"Fuck. I hope he kills him," he hissed in response. I said nothing, because I wouldn't admit that was Lino's plan from the sound of things. I trusted Jasper completely but having knowledge of a crime before it was committed would test that trust and be unfair to put him in that situation. Even if I really hoped it wouldn't come to that. I still didn't want Lino's hands stained with the taint that was Connor Walsh's death. The man wasn't worth it in the slightest. "But do you really expect me to believe that Angelino Bellandi married you solely to protect you? There would have been other ways."
"Okay, maybe not entirely for that reason," I chuckled hesitantly. "Things have certainly shifted in a way I didn't expect."
"Samara, the fact that you didn't expect it is pathetic. For someone so perceptive, I have no clue how you could think for a second that the man hasn't been in love with you for as long as I've known you. I see it every time he looks at you." For the first time, instead of pain and bitterness, those words brought me hope.
I sniffled, shoving back the sudden urge to cry. I only hoped that our relationship could be everything we always hoped it would be, tucked away in the secret alcoves of our minds.
"Now, what did I miss?"
Jasper looked like he might say something else but refrained. He took a folder from the desk, sliding it to me. "These are the numbers from the past two weeks, why don't you start by getting up to date and checking everything in your files. Check my schedule and make sure nothing is wonky. I've asked her to keep all the emails in a separate folder for you to review when you got back."
"Thank God," I sighed. I'd worried that I'd have to fix mistakes for weeks to come. At least this way I could do it relatively quickly. I stood, turning for the door.
"Samara?"
I turned back to him. "He makes you happy?" There was no annoyance or anger on his face that I'd gone against his advice and gotten involved with the man he warned me against. Nothing to indicate he was anything other than concerned for my happiness and well-being.
I nodded with a shrug. "He always has." And it was true. When I was younger, I'd been a melancholy child after my father left and we'd moved. My mother and Yavin told stories of how it was always Lino who drew me out of that mood. Even if I couldn't really remember my father anymore, I still remembered feeling cherished by him for a brief time.
"Okay then," Jasper sighed. "That's all I ever wanted for you. I just hope he realizes what a lucky bastard he is." He shifted his attention to his computer, done with the emotional conversation. Jasper Rowe didn't care for many people. He was actually anti-social and hated the way society wanted to use him to their benefit. Somehow, I'd made it onto the very short list of those who mattered to him.
"Me too," I whispered, turning to tackle the unending pile of work I knew waited for me.
Twenty-Five
Lino
Even if it was the middle of the day, the music at Tease seemed to pulse too loud. It'd never been an issue, since I was always so used to the music here or at Indulgence, but after spending all that quiet time at home with Samara, I felt like an old man.
Yavin sitting on the other side of the desk staring at me while I went over the numbers wasn't helping the situation. I'd had to try and discreetly keep him from noticing the wedding band on my left hand, but thankfully he would never have expected me to get married.
Least of all to his little sister.
I'd tell him soon, but Samara needed to be present for it. Our marriage was our news to share, not mine alone, and since Yavin was important to both of us we'd do it together.
"The girls asked if you want a show," he said pointedly, glaring at me. He knew damn well that I hadn't taken any of them up in months.
Nearly a year.
I had no interest in watching them strip or the offers of more.
"I trust your judgment. You know what the clientele likes, so you can make the decisions regarding who is up to par." I shrugged him off, returning to the books in front of my face in his office. Well, Matteo's office technically, but the man never set foot inside the strip club. Even I only came rarely, so having someone we trusted running the show had proven invaluable in terms of the amount of time I saved.
It was barely lunch time, and already all I could think about was getting home to my wife. I needed to find someone to take over managing Indulgence on a permanent basis, because as much as I trusted Enzo, he just couldn't do it all.
I had to hope security wasn't feeling the hit while he filled in for me, but Matteo was already looking for a new manager for me to train.
"What's wrong with you? Did you turn gay all of a sudden? I haven't seen you with a woman in fuck knows how long," Yavin grunted, crossing his arms over his chest. I finished studying the books, closing it and logging off the computer.
I ignored him, continuing with what I'd come here to do. "Everything looks good here, but I'm going to see if the supplier for Indulgence can handle a bit more demand for liquor. We're overspending."
"Lino!" Yavin hissed, demanding my attention finally.
"What's next? We braid each other's fucking hair and talk about our feelings?" I snapped back. "I'm not interested in any of the girls."
"You haven't even looked at them, and we've hired new girls since the last time you were here. You always look over the employees to make sure we're setting the right standard. Only the best. That's what you always taught me. I could be hiring meth heads with their teeth missing for all you've cared since you walked in the front door."
I stood from behind the desk with a sigh, wincing when one of the girls in question appeared in the open doorway. Her lingerie showed everything, but regardless of the fact that she had to be one of those new girls I'd never seen before, I had zero interest in what she showed or hid.