Carlisle, my head bartender, tossed his hand up in a half-wave. “Hey, Boss.”

“Carlisle.” Scanning the people, I saddled up to the bar. “How’s the crowd tonight?”

“Pretty decent. There’s a private party in the back that’s gotten rowdy, but Benito handled them.”

I furrowed my brows, trying to remember who’d booked the room. “Who’s working the room?”

“Brian. Holly is filling in for Kitty since she quit, but she isn’t happy about it.”

I tapped the bar top. “Any luck on finding someone to replace her?”

“Nope. No one worth a shit has applied. I’ll keep looking. There’s gotta be someone who can handle what we offer.”

I blew out a sigh. “I’ll handle the interviews. Email me some resumes, and I’ll look at them tomorrow. I’ll be upstairs. Let me know if there are any more issues tonight.”

“You got it.”

I watched as Carlisle walked to the opposite end of the counter and served a couple of guys. There was an office tucked behind the bar where I could operate the daily business, but the staff knew I preferred the solitude of my apartment on the third floor. The rush of Vegas had worn off for me some time ago. If I sought companionship, I had no trouble finding someone to take to a private room or to Fantasia for the night, if that’s what I craved.

Pressing my thumb to the keypad on the wall, I leaned against the metal frame, waiting for the elevator doors to open. Members of Fantasia used a separate elevator on the opposite side of the club. This one only went to my place. There was only one other way into my apartment—through the stairwell we kept locked with a keypad like the one by the elevator. It connected to the second floor of the club and would only unlock in the event of a fire. A second set of steps on the opposite side of Fantasia gave access to the first floor. Only myself, my brothers, and Carlisle had the ability to open the doors otherwise.

Climbing into the elevator, I rested against the cold steel wall as it ascended. I couldn’t help but smile when the doors opened, revealing my sanctuary. The living space, painted in reds and grays, had sleek black furniture, giving a sensual and almost regal vibe. The main living area was like a loft.

A long couch was situated against the back wall, with a vast platform bed against another. On the opposite side of that was my kitchen. Everything was fitted with chrome appliances, offsetting the dark interior design. A long countertop separated the workspace from the living space of the apartment.

The bathroom was the only separate room and was, by far, my favorite spot. A massive walk-in enclosure with multiple shower heads filled one side of the stall. An old-fashioned claw tub sat at the rear of the room, opposite the vanity and toilet. A large walk-in closet was off to the side. Tucked inside the closet was the door that led to the back stairwell to the club—again for emergency situations.

My personal elevator was the only way in and out of my apartment, and only I had control of its operation, making my apartment one of the most secure places in the building. Outside of a fire, I was untouchable when locked inside.

Stripping off my jacket, I tossed it onto the bar, then grabbed a glass of whiskey and carried it to the leather couch. Settling into the cushions, I crossed my leg over my knee and blew out a tired breath. My phone vibrated inside my pocket, causing me to shift and pull it out of my pants.

“Speak,” I grunted into the phone.

“It’s done.” Donny’s voice mumbled through the speaker.

“Good. Clean up taken care of?”

“Yeah, all’s good. We got nuttin’ to worry about.”

“Send his family a message.” I shifted against the cushions in an effort to get comfortable. “I want everyone to know what happens when you fuck with the Anastasi family. I’ll let my father know it was handled. Call me if you have any problems. Go have a drink. You earned it.”

“Sure thing, Massimo. I’ll see you later.”

Tossing the phone onto the table, I downed the amber liquid in one gulp. The whiskey burned as it went down, heating my insides with fire. Grabbing the mini keyboard on the table, I clicked a few buttons, bringing the large television screen to life. I had fitted the TV for dual purposes. Not only could I watch my shows, but with the click of my fingers, it gave me access to the entire club. My eyes scanned the various views. No one knew I could see everything—including all the rooms on the second floor.

My apartment was built to perfection, just as I wanted. It was insulated and soundproofed, ensuring my privacy was to the fullest. Not that I’d ever had a woman in my place—this place was off limits to my random fucks. No, only Donny and a few members of my staff had ever been inside, and that was to deliver food or items if I requested them to do so.

Seeing everything was on the up and up in the club, I shut off the TV and stood. I needed to wash the day’s dirty deeds from my body. Stripping out of my clothes, I stalked across the floor toward the bathroom. My body craved a hot shower and sleep.

Being the oldest son to the most powerful Don in the mafia meant my life was not my own. No matter what I wanted, the mafia would always be my life. My brothers helped run the family business in some capacity—Vincenzo with his restaurant and Antonio with his construction company. My sisters didn’t partake in the underbelly of the syndicate, but they supported us when we needed help.

Catarina was the oldest of the girls. Wanting something different for her life, she went to nursing school. While my father had been resistant, her skills have proven useful to us. I couldn’t count how many times she had to stitch one of us up after a brawl or an unfortunate encounter.

The twins, Carmela and Celestina, were in Italy with my grandparents. They were finishing design school in Milan and would return to Vegas when they were finished.

After washing my sins away, I crawled into bed. As tired as I was, my mind was restless, but not from the day’s events, as one would suspect.

At twenty-eight, I wondered if I’d ever find someone who could accept the life I lived. It was a hard way of living, and I feared I’d never find a love like my parents and grandparents had. My Nonna once told me that when I found the one meant to complete me, I’d know in an instant. It’d be like a bolt of lightning shocking my system into oblivion. The weight of being an Anastasi wouldn’t matter to her because she’d be my rock—resilient to the world surrounding us.