Chapter 2
CHAPTER
TWO
Hudson turned around to lead the procession up to Finch D’Amato's office. This was the ritual they went through every night. Once the money was counted out by two staff members, Hudson would take the locked box and key, and escort everyone upstairs to the office, usually with Dino in the rear. Dino was the real muscle in the scenario, but because Hudson was Finch’s personal assistant, he liked to make sure that the cashbox got from the counting room to the upstairs office without incident.
Once they reached the office, Finch would double-check the numbers and pay all the remaining staff members their cash bonuses for the year, plus any cut of the night’s tips.
Tonight he’d already paid the bar and floor staff, so the only ones left were Hudson, Dino, Brady, and Ziggy, plus Art the cleaner.
And Gio, if Gio counted. But he wasn’t a nightclub employee.
He was there to act as protection for Finch—or as a weapon if necessary.
Finch had suggested several times that Hudson carry a gun of his own, but Hudson had refused.
He’d had a few lessons in shooting from others in the Family, but he wasn’t exactly a natural.
They ascended the stairs to the office, where Hudson knocked on the door and waited respectfully to be admitted. The door opened, and there in the doorway stood Gio Carlucci, leaning up against the doorframe.
He gave Hudson an insolent up and down look that made Hudson's face burn.
“We have the cashbox,” Hudson said after a second, almost defensively.
Gio gave a twisted smile. “Happy New Year to you, too. Come in.” He stood aside to let Hudson pass, but Hudson ushered through Ziggy and Brady first, hoping Gio would go with them.
Gio didn’t. And when Hudson followed them into the room, he stepped too close to Gio, who didn't move back as much as he should have. Hudson bumped against him, and stammered, “S-sorry.”
Gio leaned in and murmured, “I was hoping to catch you for a midnight kiss.”
Hudson pulled back sharply. He hated that kind of teasing. “Listen, it's been a long night. I just want to get home.”
Gio studied his face for a moment and then shrugged. “Message received, loud and clear.”
At least no one else had seen the awkward exchange. Hudson hurriedly checked to make sure, but Finch was busy offering drinks to anyone who wanted one. “We've had a great quarter,” he said. “And that's down to you guys. Well, to most of you.”
“Thanks, Chief!” Brady said. He elbowed Ziggy aside to take the drink that Finch was offering.
“Read the room, buddy,” Gio said under his breath, but Hudson was still close enough to hear it. He couldn't stop his little snuffle of laughter.
“Where’s Dino?” Finch asked, but as Hudson opened his mouth to explain, frantic footsteps pounded up the stairs outside. The door burst open and Dino leaned in.
“Downstairs,” he gasped. “That dumbass fool’s overdosing in the bathroom.”
“What the fuck?” Finch snapped.
Dino shook his head as he tried to catch his breath. “Come now. Now.”
Finch yanked open his desk drawer and grabbed a naloxone injector.
Drugs were banned in Kismet, but they always kept naloxone on hand just in case.
“It better be a fucking opioid,” he muttered, and then looked up.
“But this could be a distraction. Hudson, lock the office door. Dino, stay up here with him and stand guard. Everyone else, with me.”
“But Mr. D—” began Ziggy, looking at the cashbox.
“Move,” Finch snarled, and everyone moved.
This was the Finch that Hudson found so terrifying. He ran past them all, heading downstairs with Gio on his heels, close as a shadow. Hudson came out last and locked the door, calling to Dino, who was already running heavily down the stairs. “Hang on, you’re supposed to…”
But Dino didn’t even glance back and the protest died on Hudson’s lips. What if this was a distraction, like Finch had suggested?
Too late—he was alone.
With a sigh, he locked the door with the key from Finch’s desk, then folded his arms and waited outside, leaning up against the door. His job seemed to involve a lot of waiting at doors.
He wondered whether he should arm himself with Finch’s gun that he kept in the desk drawer, just in case. But he didn’t want to go back into the office now that he’d locked it. Plus, if he got nervous, he didn’t trust himself not to shoot someone he shouldn’t.
Like himself.
They weren’t long, although it felt like an eternity. Hudson was exhausted after the long night and had trouble keeping his eyes open. But only fifteen minutes later, he heard them mounting the steps again.
Finch was first, and didn’t even look at Hudson. Hudson didn’t dare ask the outcome, just unlocked the office door for him. Gio gave him a wink as he went by, and Hudson wondered if it was supposed to be reassuring.
It wasn’t.
Even Art the cleaner had come back up to the office. “What happened?” Hudson asked Dino in an undertone when he finally made it back up the stairs.
“Too late.”
Hudson’s heart dropped. Shit. This was bad. A drug overdose in Kismet would be the perfect excuse for a raid.
“How the fuck,” Finch said, enunciating every word, “did that motherfucker get drugs in here?” He looked around the room, his eyes resting on Dino.
“He just came in for two seconds to grab his coat!” Dino protested. “I didn’t know he was gonna sneak off to the bathroom and snort a speedball!”
“My husband is going to be very unhappy about this,” Finch said softly.
Hudson bit his lip. Maybe Luca was actually the scarier D’Amato after all.
He’d never been so relieved to be Finch’s personal assistant rather than floor staff.
It wasn’t his responsibility to watch out for drug deals or people using in the bathrooms. Even weed and E were banned in the club, and anyone who looked high while they were waiting outside was kept out.
Because everyone knew the Boss, Don Morelli, insisted the club be kept clean. If it wasn’t, he would shut the whole thing down. And Hudson really didn’t want to be around Finch if the club got shut down. It was Finch’s baby.
“We could handle this ourselves, Mr. D,” Gio suggested delicately. “No need to get any…outsiders involved.” Hudson wrinkled his nose.
Finch sighed. “I need time to think. But we have no time. Luca’s on his way back right now to pick me up.” He ran a hand over his face. “But first things first, let’s finish up with the takings and get them squared away. Dino, I’m going to need you to stay behind after to answer some questions.”
Dino said nothing, but he looked upset, and stared at Hudson as though it was somehow Hudson’s fault.
Maybe it was.
Gio caught Hudson’s eye again and Hudson felt his cheeks heat. What the hell was his problem?
“Hudson,” Finch snapped. “Key?”
Hudson jerked back to attention and went to hand the cashbox key over to Finch. The rest of the men were muttering among themselves, and although Hudson couldn’t make out the words, he could tell by the tones that there were questions and denials and dark wonderings.
Hudson studiously tried to avoid looking in Gio’s direction—and Dino’s, too.
“Well,” said Finch after a moment. “Now we have two problems.” The room fell silent as he held up the cashbox to show them. When he spoke again, his voice was cold and high. “Where the fuck is the money?”