

“Mom and grandma are great at baking,” Bryce continued. “But they’re too trusting. They want to see the good in everyone. Dad and I have tried to get them to stop being like that. But they won’t change. I’ve tried telling them not to hire motherfuckers just because they feel sorry for them. But they don’t listen. They insist on seeing the good in people. That led to them trustingthe wrong person to manage the place. Until I can find someone I trust, I’m managing it for them. Before this incident, I hadn’t been to the bakery in a while. When I went, I found out they’d hired a new pastry chef to help with weddings and other special events. Guess who they hired?”

Cas chuckled. “Let me guess first. Tatianna for one hundred, Alex?”

Bryce nodded. Still laughing, Cas told them to drink. They obeyed.

Bryce slammed the glass down. “My ex, the woman who left me without so much as a goodbye or a fuck you, is now the pastry chef. And I’m now her manager,” Bryce said, patting his chest. “I’m her boss. But she won’t listen to shit I say. She keeps doing whatever the fuck she wants.”

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