Page 54 of The Pretender

“I’d have to pay anyone I hired to do that.”

Nonna has a sour look on her face but she stays silent.

“Not happening,” Brogan says.

“But—”

I put my hand on Deo’s thigh. “I have an idea.”

Deo nods, gesturing with his hand for me to go on.

“Why don’t we return to this discussion after we get everything sorted. Maybe there’s a one-time fee or a bonus or something that would be agreeable to everyone.”

Brogan and Deo stare at each other for a few seconds until Deo nods. “Works for me. Brogan?”

“Yeah, okay.”

Nonna relaxes, smiling at me. “Finally, a cool head around here. You sure you’re Italian?” She cackles with laughter beforeI can answer her. “I kid, but it is nice to have an objective perspective.”

My eyes lock with Deo’s, and I know I’m far from objective. There’s more on the line than Deo’s family even knows. I certainly didn’t expect to get myself entangled in a family business when I decided to take off, but now that I have, it’s important I keep my head straight.

Deo offers a smile packed with heat and whispers of a future I couldn’t have imagined. Maybe I’ll spend a few months here and be nothing more than a blip in his history, or maybe… I blink my way out of ridiculous thoughts like that.

I don’t live here. I have an entire life on pause, and at some point I’ll have to go back and face it. I need to enjoy this for what it is, help as best I can, and keep any delusions of happily ever after out of it. Deo deserves a man with integrity, not a barely veiled criminal in way over his head. He’d never be safe with me, not really, and I would never risk his life. No matter how nice it is to be around him.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Nonna says, patting my arm.

I smile, pushing everything out of my head except the task at hand. “Just considering first steps to get this off the ground.”

She searches my eyes in a way that feels like she can see right through me, but that’s probably just my guilt and paranoia talking.

Deo stands and claps his hands once. “Step one: organize. Step two: project plan. Step three…” He pauses. “Save the family business.”

“Hell yeah,” Brogan says. “We’ve got this.”

Deo nods, smiling, his eyes roaming over all of us. “Thank you for helping. All of you. I’ll make you proud.”

“We’re already proud of you,” Nonna says. “Just do your best. That’s all anyone can ask.”

“I will.”

Brogan stands, shrugging off their coat and hanging it on the back of a chair. “Where do we start?”

“Help me get these boxes sorted. Balt, you good over there with the ledger?”

“I’m good.”

“Why don’t you get back to the main house, Nonna?”

She frowns. “I’m old, not frail. I can help organize.”

Deo’s face lights up. “Okay.”

Before he gets too far, I grab his wrist, pulling him between my legs. “You’ve got this.”

He nods, searching my eyes. “I know. Thank you.”

“My pleasure.”