Page 17 of Ruthless King
Mario continues to squeal like a pig on the slaughtering line, but my attention is fixed on the curvy brunette who refuses to meet my eye. I certainly don’t consider myself conceited, but the ladies tend to react a certain way around me, but this one,niente. Nothing.
I reach for the espresso, and my hand grazes hers as she drops a heap of napkins. A faint gasp parts her lips, and my dick twitches at the sexy sound. Images of those lips wrapped around my hard cock flash across my mind. What the hell? I blink quickly as heat streaks low beneath my belt.
I open my mouth to say something as she regards me with what I can only assume is a matching expression of surprise. I’ve never had such a primal reaction to a woman. She spins away, but my hand captures her wrist, fingers closing around her soft skin before she can get away. “Wait,” I mumble.
Her gaze darts over my shoulder, and her hand trembles beneath my touch. I follow her line of sight to a pair of shadows creeping in the adjacent alley. Damned Red Dragons, like rats infiltrating every corner of my city.
“Let go,” she hisses and wriggles free of my hold. There’s something so familiar about her voice.
I want to stop her, find out who she is, but she darts back into thepasticceriabefore I can get another word out.
Tony strolls up, and I force the odd encounter with the waitress to the back of my mind and swallow another bite of thecannolobefore whatever my enforcer has to say ruins my appetite. “It’s done,capo.”
Clearing my head, I focus on the matter at hand. “How did Jianjun take it?”
My old friend grabs a chair from a nearby table, the sharp squeal of wrought iron against asphalt making my teeth itch, and he sinks into the tiny thing. The man’s a beast, dwarfing the small chair. “Not great, but not bad.” He eyes the empty plate between us and sticks his finger in his mouth then swipes it clean of the remaining powdered sugar.
I shake my head, barely suppressing a smile.
“It was a fair deal. And to be honest, we’re better equipped for dealing with repayment of small debts. Honestly, I don’t know why they assumed it in the first place.”
“It was probably his idiot son, Bo,” I snarl. My fingers jump up to the scratch across my brow then flashes of our altercation on the subway platform race across my mind. And that girl….
I almost knocked on her door when I went to drop off the book. To what end, I had no idea. Somehow, I just wanted to make sure she was okay. I’d stopped myself before doing something rash and left the textbook on the welcome mat, but I couldn’t help myself from leaving that stupid note. A hint of a smile curls the corners of my lips.
And then I could’ve sworn I saw her again when I was leaving the Red Dragon. And now the waitress? Why did she seem familiar? Was I losing my mind?
“Why are you smiling, boss?”
I bring the espresso to my lips, smothering the grin. “Was I? I’ll have to stop that. We wouldn’t want any members of the Triad thinking I’ve gone soft.”
He follows my gaze over his shoulder and catches the two figures in the shadows of the alleyway up the street. Squinting, he turns back and mutters a curse. “Who is it now?”
“Pretty sure it’s Bo and his cousin. They’re probably waiting for an opportune moment to get their revenge.”
“Clara was right, Luca. You gotta be careful.”
“I don’t give two shits about thosebastardi. Let them try to come for me in public. I’ll have Jones on their ass for assaulting the C.E.O. of King Industries.”
Tony chuckles. “That lawyer of yours sure is a shark.”
“He’s worth every penny,amico.” I tip back the cup and finish off the espresso. Mmm, just like Mamma makes it. This alone made my trip to Little Italy worth it. “Speaking of pennies, Tony, make sure you and the guys get all these new loans squared away. You know the drill.”
“Will do, Luca.”
I stand and throw a fifty on the table. Tony eyes the bill, his dark irises widening. “It’s for the waitress, not you,stronzo.”
He chuckles and licks the remaining powdered sugar off the plate. “I would never.”
I toss him a twenty, shaking my head. “Do yourself a favor and go buy a dozen cannoli for you and the guys so you can stop lapping up my leftovers like a mongrel. It’ll make your job a little sweeter.”
“Thanks, boss, you’re the best.” He shoots me a smirk, and I drop my sunglasses from my head down to settle atop my nose.
I consider going into the café to search for the waitress but pitch the crazy thought out before I do something stupid. There’s a reason I don’t date. Sticking to my rules is critical to my life and my line of work.
As I march down Mulberry, burning glares sear into the side of my face.Make your move, figlio di putana. I dare you. Neither Bo nor his chicken-shit cousin take a step from out of the shadows. Hiding like cowardly rats.
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