Page 16 of The Deal

“You’re more than welcome to get out and find your own way back to the house,” I murmur, feeling my temper rise.

“Is there a reason you’re interested in the car?”

I turn my face to stare out the window, ignoring his question because I don’t need to explain anything to him; he’s my employee, not my boss.

Returning to the car I saw on the side of the road may be a long shot, but it’s my last chance. She said she broke down on the way to work, so there’s a chance it could belong to her. It’s only a block away from the hotel, so it puts her in the vicinity.

If this fails, I know I can call in some favours and see if the CCTV cameras around the city can give me a lead.

When we reach the vehicle that’s sitting just past anintersection, Nico turns down the nearest side street and pulls over by the kerb. Antonio goes for the door handle at the same time as I do.

“Stay in the car,” I mumble. He’s been grating on my last nerve for the past hour, and I’m not in the mood to deal with any more smart remarks or second-guessing my decisions.

Enzo exits the front passenger side, and I hold my hand up to him as I step onto the sidewalk. “Stay here, I won’t be long.”

“Sure thing, boss,” he replies with a nod.

My other men wouldn’t dare speak out of line the way Antonio does, and as much as his comments piss me off at times, I know he only has my best interests at heart.

When I reach the car, I shove my hands into the pockets of my trousers and take it all in. It’s an old white Ford Laser with a red driver’s side door and a dark grey rear left quarter panel. It’s a heap of shit, which matches her description of the vehicle perfectly. If it does, in fact, belong to her, I’m thankful she’s no longer going to be driving this hazard around.

I bend down and rest my hands against the window to peer inside, but I see nothing unusual. The car is empty, but logically, I didn’t expect to find her inside.

As I round the front of the car, I pull out my phone and take a quick snapshot of the number plate before returning to the limousine.

Once I’m reseated in the car, I text Antonio the image. “Find out who owns this,” I mutter.

I’m at my club today. I own this place as well as the hotel, which are both entirely above board. I have reputablepeople whom I trust to manage the day-to-day operations of my family’s various establishments in Sydney. However, I’m still responsible for overseeing all the major decisions.

I can’t be in ten places at once, so I divide my time between the family’s businesses when I’m not focused onmyinvestments. Staying deeply involved is essential, especially since my father is using his pubs, restaurants, brothels, and strip clubs to launder illicit money. Am I happy about it? No. But truth be told, this part of his operation is the lesser evil. The drugs, arms dealing, and violence are things I want no part of.

I do my best to maintain a respectable reputation and follow the law as much as my family connections will allow.

When we discovered the previous accountant had been stealing from us, I offered to move to Sydney and take control of it all. I’ve been living here for thirteen years now. It was the only way I could get my father to loosen his grip on me, so to speak, my chance to get out of my hometown and away from the mob—at least to some extent. I no longer have to deal with the daily chaos that comes with being tangled up in Giovanni Mancini’s world.

My father is intelligent, but I like to think I’m smarter. I’m also not as impulsive. I govern with my mind, not my emotions. His obsession with himself—his power, his sense of superiority—is his greatest weakness, as far as I’m concerned.

When someone knocks on my office door, I close the folder before me and call out, “Come in.”

I hope it’s Antonio with the information I’ve been seeking. Although he couldn’t do much last night, he assured me he would get on it first thing this morning.

When I got home from our spur-of-the-moment drive around the city, sleep wouldn’t come. I tossed and turned all night. If the abandoned car doesn’t turn out to be hers, I’llhave to rethink my next move. But she’s under my skin now, and I won’t stop until I find her. I don’t have a plan beyond uncovering who she is, but I’ll figure it out along the way.

I need to find her first.

The door opens, and my lips thin as soon as I see who it is.Ava.She’s one of the barmaids here.

I may have been okay with her impromptu visit if it was yesterday, but not now. My mind is preoccupied with a pretty brunette with the whisky-coloured eyes.

Ava first caught my eye a few months ago when she started working here. She’s a leggy blonde with big blue eyes and a killer rack. Her tits are fake, but that doesn’t turn me off in the slightest. She’s still pleasant to look at.

It’s rare for me to hook up with someone on my payroll, but after being propositioned by her numerous times, I finally relented and summoned her to my office last week.

Since I’m familiar with her type, I made sure she knew the deal from the start. She was a good time, nothing more. I’ve had women try to trap me before, so I’m always transparent about my intentions going in. If they know the score upfront, there’s no room for misunderstandings, and nobody ends up hurt.

Ava twirls a lock of blonde hair around her finger and bats her long lashes, which I’m guessing are as fake as her tits.

“Hi, boss man,” she coos before dropping to her knees. When she starts to crawl towards my desk with prowess, my dick doesn’t even react. Like me, he’s less than impressed.

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