Page 47 of Devil's Deal

“We all did. He loved you so hard. That’s what I want someday,” he said wistfully.

“I want that for you, too. Make sure you hold out for a man who loves you completely—fiercely. You deserve that.”

Harlow tilted his head. “And does Bosley? I mean, Romeo?”

“Does he what?” I asked, confused.

“Love you completely?” He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands under his chin. “Fiercely?”

While thinking of Mac didn’t hurt any less, my heart melted as all the little moments with Romeo fluttered through my mind. He was passionate, kind, but brutal when necessary. All the marks he’d left on various places on my body, little aches to remind me that he’d marked me, possessed me, made me feel desired—safe. It might not be love yet, but we were well on our way, and I had no doubt that this Daddy, a freaking button man, of all people, would consume me. That should probably terrify me, but he’d killed for me, and instead of scaring me off, it made me crave that kind of devotion.

“We’ll see, won’t we?” I winked. “Now, back to you.”

“I’m fine. I promise. If it’s okay with you, though, I’ll run home and take a nap until my shift tonight.”

Applesauce.This kid. How did I get so lucky to find someone so loyal? “It’s funny how many things come into perspective when a gun-wielding maniac threatens your life.”

He cringed. “I can imagine.”

“And are you okay with all that? How it was handled?” Again, I was screwing up. Why hadn’t it occurred to me until right now that he might be scared? Sure, Huey was gone, but now he knew that Dante and crew were flipping gangsters and that Romeo had killed at least one person.

He gave me a tight smile. “Everest explained everything to me.”Everything?“Romeo did what he had to do to rescue you, and I don’t think any of us can afford an investigation by the police to disrupt the operation of the hotel. We all need our jobs.”

Everest deserved a raise. And Harlow, well, the decisions Romeo had helped me make yesterday regarding The Gin Mill were spot on. “Good. I’m glad you understand, but if you have any questions or need to talk about it, don’t hesitate to come find me.”

He opened his mouth, probably to argue that I was too busy for him, but I plowed on. “As for the rest of the employees, Romeo helped me realize”—more like demanded—“that it’s time for me to hire a manager.”

Apprehension flashed across Harlow’s face before he attempted to school his expression. I understood that. Except for Huey, we had a good, solid crew here. I didn’t deal with the turnover that other boutique owners complained about. In fact, many of the employees had bonded and were friends outside of work. They’d come together like a family and surrounded me during the lowest points in my life, like the disappearance of my nephew, the loss of my sister, and the tragedy that took Mac from me.

“I know change is always scary,” I continued on. “But I think the transition will be much easier than you think.” I snickered. “At least for the rest of the staff. You, however, are going on one hell of a learning curve if you accept my offer.”

“Your offer for what?”

“I’d like you to be the general manager for The Gin Mill. I’ll still be around, of course, but I’m going to take some time to focus on healing.” Not only my banged-up head, but I’d never really grieved all the people I’d lost, and I wanted to be there for Romeo. If he followed through with his decision regarding the Buccelli Family, and I knew he would, he’d need me, too.

“Me? Are you sure? Aren’t I too young?”

“The only person who loves this place as much as me is you. I can’t imagine turning it over to anyone else.” I held up my hands. “But don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere, and we’ll take as long as it takes to train you. I also want you to start thinking about other members of the staff that you’d like to promote to shift managers. I won’t have you burning yourself out”—or hiding from life—“like I did. Of course, this will come with a sizable raise. And I’d like you to consider living on the premises. It will be a perk, and it won’t impact your salary negatively.”

The awe on his face disappeared as he wrinkled his nose at me. “Live where?”

“Instead of reopening the fourth floor, I’m going to reserve it for certain employees, and potentially, an office for Romeo. We haven’t really decided what to do about that yet.”

Romeo thought we had. He planned to stay in the belfry with me, then we’d have the fourth floor for anyone we wanted to house there, like Harlow, and if we got our way, Charity. But I knew my man needed more space than the little spot I’d carved out in the hotel. He was so used to living out of suitcases that he thought it would be fine. I knew better.

“You and Romeo won’t move to your house?” Harlow asked curiously.

Hmm. Now that was a thought. What would Romeo think of my actual home?

Chapter

Two

ROMEO

Luckily for Dante,he’d caught the hint when I left him waiting outside of the elevator while I ran upstairs to change back at The Gin Mill. I wasn’t in the mood for company or conversation. As much as I’d wanted to drive to the Buccelli mansion on my own, I’d complied when he’d insisted that he had to escort me there.

I guess, in some ways, that was fair. I’d turned off my phone the moment Cory and I’d gone up to the belfry after I’d killed Huey. Trusting Dante to take care of the clean-up and knowing that Harlow would take care of the hotel, I’d wanted to be alone and focus completely on my boy. I was used to violence and death, but he wasn’t. It pissed me off that Huey had exposed him to that. If I could, I’d kill him all over again. Cory had been through enough.

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