Page 52 of The Don's Hacker

Domenic pulls out his phone and ignores my huff as it dials. "Big Luck. I'm leaving early tonight. Keep an eye on that couple that was flagged near roulette." He pauses. "No. I'll look at it tomorrow."

When he hangs up, I give him a withering stare, waiting for him to apologize, but of course, he never does. So I sniff and fold my arms.

"If you're done, Oh Mighty Casino Owner. Wouldn't want to mess with your schedule. I'm sure you're fully booked for interrupting people simply to make ten-second calls. You could have just sent him a text, you know. Or maybe you don't know, you dinosaur."

His smirk is dark and sensual, and I feel a tingle in my stomach. He's so stingy about his smiles, especially around other people, and it makes me realize we're nearly alone in the security room right now. The feeds are constantly recording, and oftentimes, security personnel take a break from the screens while in-person security is at its heaviest. There's a handful of people in here now, chatting on the other end of the room.

"Finish what you were saying," he tells me.

"I don't think I will. Not until you say please."

Domenic leans closer, a glimmer in his eye. “Please,il mio bel fiore di ciliegio.”

God, his voice is justso sexy. He could whisper Italian to me 24/7, and I wouldn't get tired of it. But I still give him a testy look.

"Didn't catch that."

His lips are now at my ear, and I shiver when his warm breath brushes over my neck. "I said please, my beautiful cherry blossom."

Oh.Hischerry blossom?

I try to swallow and form a response, but my heart is going berserk, and I can't remember what I was trying to explain to him.

"You've been so focused, you've lost track of time, Loren. You were supposed to clock out half an hour ago. I told you no overtime, and now we'll be late bringing something home for dinner for your mother and Evelyn. Now go on. Finish what you were saying."

Home. My mother. Evelyn.

In the perfect fantasy world, it really would be my home, and we'd be…well, a family. I'd crawl into this man's bed every night—or more likely, he would toss me onto it and pin me down with kisses—and we would be safe and content in our little bubble.

But this is the real world. Where he's a fucking mobster, and I'm a hacker with a past. That past is riddled with shit that I compartmentalize and ignore, and I'm sure Domenic has his own baggage besides the obvious. Not to mention, he doesn't know about my work with the Wild Seven in the past. And even if he accepts Evelyn, won't he be furious at me for lying about her?

I quickly turn to the computer, tearing myself from his deliciously dark gaze. He's my boss right now. Just my mobster boss, nothing else.

"Right. Uh…I was saying that I've collected enough data that I think I could…." I hesitate and glance up at him. "Well, you do illegal shit all the time, right?"

"I'm a Caputo."

That's apparently his only answer. Which is fair, considering I've heard plenty of rumors about his crime family.

"Okay. Well, this is kind of a big, highly-skilled, potentially dangerous fellow hacker I'm dealing with," I say, lowering my voice despite the distance of the others in this room. "Would you be opposed to me doing something not-strictly-legal? The kind of thing that, I don't know…results in up to ten years prison time with some hefty fines if some amateur catches me?"

Domenic stares at me for a beat. Then he surprises me by gently taking my chin in his hands. "Firstly, no one would catch you, and if they did, I would remedy that. Secondly, the idea of you breaking laws for me, while tempting, is not going to happen. You've already told me you have regrets about your past."

That…was not the response I was expecting. I frown at him. "But it might be necessary for catching this dark websomeone, and it would be the fastest way to—"

"No. I have enough illegal activities on my hands with my family. You're out of the hacking game, and you'll stay out."

“Domenic. Be realistic.”

He arches a brow playfully. "I thought you said I was a pessimist."

"It's just hacking. This person is slippery as hell, but I can do serious damage. I could get a location. This person is stealing from your casino, you know—subtly, but it's there. Don't you want to stop that?" I reason.

He hesitates. "What got you into hacking in the first place?"

I didn't expect that question. I shuffle in my seat. "Well, I was self-taught, like pretty much all hackers. I really liked coding. In high school, it just clicked for me. The numbers, computer languages…it just made sense. I got really into it, especially after my dad…." I grimace.

He sits in the rolling chair beside mine, eyes intent on my face. It's like we're in our own private space. "Tell me."

---