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“Don’t have one you want me to kill, or you don’t have enemies? I’ll believe the first and not the last. Besides, I don’t trust a bastard who doesn’t have enemies. If you don’t, you’re either doing it wrong or fucking slime.” I laser a cold, emotionless look at him.

He swallows, stops, goes to his bar, then pours a drink and downs it.

Doesn’t even offer me one.

I think it’s the first nakedly honest moment from him I’ve seen. He’s selfish, small, self-centered, and knows his power. And his weaknesses. It’s all there in that pour for one.

“No one you need to take out. I… we… I have a problem.”

“Which is?” I tap more ash.

He pours another drink. “My daughter.”

“If she’s pregnant, then you deal with it.”

“She’s not pregnant. Viviana… Viviana isn’t available.”

I straighten, taking a deep drag. “And?”

“But I have another daughter. Lucia. She just turned twenty-one. Young, untouched, not as pretty, but she’ll make a good wife. To sweeten the deal, I’ll give you my sex club in Chelsea, Grind. I launder through it and it’s good. Profitable. High-class clientele.”

I pretend to think about it. “Do you know Silk? Lower East Side? Hardcore as well as softer sex club?”

He nods.

“I want it. Half price.” Then I smile. “Before you say a word, I don’t care how, but I do know what they’ll sell it for. I want it half price.”

“Consider it done.” Vincent starts to relax, and he picks upthe bottle, offering it out like a token. I just stare until he puts it back. “Do you want to meet Lucia?”

“I don’t give a shit, honestly. As long as she’s obedient.”

De Rosa starts going on about how she is. I just said it to see how far I could go. What can I say, I’m bored.

“Tomorrow. You can meet her at the engagement party tomorrow.”

“Make sure it’s a big party,” I say. “And a masked one. Then we can follow it up with a surprise wedding.”

I like the idea of a masked gathering. Reminds me of the girl whom I let get away, and what I got from her before that happened.

He gapes at me, then nods. “We can do that, but…”

“No invitations have been sent for the wedding. I was going to keep it small, family only, but…” I shrug. “With the change of bride, we’ll make it bigger. You can do that by tomorrow.” I stub out my cigarette.

“Yes, yes, of cou?—”

“Seamus will have the lawyer draw up the amended paperwork regarding the clubs. I want it signed by five this evening. With the keys to the Chelsea club noting the change of ownership and the Silk buyout in motion. Or…”

“What?”

I smile and blow one final smoke ring. “Or you’ll face the consequences of breaking our deal.”

SIX

lucie

Honestly,I’m not sure who I want to kill first. Viv, Dad, or Mom, who’s fussing around the wedding dress like she’s a hive of angry freaking bees.

I flop on the sofa in the bridal store she took me to. One day?One day?