Page 119 of Extradition (Mobsters + Billionaires 1)
JOE
I takethe elevator five floors down and knock on one of the four available doors.
Even more surprising than Luca’s location is that he opens the door himself, wearing lounge pants and an open silk robe.
“What? No butler?”
He laughs and lets me in. Where Rand’s place is all open space and comfortable, light furnishings, Luca prefers a darker, more elegant style, complemented by the same kind of floor-to-ceiling windows and a smaller, equally lush balcony that brightens and enriches the space.
“You really are old-school, aren’t you?”
Luca shrugs, inviting me into his living room. A younger man, mid-twenties or so, joins us. Luca cups his face and brings him in for a kiss.
“Thank you for a lovely morning. You can see your way out?”
He nods and kisses Luca’s cheek before shyly leaving the condo.
I keep my face neutral and my tongue silent. I have no judgment for where a man finds his pleasure.
Luca must see something in my expression because he gestures at me. “Go ahead, say it.”
I think to check myself because he is a mob boss. That is true. But never once have our interactions felt like that. And it occurs to me that despite being surrounded by people willing to say yes to him—not counting Hopper, I assume—he might be lonely. He might actually want friends.
So I decide to be a friend.
“I would normally say it’s a bad idea to get high on your own supply, but if he’s one of your boys, well done.”
Luca laughs. “Hooking up is hard when you’re me. Using professionals keeps it cleaner.”
“Oh, poor rich mobster. I’m sure it’s very hard for you,” I say, risking life and limb to make this guy feel like he’s got someone he can talk to.
His chuckle is genuine, and I decide it’s not a precursor to a chalk outline.
“I like you, Joe. You never fail to bust my balls. No one ever does that anymore, and I kind of miss it.”
“Well, it’s good if you’ve got a crew that respects you.”
“Which is why I was glad you didn’t ask to be on my crew, if I’m honest. I’d have to take you because you’d be excellent at most things, but I’d rather us be friends.”
I dip my chin. “I could use a friend.”
“Excellent. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Check out Page Six.”
He pulls his phone from the pocket of his robe, his fingers deftly flying across the screen. He lets out a low whistle.
“A Wolfe in Sheep’s Clothing? What kind of headline is that?”
“They sent a blackmail request to Edgerton. They’ve got a video. And I know he’s going to go through legal channels, and I’m happy to let him do that. But I get a sense he’s not comfortable with the mob way of doing things.”
“He isn’t. We grew up in the same neighborhood, he and I. Did we ever tell you that?”
I shake my head. “No.”
“Yeah. We both wanted to do better than our fathers. He follows the law judiciously. He’s a good man, but he lets it hamper his business. I don’t have such considerations.”
“Not a big fan of the law?”
