Page 19 of Devil's Deal

“I’ll poke around. Follow some of your guys and see what they’re up to. In return, I need a little research done at The Gin Mill.”

Now that he’d won, Nico moved around and retook his seat back behind the desk. “Why? What’s in it for you?”

“Something suspicious is going on over there, and it has my curiosity piqued. There’s been some break-ins, and I want to know who’s doing them.”

“Theft?”

“No. That’s what’s interesting. The place needs to be wired up with cameras. They need to look like real security. Maybe send a couple associates over as security. Ones who want to prove themselves and get moved up in the Family. I want them to be motivated.”

He tilted his head, studying me. “Why’s this matter to you?”

I shrugged. “What do you care? You do this for me, and I’ll get you the information you’re looking for. Sounds win-win to me.”

He placed his hands on top of the desk. “I want a month. Whether my guys take care of this hotel issue in a day or two or not.”

“That’s fair.” Hopefully, his guys would handle it quickly. I didn’t like the idea of Buccellis or their wannabees around Cory. “Send Babyface outside over to head the thing up.” He looked trustworthy, not as hard as most.

“Babyface?” Nico asked. Slowly, he smiled. “Ah, Dante. He’s not as young as he looks if you were thinking of?—”

I stood up abruptly, and he cut off. “No. I’m not interested. Unlike some of the assholes I saw outside, I don’t think he’ll scare the hell out of the guests.”

Nico’s smile turned smug. “I do like that about him. It makes him valuable.”

So this Dante was deadly, was he? Good. If things got more dangerous at The Gin Mill, I wanted Cory safe. I didn’t know why it was so important to me, but it didn’t matter as long as it was done. I trusted Nico to do this for me. Stretching my arm over his desk, I held out my hand.

He stood up, and we shook. Each making a deal with the devil to further our own needs. Men who’d hold up their end of the bargain as a matter of pride. Of honor. And despite getting roped into something I had no desire to do, I left satisfied.

Chapter

Seven

CORY

Clicking from screen to screen,I searched for a security company. How was I supposed to know who to trust? Harlow had offered to research for me, get quotes and such. He was such a sweet kid, but he didn’t know the things I did about our fair city of Takoda. Whether he suspected there were unsavory characters lurking in our midst, I didn’t know, but I couldn’t gamble on the wrong people having total access to The Gin Mill.

As had been happening, what felt like every five minutes since I’d left Bosley in Gangster’s Paradise, my mind drifted back to Bosley and how physical it had gotten between us. The fact I’d called him Daddy. Those words hadn’t left my mouth toward anyone except Mac in twenty-four years, and I’d let it fall from my lips carelessly with a guest who wasn’t even staying. What the fuck had I been thinking? Someone who’d already checked out this morning.

What was worse, lying in bed last night, unable to sleep, I’d imagined him touching me, stroking me, making me come, and I’d taken myself in hand and gotten myself off. Not once, but twice, before falling into a restless sleep.

“Focus,” I muttered to myself. It had only been a day between the break-ins at Subtle Indulgence and Gangster’s Paradise. In the past, it had been a couple of weeks in between, and the escalation concerned me. If I didn’t get a handle on the situation, whoever this was might start robbing my guests, as well.

On the one hand, maybe the police would get involved then, but did I want that? Not really. There were plenty of made-men who frequented the speakeasy. I never approached them or let on that I knew they were mobsters, but I recognized the type. There was something about how they carried themselves. An awareness even when they were kicked back and drinking.

My mind went back to Bosley, who had that same air of confidence. He’d also said he frequently stayed at boutique hotels, and I knew for a fact that none of them were cheap. When I’d been preparing to open this place, I’d researched others, and damn, they all charged a pretty penny. Was he a business owner? Independently wealthy? “Applesauce. Stop thinking about him.”

A sharp knock at the door drew my attention, and I prayed to God it wasn’t Harlow or Huey telling me we had another break-in. “Come in.”

The door cracked open, and Bosley’s face appeared in the gap. “Is this a good time?”

“Oh.” I sat back, surprised to see him. “Yeah, sure. I’m surprised to see you.”

He slid in. “Disappointed?” he asked.

“No. Just, uh, Harlow didn’t call to say he was sending you in.”

He shrugged. “He was busy checking someone in, and that other kid wasn’t there, so I came on back.”

“Oh.” I wasn’t sure what else to say. I’d been daydreaming about him, but I thought he was gone. I hadn’t really wrapped my head around what had happened last night yet, and what if he mentioned me calling him Daddy? I’d be mortified.

---