Page 32 of Attraction (Mobsters + Billionaires 3)
He nods, then carefully gets into the back of the car. I lift my chin to Kej.
“Do I need to worry about comfort, or…?” Kej asks, grinning.
“As fast as you can, man.”
“You got it.” He sends me a jaunty salute, then gets in the driver’s seat.
I drop into the back seat, then pull the seat belt across Ford’s lap, clicking it.
“Apologies ahead of time for the rough ride.”
He reaches over and grabs my hand. “Hit it, Kej.”
10
FORD
Kej takes off,handling the Mercedes like we’re on a Formula 1 street circuit.
I tighten my grip on Luca’s hand when he turns into a tight alley.
“So…who was that?” I ask, trying not to focus on the road.
“That was the Byrne brothers.”
“I’ve heard you and Anthony mention something about them. They seemed dangerous.”
“They are, but only because their stupidity makes them unreliable. They force confrontations and undercut me with the Feds every time they catch trouble. It’s like trying to wrangle a fucking Central Park pigeon.”
“The Feds? Are you…? Could you go to jail?”
He shakes his head, grabbing the handle above the door as Kej rounds another corner. “I have good lawyers and enough shit on the mayor to stay out of any real trouble.”
“Oh.” My eyes drift to his unbuttoned jacket. Thought I saw something earlier, and…yep. That’s a gun.
“Hey, look at me.”
I comply, fiddling with my glasses.
“We had to leave because the Byrne brothers have taken over the territory Joe’s family left behind. There are a lot of families I trust and work with, but I won’t work with the Byrnes, and I especially won’t allow them anywhere near you.”
Kej takes a few backstreets I’ve never even seen before, weaving in and around cars. We’re halfway across the bridge before I realize it. Traffic into Manhattan is always awful, but that matters very little to my security guy.
When we arrive on my street, I recognize the three security men on my stoop, including Edgerton. This means they’ve been in my house and searched for intruders and listening devices.
I know they’re doing it for my safety, but none of this makes me feel safe. I definitely don’t want to be alone this evening.
“You’ll come in for dessert?” I ask, holding up the delicate box of goodies, hoping I don’t sound as needy as I feel.
Luca kisses my hand. “I said I would. But are you sure you want my company after all of that?”
I nod as Edgerton opens the door. “Hi, Ford.”
“Hi, Anthony. Everything okay?”
“Yep. No unwanted visitors, human or electronic.”
“You checked Kej’s quarters too?”
