Page 29 of Velvet Cruelty

Doc shrugs. “I’m not gonna apologize for wanting to destroy her pussy.”

Bobby makes a noise of disgust and Doc winks at him. “Don’t be a prude, Basher. You’ve had plenty of fun at Dreams and you can stop by whenever you want. I’ll give you half-off on a dance.”

“Fuck you, asshole.”

“Bobby, what do you think we should do with her?” I say, cutting off whatever inane retort Doc was about to respond with. “You know the girl. What do you think will work?”

Bobby winds his chopsticks through his noodles. “I…”

“Yes?”

He shakes his head. “I dunno.”

“Bobby,” I say gently. “You have a right to talk, and I have a responsibility to listen.”

He screws up his face like he’s trying not to vomit. “I… guess. I guess I wanna marry her.”

Doc bursts out laughing. Adriano snorts. I bite the inside of my cheek, so I don’t join them. “Bobby…”

He scowls. “Laugh all you want. What’s gonna piss Parker off more than knowing his fiancée married someone else?”

“Me fucking her in front of fifty Russians?” Doc suggests.

Bobby’s gaze locks on mine. “I care about her. I’ll look after her. And we’ll start trying for a baby right away.”

Doc keeps right on laughing, but I can see where Bobby’s coming from. It would be humiliating to send Parker pictures of his fiancée heavy with another man’s child. If I made January my mistress, I wouldn’t get her pregnant. As sweet as it would be to see my child swelling that perfect body, I don’t need illegitimate children draining my bank account and compromising my lineage.

Perhaps January is better suited to Bobby. And if I gave her to him, maybe he wouldn’t be too mad if I had her a few times first.

Doc seems to be thinking along the same lines. “You can marry her, Basher. But the second your back’s turned, I’ll be coming up the stairs to fuck up the paternity tests.”

Bobby snorts. “You think I’ll be living here once we’re married?”

“What are you gonna do? Drag her back to Ohio? Get her to help you with the pigs?”

“Valente,” Bobby says calmly. “You could grease every pole in Dreams with your personality. You’re a scumbag, and the day January wants to fuck you is the day I buy a fallout shelter because the fuckin’ world’s ending.”

I look to Adriano. He’s working his way down a second bowl of ramen. An outsider would think he was ignoring us. “Adri, you weigh in.”

He shakes his head.

“Don’t be like that. You helped bring her here. What do you want to do?”

“I think,” he says, chewing slowly, “we put her down.”

There’s a beat.

“The fuck, Rossi?” Doc says. “Always with the unfettered fucking murder.”

Bobby points a finger at Adriano. “Do not touch her.”

I hold up a hand. “I asked his opinion. He gave it. He’s as entitled to discuss killing her as either of you are your plans.”

“Fuck that,” Doc snarls. “The girl’s useless as a corpse. Why can’t we at least make money off her?”

“Well? Adriano?” I ask.

“Because she’s a whining bitch.”

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