“So back to Nico Tacone. What’s going to happen when you do see him again?”
Er…how should I know?
“I mean, you need to decide. I think the guy has the hots for you. And his instinct is to exploit you, like he probably exploits all women, but something made him hold back.”
“He thinks I’m innocent or something.” I say innocent like it’s a dirty word.
Corey grins at me. She knows better. “There’s something about you that comes off that way. I used to hate you for it.”
I gape. “What?”
She shrugs. “When we were kids. I mean, my dad was such a prick and I didn’t trust anyone as far as I could throw them, but you were so pure. With you, what you see is what you get. It’s what makes you trust losers. But it’s a pretty amazing quality.”
I roll my eyes. “Great. An amazing quality that made you hate me as a kid and makes me date losers. Sounds like one I should keep.”
Her eyes slide over at me. “No, really. I hope you never lose it.”
She sounds so serious I shut up.
“Anyway, I think that’s what he’s reacting to. You’re out of place in Vegas.” Corey pulls into the Bellissimo’s drive and heads toward the back employee lot. “So how’s it going to go when you see him?”
I draw a breath. I want to lie and say I hope I won’t see him at all, but Corey already knows the truth. I shrug. “I’ll follow his lead.”
Corey parks and faces me. “Seriously? How’s that been working out for you so far?”
“I know, I know, but…” But it’s part of the fascination. The way he dominates every moment we’re together makes my knees weak.
We get out of the car and walk into the casino together through the service entrance.
“I think you should decide. If you want to go for him, make a play. If not, be professional. Don’t let him jerk you around again. Okay?”
I nod, but I’m not sure about anything. I need to quit this job. Soon. Before I humiliate myself even more.
My phone buzzes as I walk down the hall. It’s a friend from Reno. She wrote, Tanner stopped by. Seemed really heartbroken. He begged me for your new number. I told him to get lost.
Right. Heartbroken. Ha. He wants the car back.
Thanks, I text back. I definitely don’t want to hear from him.
I head to the employee locker room to change into my pink housekeeping dress. Like every day this week, there’s an uptick in excitement as I put it on, remembering how Tacone stripped me out of it.
Damn. I have it bad for this guy and he’d be my worst man-move yet.
Nico
“The fuck you are,” I snarl at my oldest brother, Junior, through the phone. He’s just informed me he’s sending ten guys to Vegas to take over the cocaine scene here.
“You wanna try that again?”
“We had an agreement. I keep things on the up and up here so your money can be laundered through. I do not need the Vegas police or the Feds breathing down my neck because you want to increase your share of street drug sales. It’s not worth it.”
“I decide what’s worth it and what’s not.”
I go silent with my disagreement. Junior doesn’t run the outfit. Our father is boss, but he’s currently sitting in a federal prison for four more years on a tax fraud charge.
“No, Junior,” I say after the pause. “I have enough to deal with here. I know this city. I know the cops. I know the mayor. The risk does not outweigh the reward.”
“Maybe you need me to come help you run your business better, then.”
“Fuck you.” I squeeze my eyes shut, because I really shouldn’t talk to my brother that way, and if I don’t de-escalate things, I’m going to be pulling my balls out of my ass. “Listen, J—I’m sorry. That was disrespectful. I didn’t mean it.”
Junior makes a sound in his throat.
“You’re happy with the way I run things here, right? I make La Famiglia a lot of money, no?” There can be no doubt of his answer. I make four times what all their illegal operations make in Chicago, and everything I do here is on the up and up.
He makes another affirmative sound.
“So please trust me on this. I’m sorry I was being a prick. I get too used to being my own bossman here. But I know what’s gonna work in my city. Cocaine dealing is too risky. Too dominated by the Latin American gangs. And it could threaten everything I have going here, ah?”
“You’re being a pussy.”
I have to work to keep my temper in check. I don’t dignify his taunt with an answer.
Junior waits another moment, then he says, “We’ll talk about it when I come out there.”