Page 73

“Not ever,” I hiss. “Tell him to stay the fuck away from her. Your son doesn’t want the consequences of fucking with me.”

I end the call.

“I need a favor,”I tell Antonio, sitting down in the cognac-brown leather chair seated in front of his desk.

He looks up at me from his office chair, raising a brow.

“Tell Gigi to invite Genesis over for a girls’ night,” I say, repeating my plan.

Gigi is one of the most protected women in this state. If Genesis is with her, that makes her just as protected.

“Why?” Antonio asks.

“I need her to stay out of trouble while I work.”

He sighs, as if understanding my problem. “I’ll talk to her.”

“Thanks.” I slap the arm of the chair and stand. “She’s having a rough time with her father’s death and now having no family.”

“You need to keep her in line and away from the Russians.”

“That’s my goal and why I’m trying to keep her busy.”

He plucks a gold pen from his desk and twirls it between his fingers. “What’s your plan with her? Is this a game with her or real?”

His question isn’t one from a friend.

It’s one from the mob boss of the family I work for.

“I’ve already paid half a million dollars for her. I think that should answer your question.”

20

“Areyou ready to explain what’s going on with you and Julian?” Darcy asks over FaceTime.

“He said I can crash here since he’s at the casino all the time and hardly home.” I look away, hating that I’m lying to her.

Lora might not know when I lie, but Darcy does.

“Bullshit,” she says, sitting in the living room of her parents’ Paris home. “You want to stay there.”

I lower my gaze to glare at her. “You’re so wrong.”

“My door is always open.” She holds up a finger. “And before you complain aboutlack of room, stay at my parents’ then. They have fifteen guest rooms.”

Darcy’s condo is in the city, but her parents have a sprawling estate in the suburbs, where I could easily stay. Her parents adore me. Julian would lose his shit if I did because of her brother, Lewi.

Lewi is harmless.

Something men like Julian don’t understand is that it’s okay to be playful. Your entire personality doesn’t have to be brooding and murderous.

Kick off your designer loafers, crack open a beer, and relax.

Switch it up some.

Live a little.

I also haven’t told her about Dima and how I’m pretty much unsafe anywhere else. Julian told me it was too dangerous, and I’m also embarrassed about the entire situation. It sucks because Darcy and I have always told each other everything.