Page 5 of Ruthless Secrets (Alpha Mafia Daddies #6)

Chapter Four

CLARA

Fifteen months later

My feet are killing me despite the fact that I’m wearing tennis shoes, but I guess it doesn’t matter what you’re wearing when you’re on your feet for ten hours a day. They’re going to hurt regardless.

I’d love to say that the sore feet and aching back are all worth it, but being a manager of a restaurant isn’t exactly my version of the American dream. I’m not even sure what my dream is anymore.

I used to have dreams. I used to want things. But then I got pregnant, and suddenly my wants and dreams don’t matter anymore. All of my energy has to go into providing for my baby, so I said goodbye to my dreams and turned to plan B, which is simple—survive.

I thought having my heart broken by my fiancé was my rock bottom, but it turns out rock bottom goes deeper when you get knocked up by your one-night stand on what should have been your wedding night .

I swear I can’t make this shit up.

I turn to my assistant manager. “Liv, I need you to close up when you’re done putting those glasses away. I have to go and pick up Zoe.”

“No problem. Give that baby a big kiss from me!”

I chuckle. “Will do.”

I swear every time I bring Zoe into work, she’s immediately taken out of my arms and passed around the staff, and even the customers sometimes, who all fuss over her. I take it as a compliment. She is an incredibly cute baby and doesn’t look anything like me.

After double checking the covers booked in for tomorrow, I grab my coat and bag and head out to go and pick up my daughter. I hate being away from her for so long and every minute we spend apart, I’m riddled with guilt.

I always thought when I had kids, I would stay at home, at least until they started school.

The early years are crucial for their development, and I worry that I’m screwing up Zoe’s life by working so much.

But someone has to pay the rent, and that someone is me.

It’s not like I have a husband or a baby daddy to fall back on.

I guess I only have myself to blame. All it takes is one night of very hot, very unprotected sex to get knocked up.

It’s not all bad. I mean, I love Zoe, but being a single mother is hard . Taking care of her is a full-time job in and of itself, and babies aren’t cheap.

Zoe is only six months old, and I swear she’s gone through a million diapers already, or close to it. And don’t get me started on the price of daycare.

The one saving grace is Sam. Most weekends she offers to take Zoe while I work, which makes me feel even more guilty because she refuses to be paid. And I’m not in the position to be affording a full-time nanny any time soon.

As I head out of the back entrance of the restaurant, I pull out my phone to send Sam a text to let her know I’m on my way.

I was meant to be back by six so I could do Zoe’s bath routine, but it’s almost eight now, which means she’ll be fast asleep by the time I pick her up. The ache in my chest intensifies.

It’s always there whenever I’m away from Zoe, but it worsens when I think about all the stuff I’ve missed already. Her first time rolling over or the first time she waved. At the rate I’m going, she’s going to be calling Sam ‘Mama’.

Why can’t my life be like the movies, where some rich billionaire falls in love with the frazzled single mom and she and her kid get to live the life of luxury?

“Excuse me, are you Clara Peterson?”

My head snaps up.

I didn’t even hear the man approach me, which does not bode well. I really need to pay more attention to my surroundings. It might be daylight in the middle of a busy city, but when has that ever stopped a man from attacking a woman?

“Can I help you?”

I scan his face, but he doesn’t seem familiar. Then again, I serve hundreds of men like him every week. For all I know, I’ve overcharged him, and he’s come back to take his revenge.

I don’t have any maze with me, so I subtly try to reach into my bag for my keys. If it comes down to it, I can stab him in the eye or something.

I swear ever since I had a kid, my ability to jump to the worst-case scenario has increased tenfold.

This man is extremely well dressed in a dark navy suit, white dress shirt, and a navy tie, and his dark blond hair is cut short and neatly styled.

If my heart wasn’t about to jump out of my chest in fright, I might take a moment to admire how attractive he is .

“I work for a new club that has opened.” He reaches into his jacket pocket.

Oh, my god, he’s going to pull a gun on me ?—

“My boss is interested in hiring you to manage the place.” He pulls out a business card.

Oh, thank god, this man isn’t going to assassinate me and leave my child without a mother.

“I already have a job. But thanks.” I adjust my bag on my shoulder and go to walk away, but the man steps in front of me.

“The position is at Nox.” He’s still holding out the card for me to take.

“Nox?”

“You’ve heard of it?”

“Everyone has heard of it.”

The man’s lips twitch and before I can talk myself out of it, I take the card and glance down at name.

Levi Gianniotti.

I frown. “Wait, isn’t this place owned by the De Lucas?”

“Yes, which means there is ample funds to make sure that you are compensated very well for your work.”

I knew I had a reason to feel uneasy around this guy.

The De Lucas are a very wealthy family that have been in and out of the press for years.

Their links to the mafia aren’t exactly secret, and their businesses are known for being fronts for all kinds of illegal dealings.

I would be an idiot to even consider taking a position at one of their clubs.

“My boss is willing to double your current salary,” he adds as if sensing my hesitation.

Well, shit.

That’s not just a little bit of a pay increase. That’s a life-changing pay increase.

I could afford to move to a bigger place so that Zoe could have her own room or even start saving for a college fund .

“I, uh… I need to think about this.”

“Just call that number when you have an answer. We look forward to hearing from you, Clara Peterson.”

The way he says my name has my skin breaking out in goosebumps.

I shouldn’t even be considering his offer, but I have a feeling that the De Lucas aren’t the type of people who like to hear the word no.

The walk from the restaurant to Sam’s is only a few blocks. I’ve done it so many times that my body operates on autopilot, which gives my mind free rein to work through the pros and cons of this new job.

My boss is willing to double your current salary

Life is only going to get harder, the older Zoe gets, and that money would really help to take some of the pressure off. Would it really be the worst thing to work for a business owned by the De Lucas?

By the time I reach Sam’s building, I’m dialing the number of the card before I have a chance to talk myself out of it.

“This is Levi.”

“Uh, hi, it’s me again. Clara Peterson. I’m calling to accept the managerial position at Nox.”

“Brilliant. You can start tomorrow.”

“Wait, I?—”

Before I have a chance to explain that I need to give notice at my current job, Levi hangs up.

“Great.” I sigh before pressing the buzzer for Sam’s apartment.

As I suspected, Zoe is fast asleep in the pop-up cot that Sam keeps at her place when I head into the living room.

“How was she today?” I lean over the side of the crib to stroke my daughter’s dark hair.

“An angel as usual.” Sam leans against the door frame .

She’s already dressed in her pajamas, and her hair is pulled back into a neat braid.

“She always is,” I mutter.

“Want a drink before you head home? I have wine.”

I’m tempted to say yes, but that would mean pumping when I get home, and I don’t have the energy to clean all the parts once I’m done.

“Some tea would be great.”

It wouldn’t. I’d much rather have the alcohol, but I also have to be responsible for another human being, and my track record with alcohol does not bode well for me.

I take a seat on Sam’s couch and watch Zoe sleep while Sam gets us the tea.

I have to remember that taking this job, even if it is with the De Lucas, is for my daughter. She deserves the world, and double my pay is an opportunity that won’t come again anytime soon.

“You’re miles away.” Sam laughs as she sets a steaming mug down in front of me before taking a seat on the couch.

I eye her glass of wine with envy. “I need your opinion on something.” I reach for my tea.

“Okay…”

Sam sits quietly as I tell her about my encounter with the stranger outside the restaurant and the subsequent job offer.

“You didn’t accept it, did you?”

“I had to. That money is life changing, Sam.”

“Clara, if you’re stuck for money?—”

“No.” I wave a hand. “I don’t need money. Well, I do , but I’m not desperate to the point where I need to take a loan from a friend. But I have to think about Zoe’s future here. I want to be able to give her a proper life.”

“You are giving her a proper life, Clara. You’re working yourself into the ground to make sure that she doesn’t go without. You truly are an incredible mother. ”

“I don’t feel like it.” My voice cracks, and I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep myself from crying.

Sam is quiet for a moment but eventually, she reaches out to grasp my hand. “Just be careful. I’ve heard stories about that family.”

“ Everyone has heard stories about that family.”

“I mean Marco.”

“Who?”

“The guy who runs Nox . I had a friend who used to work for him, and she barely lasted a week because she couldn’t meet all of his ridiculous demands.”

I shrug. “I’m not afraid of a little hard work.”

“Oh, I know you’re not. But it’s not worth working yourself into the ground just for a paycheck.”

That’s easy for you to say.

“The only thing I’m worried about is leaving without giving any notice. I know all the responsibility will just fall on Liv, and that’s not fair.”

“But aren’t you expected to start at Nox tomorrow?”

I chew on my lower lip.

“I’ll just have to go down there tomorrow and explain that I need to give at least a week's notice. If this Marco guy wants me that badly, he’ll have to be willing to wait.”

“Uh huh. I’m sure he’ll be totally reasonable.”

I barely sleep a wink, and this time, I can’t blame it on Zoe. She’s a dream baby and has been sleeping through the night from four months old.

No, the bags under my eyes are entirely due to my racing thoughts.

Am I really going to quit my very stable job in favor of a paycheck that will be given to me by one of the sketchiest families in New York?

I look down at my daughter’s sleeping face, and a heavy weight settles in my stomach.

I was stupid to accept this job when I hadn’t even discussed a schedule.

I might have Sam to fall back on if I need childcare but ultimately, she has her own life.

She doesn’t want to spend every minute of her free time wiping up drool and changing diapers.

If she did, she would have chosen to not use birth control herself.

I decide to continue with my plan and stop by Nox after dropping Zoe at daycare. I just have to stick to my guns.

If they’re not willing to let me work my notice period at my current job, then I’m going to have to decline the offer. The money might be good, but I can’t ignore all of my morals because of it.

Nox is situated in Soho which is a bit of a track from my apartment, a con I add to my mental list which I’ve been working on all night long. Then again, if I took the job, I could always look for an apartment closer to the club which is a definite pro…

“You’re getting ahead of yourself,” I mutter to myself.

It’s nine a.m. by the time I get to Nox.

The place isn’t even open yet, so I knock on the door and hope that someone is inside to let me in. I’m due at the restaurant in an hour, and I really don’t want to be late. We have a busy lunch service ahead of us, and I want to make sure everything is prepped before we open.

Eventually, there is a sound of a lock turning and the door opens to reveal a giant of a man dressed head to toe in black with tattoos covering every inch of exposed skin. From the looks of him, he must be part of the security team.

“We’re closed.”

“I-I’m Clara… Clara Peterson. ”

“Who?”

“I-I was offered a job here and w-was wondering if I could talk to whoever is in charge?”

He narrows his eyes at me, and my entire body breaks out into a cold sweat.

I should just make a run for it now while I still have a chance.

“Come in.”

Too late.

I step inside and follow the giant of a man across the main floor toward the bar area.

Most clubs look depressing in the daylight, but Nox doesn’t. It’s clean and sleek with emerald accents and black furniture.

You can tell a lot about a club from the small details, and it seems that this Marco guy has spared no expense when it comes to furnishing the place. Plus, my shoes don’t stick to the floor, which I take as a very good sign.

“Wait here.”

I place my purse on the bar and look at all the liquor bottles lined up on shelves.

Even the liquor is high end.

At the sound of approaching footsteps, my heartbeat quickens.

This is it. If I have any chance of giving my daughter a better life, I can’t screw this up.

“Clara?”

That voice.

I whirl around, and all the air leaves my lungs as I come face to face with Zoe’s father.