Page 41 of Dangerous Men (Fortune City Mafia #1)

The penthouse is spectacular and even bigger than my apartment. It seems to take up the entire top floor of the casino, with massive windows revealing a stunning view of the city below us.

It’s also occupied.

“Welcome! Welcome,” a voice greets us once the elevator doors open and Alec uses a key code to let us inside.

A plump, graying gentleman in a crisp, white smock ushers us inside, gesturing us forward and toward an intimate candle-set table.

My mouth gapes open as I recognize him.

It’s Vincent Laurent.

“Vincent,” Alec greets him warmly, taking his hand with both of his and shaking it. “Thank you for doing this.”

“It’s my pleasure!” the exuberant man insists, waving Alec’s words away. “Ah! And this must be her! Ah, elle est très belle!”

I blink in surprise as he steps forward to take my hand. He lifts it to his lips and kisses the air directly above my knuckles.

“Oh! Thank you,” I murmur.

“Please, please, sit! Sit! I am so happy to be cooking for you this evening!”

He pulls a chair out, motioning for me to sit down.

I do, blushing. Alec sits as well, looking pleased.

“What, uh… what are you making for us?” I ask.

“That’s up to you, darling,” Alec says softly.

I shake my head, smiling. “I don’t understand.”

“Whatever the lady desires,” Vincent says, bowing at the waist. “I will cook. This I will do.”

Whatever I desire?

The words conjure a thousand dishes, each more intricate than the last. I could ask for lobster. Filet mignon. Hell, I could probably ask for ortolan, and he would make it happen .

Alec would make it happen.

But… what would make me happy? What do I want?

Alec and Vincent are watching me expectantly, and I take a deep, calming breath and count to ten.

“A cheeseburger,” I decide, sounding more decisive than I feel. “I’d like a cheeseburger. With bacon, please.”

I look between Alec and Vincent, expecting to see disappointment, maybe even irritation, at such a banal request. Instead, the chef smiles widely, displaying small white teeth.

“That sounds wonderful,” Alec says. “Make that two. And fries?”

I nod eagerly.

“Put an egg on mine, as well,” Alec says. He glances at me, raising an eyebrow.

“Not on mine, thank you,” I smile. Eating a burger on a date is going to be messy enough as it is. I don’t want to add a runny yolk into the mix.

“Très magnifique,” Vincent says, clapping his hands together. “I shall make for you the best cheeseburger with bacon that you have ever had, d’accord?”

With one last shake of Alec’s hand, and another polite kiss near mine, he’s gone, the elevator doors dinging as they shut behind him.

“I hope you’re not disappointed to be eating burgers,” I tell Alec. “It feels almost like a waste, with such a great chef, but…” I give him a little smile. “It’s my comfort food, and I’ve been craving one all day.”

“I don’t mind at all,” Alec assures me. “I love a good burger.”

“It’s just not exactly, you know, fine dining.”

Alec smirks in answer. “There’s nothing special about fine dining. In life, there is food you enjoy and food you don’t. And tonight, I want us to have food we will enjoy. It’s that simple. ”

I grin back at him.

Everything feels so easy with Alec. I forget that when I’m alone with my thoughts in the bookstore, obsessing over everything and getting caught up in my own thoughts.

“What did you mean in the car?” I ask, running my fingers over the tablecloth. It’s fine linen. Probably a higher thread count than my sheets. “About… sharing. With your brothers.”

Alec watches me closely, measuring my reaction.

“My brothers and I…” He pauses, as though choosing his wording carefully. “We’re a package deal.”

My insides twist unpleasantly.

“So, if I’m with one of you, I have to be… with all of you?” I ask.

Alec shakes his head.

“Not in the way you mean,” he says. “But you need to recognize that they’re a big part of my life. An inescapable part. We run our business together. We live together. We’re not often apart. I’m not saying I’m expecting you to fuck them, darling.”

His voice holds an edge that almost makes me feel bad for asking. “But…” he continues. “You have to accept that if you’re in my life, they will be in your life as well.”

“And do I get to choose?” I ask. “To what… extent, they’re in my life?”

Slowly, Alec nods.

“And if I decide one thing, and then change my mind?” I press. “What happens then?”

“You mean, if you decide to sleep with Ashton,” Alec says, leaning forward and putting his elbows on the table. “And then decide you no longer want to have a relationship with him?”

I nod, a little surprised he understood the question beneath my question.

“You are free to do so,” Alec says. I release my breath, shoulders untensing. “But that would be a conversation you would have to have with him. Not with me.”

“Okay,” I say.

Alec takes my hand in his.

“I’m glad you’re asking this,” he tells me. “I want you to know. To not be surprised. I want you to be comfortable with me, Sydney.”

“Does he… does he expect to sleep with me, too?” I ask nervously. “To share me with the rest of you?”

“Ashton?” Alec frowns. “I think he’s made his intentions quite clear, Sydney. Yes. I imagine he’s very eager to have that sort of relationship with you.”

I shake my head quickly.

“Sebastian,” I clarify. I know he hates me, but if this is how these guys operate…

if they are used to sharing? Would he expect to sleep with me just by default?

Is that why he keeps hanging around the cafe?

Is that why he hates me so much, because I’ve made no move to welcome him into my bed?

“Does Sebastian expect to sleep with me?”

Looking surprised, Alec shakes his head slowly. “No. Sebastian… I don’t think he’s expecting that. He may want to. And he can be hard to read, even for me. But expect it? No. You can ask him if you’d like.”

I laugh, shaking my head.

“I could never just ask him something like that. He’s too intense. He’s… like bottled lightning. Or like a snake, all coiled and waiting, ready to strike.” I describe, still laughing a bit. “And I’d say we’re safely in the mutual hatred zone. He can’t stand me.”

“I very much doubt that’s true,” Alec counters, looking away from me. “But you’re not wrong in that characterization of him. He can be… intense when he needs to be. ”

The ding of the elevator is all the warning we get before Vincent Laurent comes back in, a team of waiters at his heels.

Quickly, the waiters fill our table with food, placing a massive pile of fries between us along with a collection of dipping sauces and two heavenly-looking burgers.

Someone places a cloth napkin on my lap, and to my surprise, a sommelier appears, pouring a small dribble of wine so dark it’s crimson into a glass and handing it to me.

“For you, this evening, I have picked a robust red,” he explains, eyes on me. “To compliment the meat of your burger. If Madam approves?”

A little unsure of what exactly to do, I raise the glass to my lips and drink the small portion of wine down in one sip.

It’s earthy. Strong.

“It’s great,” I tell him honestly. “Thank you.”

The words are barely out of my mouth before he takes the glass again, filling it this time, and pouring another for Alec. He leaves the bottle on the table, bowing his head to both of us. Then, as quickly as they arrived, the crowd is gone, the doors shutting heavily behind them.

“Wow,” I mutter. “A girl could get used to that.” Alec chuckles, picking up his burger.

After just one bite, I know, beyond any doubt, that Vincent Laurent is a genius. It’s the best burger I’ve ever had in my life. Even the fries are sensational, and since none of the dips are labeled, we have fun guessing what they all are before trying them.

I’m halfway through my burger when I work up the courage to ask another question that’s been plaguing me.

“What about Viper?”

Alec freezes, his hand reaching for his wine glass. It's such a small reaction, only a fraction of a second’s pause, but I catch it .

“Who told you about Viper?” he asks, voice a little too flat.

“Sebastian,” I tell him, and I know from the slight tick in his jaw that I’ve thrown the doctor right to the lions. “But I don’t think he meant to. It slipped out.”

“I see,” Alec says, taking a sip of his wine.

When he doesn’t continue, I press the issue.

“Where does Viper fit into all of this?” I ask. “You’ve never even brought him around to the shop to meet me.”

“Viper is… complicated,” Alec says, swirling his wine. He won’t meet my eyes. “He’s out of town right now, taking care of something for us. But I’m sure you’ll meet him when he gets back.”

“Complicated how?” I press.

Alec laughs, shaking his head.

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re like a dog with a bone?” he asks.

“A few,” I answer, truthfully. Jade certainly has. And just like her, somehow Alec makes it sound like a compliment, not a complaint.

“It’s not a bad thing, believe me,” Alec assures me. “But tonight, I’d rather not talk about Viper.”

“I thought you didn’t want me to be surprised,” I accuse.

If I’m annoying him, he doesn’t show it.

“We can prepare you for meeting Viper,” Alec insists. “Another time, please.”

Fine. But only because this burger is so delicious, I don’t want to waste any more time talking when I could be eating it.

When I finish—setting my napkin on the table and leaning back with a contented sigh—Alec pulls my chair around the table, closer to him.

He plucks one last fry from the pile, dipping it in something we’re both confident is a garlic aioli, before popping it into his mouth and settling back in his chair, cuddling closer to me .

“How do you usually relax after work?” he asks, wiping the salt from his fingers with a napkin. “Do you like to watch TV?”

I do. I like reality TV, mostly, letting the inane chatter fill the silence as I unwind after a long day. Turning my brain off and just letting myself relax.