Page 51 of The Boss
Mr. Hopper’s mouth twitched, like he was trying to hide a smile, but the old man never smiled. He’d always been serious, even when Sloan was a kid. Once upon a time, Sloan had been afraid of him, but as he got older, he realized that loyalty like Mr. Hopper’s couldn’t be bought. The man would die for the Killoughs.
“Mr. Hopper, please get a maid to take my pet upstairs. Have a warm bubble bath drawn for him,” Sloan ordered.
“No!” Conall suddenly looked very awake, his back straightening and jaw tight. “I’m coming with you to talk to him.”
“Pet—”
“His son came intomy homeand killedmy people. I want to be there when you talk to him.” He crossed his arms, stance wide and leaving no room for argument. There it was, that fire Sloan had been afraid he’d lost. It made him smile.
“Mr. Hopper, make sure that bubble bath is ready for after we’re done.”
Mr. Hopper bowed low and strode off, his tailcoat fluttering behind him as he headed toward the stairs. Sloan gestured for Conall to follow him, and they walked to the back of the house toward the same office where Conall had seen him slit Harold’s throat. Folliero was waiting for Sloan patiently, lounging in the comfortable two-seater against the wall. His legitimate son was sitting beside him, back straight and face alert. Separately, one might not have guessed they were father and son, but sitting beside each other, they looked identical, from their sharp, handsome faces to their wide shoulders.
The moment Sloan walked through the door, Folliero and his son stood, their guards right beside them. Sloan’s own soldiers surrounded him on either side, their hands close to their guns in case they needed to protect their boss.
“Mr. Killough,” Folliero greeted, palms clasped in front of him. Nothing about his posture shouted disrespect—quite the opposite. Most older bosses Sloan encountered had treated him with revulsion, as though his age made him weak, but Folliero was something unique. He was a smart man who knew when he was faced with someone more powerful. He’d always known when to back down, even when it came to Sloan’s father.
“Mr. Folliero. I’m surprised you had the courage to come here after what your bastard did.” Sloan waved his hand at his soldiers. Folliero and his son weren’t foolish enough to attack him in his own home.
He walked further in the room, Conall a few steps behind him. His pet’s anger was palpable, his dark blue—nearly black—eyes full of the fire that made Sloan want to bend him over his desk and fuck into him in front of their audience.
Sloan sat in his chair behind his desk and waved for Conall to sit on his lap. His pet followed his orders without argument, leaning into Sloan so his back lay against Sloan’s chest. Sloan curled his arms around him and kissed his cheek.
If Folliero was embarrassed or uncomfortable with the display, he didn’t show it. His face remained placid, calm even. He moved closer and took a seat in the chair on the opposite side of the desk. Crossing his legs, he leaned back into it like someone visiting an old friend. “My bastard is not following my orders.”
“So I heard from one of your men.” Sloan smiled, his fingers dipping beneath Conall’s shirt and tickling the soft skin of his belly. “Why are you here?”
“To reiterate that he acts on his own. I won’t have my company compromised by a spoiled little brat who wanted more power than he was allowed to have.” Folliero gestured to his son. “Elio has worked too hard as my heir for a bastard brother to ruin it for him.”
“How do you plan on fixing this little problem, then? You heard that he came into my brothel and killed my whores and men, didn’t you?”
Folliero nodded. “We will find him and bring you his head, Sloan.”
Sloan laughed. “No, you won’t. If you find him first, Lorenzo, you’ll bring him to me so I can slice his head off his shoulders, but only after I cut every piece of his flesh and take every finger off his hand. He won’t escape pain through a quick death, am I clear?”
The Italian boss bowed his head in acknowledgement. “If that’s what you want. How can I make up for what he’s done? I have money.” With another wave of his hand, one of his soldiers shifted forward with a suitcase. He threw it open on the desk in front of Sloan, flashing them a case full of hundred-dollar bills. “That’s a hundred thousand there.”
Conall leaned forward, taking a pile of cash into his hands, flicking through it with his thumb.
“What do you think, pet?” Sloan didn’t miss the way Elio looked at Conall with hot curiosity. If Sloan were a more jealous man, he might have cut out Elio’s eyes, but he knew how gorgeous his pet was. Any man would have to be blind not to see Conall’s natural beauty.
Conall glanced at him, gaze hot with desire. “A hundred thousand doesn’t satisfy me. We deserve at least five.”
“Five hundred?” Folliero’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head. “Please, Toscani’s actions are not ours—”
“But he’s a result of your cock, isn’t he?” Conall snapped at him, successfully shutting up the other mob boss. “You put your hard-on inside of a nobody and left your seed soaking inside her. He’s still your son. I think if you want to show us your commitment and loyalty to the Killoughs, we deserve five.”
Pride swelled in Sloan’s chest and he laughed genuinely. His pet truly belonged at his side. “My pet is a savvy businessman, isn’t he?”
Folliero’s skin looked paler than usual, but he nodded, mouth twisted unpleasantly. “You have found yourself an extraordinary pet.”
“Maybe I should find myself one,” Elio said from his spot standing beside his father.
Sloan glanced at him and ran his gaze down his body. Elio was a handsome man, with the typical Italian dark looks that a lot of people got hot over. It didn’t push Sloan’s buttons, but he could see why it did for others. His olive skin, wide nose, dark hair, and plump lips might have led him to modeling if he didn’t want to take over the family business.
“You should,” Sloan finally said, dragging Conall back against him. He carded his fingers through his short hair. “There’s nothing more beautiful than a fiery man resisting submission while you stick your cock in him.”
Elio grinned at him. “And where would I find such a man?”
