Gio

Her pink lips turn up into a smile. “Good morning.”

“What’s on the agenda for today?” I ask, brushing my hand gently across her cheek. I lean in and press a slow kiss to her templed. I already want another taste of her.

“Work,” she rolls away to grab her phone off the nightstand. “Fuck,” she moans. “I need to go get new scrubs and shower.”

“Mmm,” I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her back to me. “Not yet, hmm?” I trail kisses along her shoulders.

“Gio,” her voice is already deeper and breathless. “I have to go, I can’t be late.”

I want her to be late.

Maybe even unemployed. Then she could spend the day wrapped up in my sheets. The idea of her here, waiting for me was depraved, and I love it.

“Gio,” she warned as if she could see my intentions.

“Fine.” I release my hold on her. “I’ll drive you.”

I take my time getting ready, even though Annie is rushing me after she haphazardly puts on her jeans and top from the night before.

Downstairs I fill the electric kettle with water and turn it on. I pull a bag of locally roasted coffee beans from the pantry and send them through the grinder until they are coarse. Beans into the filter, filter onto the pour-over contraption. I pour the water slowly through the filter, careful to not let it overflow, when Annie descends the loft stairs.

“That smells amazing.” her eyes zone into the coffee. “Your place is gorgeous, by the way.” She slides onto the stool in front of the island I’m working at.

“Thanks,” I chuckle. “It was one of my first projects. I bought this building and turned it into lofts.”

I never went to college, so when other kids my age were out getting drunk and stumbling t

o class I was building my empire.

“Oh,” she looks surprised. “You just bought the whole building?”

I smile, “Yep.” My father put away a lot of money for each of us. Between his legal, and not-so-legal business ventures he had zero money problems. I was rich before I even started working.

“You just buy buildings?” She shouldn’t have been surprised, I;ve already shelled out a hundred grand to cover her brother’s debt, but still she looked at me with innocent curiosity.

Yeah, I just bought buildings. It was a good way to launder money too. I paid cash to contractors on my brothers payroll and they washed the money through their various projects.

It was sweet, her naivety. She has no idea how this business works. How much money I bring in every day, how much money the one job I have her working on will bring in.

It would cover Johnny’s debt tenfold.

I’m not hurting for money. At this point, I just really enjoy the thrill of it.

“Yeah, babe.” I grab two travel mugs from the cabinet, placing them on the island.

“So what, like, do you really do?” she asks tentatively as I pour the coffee into the mugs.

I eye her suspiciously. “I own businesses. The Bar, The Alibi, and I have a few other clubs and restaurants. Cream?” I ask, gesturing to the coffee creamer on the counter.”

“Yes please.” she continued, “How many apartment buildings do you have?”

“Just this one.” I press the lids onto the cups, extending one to Annie.

“And are they all legal?” he voice is soft when she asks the question, taking the cup from my hand. It was clear she wants to know the answer even at the risk of pissing me off. Anyone but my men or Gian trying to talk business is a sure way to piss me off. I don’t like questions, they’re too risky in my line of business.

I consider the question. One one hand I have plenty of legal business. There was the bar, two restaurants, a new club I just opened, and the apartment building. Though, if I was being honest they were all dirty in the sense that they all act as a laundry for my dirty money. My real money, the bulk of my income comes from the robberies, but do I really want to tell her that? “Yes.”

“Then, how…”