Page 9 of Redeeming Bosley

Home.There was that word again. Had I ever truly had a home before? The closest I’d ever come was probably when I stayed at the Buccelli mansion with my uncle. That time hadn’t felt like this, though. I’d known that was temporary, but this thing with Cory, it could be the real deal as long as I didn’t screw it up.

“About an hour.”

“An hour?” He checked his watch. “Applesauce.” Pushing his covers off, he stood up and jumped off the edge of his mattress. “Come on. We’re going to be late.”

“Late for what?” I asked, confused. The last I’d heard, we were going to spend the evening kicked back together like yesterday.

“I can’t believe I slept so long,” he mumbled to himself as he threw clothes on. He glanced at his watch. “Hours. I slept for hours.”

“Cory.” He ran into the bathroom and slammed the door. What the hell? As soon as he walked out, I grabbed his biceps, forcing him to stop. “Boy, stop and take a breath. What the heck is going on with you? Where are we going?”

He huffed. “Sorry. I meant to text you when I woke up, but then I didn’t wake up, and now we might miss him.”

He tried pushing past me, but I kept a firm grip on his arms. “Slow down. Who are we meeting and why?” Personally, I’d had enough of peopling for one day.

He rolled his head, then exhaled. “You’re right. Sorry, Daddy. We’re meeting Emilio’s father, Frederic, at my house.”

At his house? The home he’d shared with Mac? “How did that happen?”

“He calls me when he can to check in. I’d just stripped out of my clothes for my nap earlier when he reached out. I told him my new Daddy was looking into it for me, but we needed some information. He probably would’ve come here, but the Buccellipresence has been so strong that I didn’t know if that was a bad idea, so I told him to go to the house. Is that okay?” He stared up at me imploringly.

Like I’d ever tell him no if it involved his missing nephew. “Sure. Good idea. Let me grab my girl, and I’ll be ready.”

His eyes widened. “You’re going to take your knife? Why? I know Frederic. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.”

“Maybe not, sweet boy, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be happy to see me.”

“But he doesn’t know you.”

I smiled tightly. Sometimes it was better to show than tell. I gave him a quick kiss. “Get your shoes on, and let’s go.” Then I retrieved my karambit.

Cory and I had barely exchanged a word since we left the hotel. He was obviously annoyed at me for bringing my weapon of choice. I didn’t know how to make him understand that this was how it had to be. The world I lived in was darker than what he was used to. Sooner than later, it would get out that I’d partnered with the Buccellis, and associations like that didn’t go unnoticed.

“Here we are,” he mumbled as we pulled up into a driveway leading up to a mini-mansion. It wasn’t as big as the one the Buccelli Family owned, but damn, it still said money.

Having no clue what to say, I whistled. I figured they’d had money. Hell, the boutique hotel was proof of that, but I hadn’t expected all this. This house, the property, it all screamed money.

“Mac was a CEO, so we entertained a lot. He already owned this place when we met.”

“Wow.”

He side-eyed me. “You hate it.”

I shook my head. “I don’t hate it. It’s just…”

“Pretentious? Boring?” He nodded. “Yeah. I hate it, too. That’s why he helped me fulfill my dream. The Gin Mill is everything this place isn’t.”

He let us in the front foyer, and I stopped, taking a good look around. On the wall to the right was a huge, professional portrait of Cory and his husband. They looked so happy, smiling widely at the camera with their arms wrapped around each other.

“Does that bother you?” he asked, biting his lip. “I didn’t even think.”

“No.” I drew him into my arms. “I like knowing that he made you so happy. How come it doesn’t feel deserted in here, though?”

“Our housekeeper still maintains it. She worked for Mac long before I arrived on the scene, so she still comes in and keeps it clean and aired out. Our gardener was younger, so he moved on, and I hired a landscaping company.”

Housekeeper? Gardener? He’d definitely lived a different life than one I’d ever known. Hell, until the Buccellis, I’d only ever been in the heart of a city. I hadn’t even realized that right outside of the congested streets, skyscrapers, and apartments all crammed together were lovely homes and manicured lawns.

I gave him another squeeze, then let him go. “So what’s next? When will Frederic be here?”

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