Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 59004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
“I might have answered yours.” Her voice is low, tinged with that familiar sultry rasp. My dick threatens to come to life, but I push it away, meeting her gaze with a hardness in my expression.
“You’re pissing your father off, and he’s getting tired of waiting around.”
She’s completely unmoved, rolling her eyes. “What are you? His sidekick?”
I tense my jaw. This woman… “He’s my partner, and you would know just how vital our relationship is if you’d stop acting like a child.”
Her mouth drops open. “I’m not acting like a child. I just don’t want to be involved in organized crime. I went to school to help stop the problem—not freaking join in.”
Taking a deep breath, I relax my shoulders. Henry did such a good job raising the little angel that now she doesn’t want any part of what he’s built for her. It’s a shame. “You do understand that you’re not required to join the tier in the Mafia, right? Your father is merely an investor. He funnels money when it’s needed.”
“He seems more involved than that.”
“Well, that’s just because he wants to be. You don’t have to do that. We have people who can manage the dealings in time. I can help with that as well. You can still be a lawyer. You don’t have to get your hands dirty.”
She makes a face. “No, just the money.”
“You’re being stubborn.”
“Wow, thanks for pointing that out,” Liz snaps, though her face isn’t nearly as tense as before. She just looks defeated.
“Why don’t you come and work for me,” I suggest, though inwardly, those same warning bells are chiming again. In the last few moments, I’ve managed not to gawk at Liz in tight black dress pants, but I know I will if I have to see her every day. The urge to make her mine will strengthen, and I am a Rossi. I get what I fucking want.
“I-I don’t want to.” Liz’s voice is soft as she shakes her head. I can tell she’s conflicted, maybe for the same reasons. We haven’t talked about that aspect of our relationship.
“Why not?”
“I’m still angry,” she mutters, leaning against the wall in her modest living room. It’s decorated in an urban way, but mostly, the walls are bare. The only pictures on the wall are black and white abstracts. I somewhat expected something different when I walked in a few moments before she arrived.
“How are you going to pay the bills?” I reason, hating that I feel like I have to manipulate her. “You have to make money to stay here. I already know what this rent runs. You won’t have enough savings to cover it.”
She glares at me. “Great, so you’ve been creeping on me to the point you know that I’m basically broke.”
I chuckle. “Liz, I don’t care if you’re broke, even though we both know you only say that because you won’t let your father help you.”
“I don’t want his help.”
“So, come work for me,” I say flatly. “I’ll pay you. I’ll pay you triple what Hudson was.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “Why would you pay me that much?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” I counter her, leaning forward in the chair. I hold her gaze as I stand, rolling my shoulders. Her eyes slip from mine and roll down my designer navy-colored suit. By the time they make it back to my face, her cheeks are flushed.
I need to work this out and get the hell out of here before I do something stupid like kiss her.
“I don’t want you to pay me more than you’d pay anyone else working for you,” Liz says, sighing. “I don’t want favoritism.”
I shake my head. “Well, then the pay will stay. Other than my secretary, I don’t have any other lawyers there now. They’ve all moved on.” That is the truth in one way or another.
“So, it’s just you and me, then?” There’s a tinge of something that sounds a lot like excitement in her voice.
“I have a secretary.”
“I thought you had a big firm.”
“I downsized when my father got sick. Now that he’s gone, I have much more to do.”
She nods. “So you’ll explain what the fuck my dad is doing with his money?”
“I think you already know, but yes. I’ll teach you how the process works, how he remains untouchable by the law, and how to deal with problems. Well, who to call when a problem arises, anyway.”
Which will be me.
“I still get to take on cases?”
Jeez, she’s really nailing this down.
“Yes,” I say, feeling like I’m repeating myself for the hundredth time.
“Okay.”
“I’ll see you at 8 a.m. then.” I nod toward her and head for the apartment door, ensuring I pass right by her. The front of my suit brushes her arms, still folded across her chest, and her breath hitches.
Oh fuck.