Surprise Baby for the Don (Dark Daddies #2)

Chapter 4

4

Mateo

S he’s nothing like I would have guessed. Ginny St. Croix has a lot of fire in her, something unexpected for someone tied to Rex, a man who’s got the spine of a wet paper towel. She’s got moxie, determination. And it’s refreshing. Very few people in my life speak to me with such frankness, such confidence. She knows her stuff and that bodes well.

Generally speaking, I’m not the kind of man who takes someone’s daughter as payment. That’s the sort of leverage you reserve for the lowest kind of desperate, and though Rex fits that description perfectly, I’m not so ruthless as to drag someone like Ginny into her father’s mess without offering her something she wants in return.

Hiring her is a no-brainer, and I’d probably give her the job even without her father’s debt looming over her. She’s clearly got an eye for design, and she’s unafraid to voice her opinions.

I can use that. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like her attitude.

Her gaze flicks up to meet mine without a hint of hesitation. There’s a spark in her eyes, a readiness. I let my gaze linger on her a moment longer than necessary, the corners of my mouth lifting in a faint smile.

“Well, Ginny, I think you could certainly breathe new life into this place,” I tell her, though until this moment I didn’t care one lick about the design choices in my home.

Her eyes widen in surprise, betraying the confidence of her tone. She’s nervous, but not in the same way her father is. She isn’t afraid because she owes me money, or out of self-preservation. Despite her bravado, it occurs to me that she’s not as experienced as she presents. I go on.

“I want you to redo this entire wing of the house,” I say, gesturing to the lifeless walls and pristine, empty decor surrounding us. “Just as you described, with your ideas, your suggestions. If I like the work, I’ll hire you to do the same for more of my properties.”

Her eyes light up with interest, and I can see her mind working overtime, imagining what this could mean for her career.

I also notice Rex’s smug face, and I wish I could wipe it off. He doesn’t deserve to feel joy about this. This honor should belong solely to Ginny, not to him.

“How many properties are we talking?” she asks calmly, her voice trying to mask the excitement and intrigue her face betrays.

I smile, leaning forward, full of a ridiculous desire to impress her. “If you went up on the roof and looked out on the city, from Wrigleyville to U.S. Cellular, most of what you’d see would belong to me,” I tell her proudly, satisfied when I hear her breath catch.

Her expression shifts, surprise and something else, perhaps admiration, coloring her features. She recovers quickly, though, her gaze leveling back to meet mine.

“So you’re saying you’d be a regular client, then,” she responds coyly.

“You could say that,” I reply, enjoying the way her confidence strengthens, the realization that this job could be huge for her career.

There’s something else, though, an electricity crackling between us that I’m sure she must feel. I can see it in the flush of her cheeks and the light in her eyes. What’s most surprising is how much it’s affecting me.

“There is one condition,” I say, watching her reaction closely. “If you’re going to be doing this work, you can’t just come and go whenever you please. Security is of utmost importance in my house, and it’s not safe to have people walking in and out all the time.”

She crosses her arms, her expression guarded but curious. Rex smiles in satisfaction. He’d expected this, of course. He’s put her up as collateral, of course he doesn’t mind if she stays here, the bastard.

“So what are you suggesting?” she asks, her guard going up before my eyes.

“You’ll stay here,” I reply evenly. “One of the guestrooms will be set up for you, and you’ll work from here during the renovation. The arrangement keeps things simpler and safer for everyone involved.”

Ginny’s jaw tightens, her gaze flickering between me and her father as she weighs the offer. I don’t press, allowing her the moment to consider. She’s hesitating, though it’s not fear in her eyes, not exactly. She’s wary, and smart enough to know that entering my world, even for work, is not something to take lightly.

Unfortunately, she doesn’t realize that the choice isn’t really hers. Rex made sure of that.

Finally, she nods, her voice steady. “Alright. I’ll stay.”

I incline my head, approving, but say nothing more. Rex’s gaze darts between us with a mix of relief and apprehension.

“Good,” I say, turning back to her. “We’ll set things up tomorrow. You can begin whenever you’re ready. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to have a word with your father. Alone.”

With a curt nod, she heads back toward the sitting area, shooting one last glance over her shoulder before disappearing down the hall. Once she’s gone, I turn to Rex, who’s still hovering by the door, looking like a man barely holding onto a life raft in the ocean.

“Now, Rex,” I say, my voice dropping. “There are a few things we need to discuss if this little arrangement is going to work.”

His face drains of color, but he steps back into the room, closing the door behind him. I let the silence stretch, watching as he shifts uneasily from foot to foot, his fingers twitching like he’d rather be anywhere else.

Finally, I stand, taking my time as I round the desk to face him. His shoulders hunch, his head dropping, his hands fidgeting like a schoolboy caught cheating on a test.

“Do you know how many chances I’ve given you?”

He swallows, his gaze dropping to the floor. “I know, Mr. Rossi,” he stutters. “I know, and I appreciate every one of them.”

“Then why haven’t you learned anything from them?” My voice sharpens, and he flinches. “All the drinking, and the gambling. I cut you off months ago, Rex, yet here you are, deeper in debt than ever, dragging your innocent daughter into this mess. Does she even know what she’s agreed to?”

He glances up at that, his expression twisting with a mixture of shame and defiance. “Ginny’s got a good head on her shoulders,” he says defiantly. “She’s tough, like her mother. She can handle herself.”

I take a step closer, my gaze hardening. “Your daughter’s got ambition. More than you’ll ever have,” I spit. “But she’s not your crutch, Rex. I agreed to hire her because I like her. She’s straightforward, smart, and a hell of a lot easier to work with than you.”

Rex’s face pales, and he nods, his gaze falling back to the floor. “Yes,” he whispers, chastised. “I understand.”

“Good,” I say, my tone steely. “Because your days of borrowing are over. No more drinking. No more gambling. You’re done with that. From now on, you owe me a favor. Even more so, you owe it to her and your other daughter. Do better for them. That’s the only reason you’re walking out of here right now. I don’t need to see another family fall apart in this city because of bad habits.”

Rex’s shoulders slump, the fight draining out of him as he absorbs my words. I let the silence stretch, making sure he understands the finality of what I’ve just said.

He nods, his voice barely a whisper. “All right, Mr. Rossi. I’ll do as you say.”

“You better, Rex,” I warn. “I swear to God, if I hear that you’re borrowing money to cover another one of your shitty bets, I will cut you off at the knees. And I think we both know I mean that literally.”

He gulps and nods, looking about ten years older than he did when he walked in here earlier.

Satisfied, I turn away, heading back to my desk and dismissing him with a wave. He leaves without another word, his footsteps shuffling down the hallway.

Once he’s gone, I sit down, letting out a slow breath. Hiring Ginny is a calculated risk, and I know it. Bringing her into my world, into my home, comes with its own set of complications. But there’s something about her that I can’t shake.

It’s rare to meet someone so honest, so unaffected by the weight of the world around them. She doesn’t see me as a mob boss or a threat, just a man in need of her services. And maybe that’s part of what I find so intriguing.

Still, I can’t help but feel bad for the girl. She’s agreed to this job under false pretenses. I’ve done the best I can to make it seem like she has any choice in the matter, feeling a strange need to shield her from the kind of person her father actually is. Regardless, she seemed excited to take on the challenge of redesigning the space.

I re-open Rex’s ledger and pore over it again, noting dates that go back years. He’s been making bets with my guys for nearly two decades, usually losing and only paying back the minimum to keep from having his kneecaps broken.

We’ve been too lenient with him, clearly. I should have caught this earlier, should have put a stop to his addiction long before now. Guys like him are like dog shit on the bottom of my shoe. They’re slight annoyances, disgusting problems to get rid of. If you don’t clean them up right away, though, they can cause problems for everyone else too.

Just from my brief encounter with Ginny, I know she doesn’t deserve that. How many sacrifices has she already made in her life to cover for her father? She mentioned her older sister owning a diner. It was also clear that they were without a maternal figure. I call Rocco back in.

“Yes, boss?” he asks, ever the dutiful right-hand man.

“We’re going to be keeping a close eye on Rex this week,” I tell him darkly. “He’s made a lot of promises he can’t keep already, and we’re done enabling him. I’ve already told him if he steps a toe out of line, he can expect the full force of my wrath.”

Rocco nods, a delighted grin on his face. Despite himself, he loves watching scumbags get their due.

“What about the girl?” he asks warily.

“She’s going to stay here as my guest, and she’ll be treated with the utmost civility. Just because Rex is a piece of trash doesn’t mean she should be treated that way. But Rocco?”

“Yes, sir?” He nods, waiting for my instruction.

“I want to know more about this family. Get me information about their diner, about his other daughter. If he fails to pay the full amount, I need him to understand just how serious the consequences can be.”

“Of course” Rocco grins. “I’ll get the twins on it.”

With that, he leaves, and I finally get my coveted moment of silence. I lean back in my chair and squeeze the bridge of my nose to stave off the headache that’s building between my eyes.

I send word down to the house staff, asking them to prepare a guestroom for Ginny. I meant what I said, I’m not going to make her pay for the incompetence of her father. As long as she’s under my roof, she’ll be treated with the utmost respect. It’s the least I can do since Rex’s basically sold her to me for the next week.