Page 6 of Ruthless Boss

I chew my lower lip, asking myself if I should exchange so much personal information with him. But it’s not like I’m disclosing stuff that would get me on his radar. Besides, my stepdad was a small part of the Santini scheme in New York. Irrelevancy was a coat that Aroldo wore well. “She was hit by a drunk driver when I turned eighteen.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he says, and a soft filter crosses his expression.

His eyes hold mine for a moment, and my stomach twists. My heartbeats throb, and I look away, breaking the stare contest.

“I guess that’s something the three of us have in common.” I glance down at AJ. What a sad club to be a member of.

“That’s right.” He gives me a ghost of a smile, then looks away and stands as if this personal exchange makes him uncomfortable. “I can take her to my room.”

Damn. Dante isn’t a big fan of personal talks, either. I can’t blame him. Talking about ourselves can be a dangerous game. Why do we need to establish rapport? I’ll leave once I get enough money for my coveted clean slate.

He bends a notch, and I carefully hand her to him. She doesn’t make a peep. Then, with a nod, he leaves.

I give myself a couple of rocks before getting to my feet and doing the same. Except I go to my bedroom. Alone—the way I’m supposed to be.

4

Dante

“So, no word of Santini?” I ask Nico as we wait for our meeting in the black SUV outside the private airfield.

A prominent supplier I’ve been talking to has flown into the US from the Middle East, and we’re buying special guns from him. That’s my primary role in the family business. Buying and selling, and dealing with politicians and lobbyists. Corruption and blackmail included.

Nico shakes his head. “He’s still laying low. A part of me thinks maybe he realized he wasn’t ready for us finding them and wiping them out so quickly,” he says, referring to when Ross ordered his men to kidnap Andie, AJ’s mother, and kill her. They wanted to kill AJ as well, who was then in Andie’s pregnant belly, to avenge me for accidentally killing Ross Santini’s son and only direct heir. But me and my brothers arrived before anyone died—at least in that dingy basement. Andie passed shortly after we took her to the hospital due to severe eclampsia during childbirth.

“Too easy. I think they’re watching, waiting for the best time. I’ll breathe again after Santini is dead.”

“Yeah. Well.” Nico looks at his watch. “Hey, how’s the sitter working out?”

“Well.” I shrug. Lucia has been with us for the past two weeks, and we’ve done a good job respecting each other’s space. Besides a chat I exchanged with her once, we’ve made this unspoken rule of not sharing anything personal. I like that.

She’s an attractive young woman, I can’t deny. My pulse raced a few times when we held a stare or two before, and she gave me a glimpse of the brown depth of her eyes. On top of that, she has a sexy body that I’d love to see without clothes. She doesn’t wear anything revealing on the daily—she favors jeans and shirts, but they hug her slim shape and outline the subtle curve of her hips. I never made her wear a uniform—maybe I should have.

I curl my fingers into a ball. I don’t need that kind of stress right now. Even though I haven’t had sex in months—a record amount of time. But even I know not to fuck the help. And Lucia is a great help.

Lucia is caring, and AJ is becoming attached to her. Even Zenovia, who likes no one, doesn’t complain about Lucia, which is huge.

“Well? That’s it, bro? She’s hot.”

“She’s the nanny, for fuck’s sake,” I say behind clenched teeth.

“So you’re not into her?”

Any man with a working pulse would be into her. But I know what Nico’s asking.Am I going to pursue her?“No.”

“Is it okay if I ask her out?”

I kinda hate men right now.Her words from when we met ring in my ears, but I won’t repeat them because Nico is so fucking smug that he thinks he can make her or any other woman change their mind with his magic dick.

I gather she’s coming from a bad breakup and doesn’t want to get romantically involved—a wise move as my nanny. I’m still looking for another one, at least someone to give Lucia days off so she doesn’t sue me down the line. But so far, no luck.

“You come within two feet of her when I’m not around, and I’ll cut one of your limbs,” I say.

Nico whistles. “So no one can have her.”

“Shut up, asshole. Lucia’s mine,” I growl. “My nanny,” I quickly add. “You know how hard it was to find someone? Why would I send her ass running? Because that’s what would happen if she got involved with you.”

Like Rocco and myself, Nico doesn’t have the best record of long-lasting relationships. Massimo seems to be the exception, even though he married Amara out of duty. They love each other now, but we know that’s rare to come by.

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