“That’s really sweet.” It was rare to hear about someone who supported their parents. I couldn’t imagine doing that for mine since they were well-off. But I knew if something horrible happened, Carter and I would do whatever it took to be there for them. “Did she know what you did for a living?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
And she was okay with him breaking the law? Hurting people?
Like he could read my mind, he addressed my thoughts. “Good and evil aren’t black and white. You do what you have to do to survive, and I won’t apologize or make excuses for my choices. I break the law every day, but I have no regrets.”
I still didn’t understand exactly what he did because I never asked. After what Griffin told me, I didn’t want to know. “And what exactly do you do?”
He watched me for a long time, his eyes serious as he considered his response. It was a question I’d refused to ask, so he never had a chance to answer it. But now, I’d finally asked for the information I’d been dreading receiving. “When Bones told you I control all the money in the city, that was a good way to put it. That’s exactly what I do.”
“Could you clarify?”
“I run the biggest illegal casino in Italy. It’s right here in Florence. Villains and criminals pay their million-dollar memberships to join. Anyone who crosses me or my casino in any way is thrown into the ring.”
I’d heard him use that term before. “The ring?”
“It’s where we have the Brawl. Two men are put in the center, and all the members bet on who’s going to win. It’s the biggest highlight of the casino, where most of the cash is made and dealt.”
“So they just fight until one gives up?”
He shook his head slightly, a sinister look in his eyes.
That answered my unspoken question.
“They fight to the death,” he said out loud. “Winner lives to tell the tale.”
Jesus Christ. “And you’re in charge of all that?”
He nodded. “Yes. My brother and I do it together.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but it also wasn’t good either. On a nightly basis, he saw men die for their crimes. They operated above the law, disregarding it completely. Bosco clearly had immense power, to make two grown men fight like animals for survival.
He continued to watch me, expecting some kind of reaction from me.
I didn’t know what reaction I wanted to give. Griffin used to be a hitman before he retired for Vanessa. In some ways, this wasn’t nearly as bad. But in other ways, it was worse. “I don’t know what to say…”
“It’s okay if you have nothing to say. It is what it is.”
I drank the rest of my wine and refilled it. He said that he specifically only ran this casino for criminals, so regular men didn’t participate. That meant he was constantly surrounded by thugs and hitmen, people just like Griffin. “Is that why you’re escorted everywhere you go? Because men want to hurt you?”
“Not necessarily,” he said. “It’s mostly a sign of power. For people to fear you, you always have to give them a reason to. I have eyes and ears everywhere. There’s nothing that happens in my casino or in my life that I don’t know about.”
“So in the alleyway…”
“They’re members of my casino. And when I give an order, they obey it. Otherwise, they’ll lose their membership, or worse, they’ll be thrown into the ring and forced to fight for their right to take another breath.”
“I see…” This man had more power than even Griffin did. “And helping people like me isn’t something you’re interested in?” My brother and cousin both worked to liberate innocent women who were captured. But Bosco walked by and didn’t seem to care that I needed help.
“No.” He didn’t show me a hint of remorse. “I’m not that kind of guy. I’m not a hero, and I’m not looking to be one. In this life, if you want to survive, you have to watch every step you take. It doesn’t matter if you’re a man, a woman, or a dog. You have to watch your back as well as your front. You failed to do that—and that’s why you needed me there.”
I wasn’t angry by the answer because he’d been transparent about his motivations from the beginning. He never pretended to be something he wasn’t, and even if he wasn’t a good guy, at least he was honest.
“But I’m glad that I saved you. Best decision I ever made.”
My eyes moved back to his face, seeing the sincerity written in his blue eyes. “Good thing you owed Griffin a favor.”
“Yes. Thankfully. But a part of me suspects I would have saved you anyway.”