Chapter 9
NINE
H is head was splitting open. He needed some Ibuprofen and a change of careers. Maybe not taking clients who were only one degree short of being classified as crazy would be the wiser choice.
As he ruminated over his career choice, he tapped his fingers on the arm of the chair, waiting for Matthias Luciano to explain why he had been summoned. Several minutes passed before Matthias took his gaze off the computer monitor, which had been holding his rapt attention.
“I want you to act as an emissary for me.”
Surprise kept him from responding immediately. He had done a few jobs for the Luciano family after working some for the Carusos. None of those had been for Matthias, nor had they involved being an emissary. He should suggest to Dante and Lucca not to give out his number again.
“Would I be acting as a representative for the Luciano family or only you personally?”
“Just me.” Matthias looked back to the computer screen.
“Suppose you’ll tell me the purpose of being your emissary and when?”
“Now would be good.”
Kent rubbed his fingertips on the side of his temple.
He should have done a double major in college.
Psychology would have come in useful. It would have explained why Matthias was acting so shady when he had arrived by waiting until he texted him before coming inside rather than opening the door for him, and why he had given him the directions to come upstairs to the second bedroom on the right.
The huge run-down manor was owned by his brother Dominic, who had bought the manor for his wife, Maria Caruso, who was still in the process of fixing it up.
Matthias’ gaze swung in his direction. “Every week, I get the house cleaned by the same cleaner. Same day, same cleaner. Except today, the woman cleaning isn’t the same one.”
“You’re watching her on your computer?”
“Yes.”
He hadn’t been around Matthias often when he worked with his older brother. He came off as less deadly and obnoxious than Dominic, so he sure as fuck didn’t expect him to be unable to have a conversation with another person, male or female.
“Why don’t you just go and ask her?” he asked curiously.
“I prefer to keep any interactions through her employer.”
“You could call and ask them,” he suggested.
Matthias nodded. “I thought about that, but I don’t want to get the woman who has been cleaning my house in trouble. The woman downstairs is wearing a wig. Her breasts are different, too.”
Kent’s interest was piqued. “You noticed a difference in her breast size?”
“Come see. I’ll show you.”
Rising from the chair, Kent went behind the desk where Matthias was watching.
Kent was glad he was standing behind his shoulder when he saw the woman on the computer screen.
The woman was cleaning the kitchen counter, and she was also doing it naked from the waist up.
The bottom was also just as awe-inspiring.
When she bent down to take a spray bottle out from underneath the counter, he could see a thong between ripe-ass cheeks.
Matthias’ weird behavior when he had arrived was explained. He had kept him from walking inside and seeing the naked woman. He had only entered after he received a text to come upstairs.
It was no wonder the woman came on the same day and time. Kent bet it was when Dominic and Maria were out of the house all day.
“There’s a difference in her ass, too,” Matthias stated, pointing at the computer screen. He looked at him over his shoulder unhappily.
Straightening his tie, Kent tried unsuccessfully to pry his gaze from the luscious woman who had moved on to scrub the stove.
“Uh …” Kent cleared his throat. He was beginning to understand Matthias’ situation.
It would be hard to talk unless his cock did the talking.
“You pay her to clean the house like that?”
“Not her. I paid the other woman, not this one,” Matthias corrected him.
When he was finally able to tear his gaze away, he stared down at Matthias. “What do you want me to say to her?”
“I want you to ask where April is. Make it plain I don’t want to make any trouble for April. If she’s been fired, I’ll have Sal track her down for me, and I’ll hire her independently. Can you take care of this for me?”
“Of course,” he answered without a moment’s pause to think it over.
“You can also tell her”—Matthias nodded at the computer screen—“I won’t require her for the rest of the house. She can finish the kitchen and leave. The money will be in the usual place.”
“She’s not going to be happy seeing someone she doesn’t know walking into the kitchen if she’s expecting you,” he stated, seeing the problem ahead.
“How will she know? I’ve never met her. I left the door unlocked for her. If you think she’s going to bolt, block her way from reaching the hall. The money for the cleaning is there. She won’t leave without the money.”
The cynicism on Matthias’ face startled him. He was much too young to have such a cynical view. Then he took in consideration the other members of the Luciano family and how fucked up they were. As far as he could tell, Matthias appeared to be the most well-adjusted of all the cutthroats.
“I can electronically lock the door from here. I’ll be watching. If she tries to run off, I’ll lock the door. Don’t let her leave until I find out what I want to know. I like April. She knows what I like. This woman is whipping through the rooms too fast.”
“If she’s not doing a good job, don’t pay her.”
Kent bent over Matthias’ shoulder to get a better view. She seemed to be doing a fine job.
“I pay the cleaning company electronically before she starts cleaning. The money in the hallway is her tip.”
He had to clear his throat again when the woman started vacuuming the kitchen floor.
“Just curious: what’s she doing you don’t like?”
Matthias shoved his shoulder back, discouraging him from leaning so close. “You don’t see? She keeps holding something to hide her breasts.”
“Ah …”
Now he could understand. She was using the handle of the vacuum cleaner to obstruct his view.
Before that, the cleaning cloth had been in front of her, then the countertop.
To be fair to himself, he hadn’t caught that detail because he had been more focused on her thong when she would turn around.
He almost laughed out loud when he realized she was using one of the kitchen table chairs to block Matthias’ view.
“I have to give her credit, she is resourceful,” he complimented her.
Matthias wasn’t as appreciative. “She’s the worst cleaner I’ve had.”
“Do you want me to take the tip back?”
He didn’t want him to take the tip back. He also didn’t want him to give the woman a bad review and put her job in jeopardy.
He could use a good spring cleaning. Lucca’s hotel staff didn’t offer cleaning in the nude. He might mention it to him.
“No. You can tell she hasn’t done this before. I don’t want to discourage her. I just prefer April.”
“That’s nice of you.”
Kent didn’t think anyone could surprise him anymore. Matthias was becoming a paradox to him.
“As a matter of interest, how much did you tip her?”
“Two thousand. I usually give April four.” Matthias turned to look at him again. “Do you think April will get angry at me? I don’t want her angry at me.”
“You shorted her two grand?” He had to think about that one.
Anyone who cleaned in the nude obviously needed the money to bare themselves in someone’s home.
He hated that the woman wouldn’t get the money she was probably expecting, but he was there to protect Matthias, not the unknown woman, he told himself.
“You’re not shorting April. You’re shorting the woman in your kitchen. ”
Matthias started to look worried. “I was angry.” Opening his desk drawer, he took out a stack of cash neatly strapped together.
He peeled off two thousand dollars in hundred-dollar bills, then laid them on the desk.
“Lay those with the other money before you go into the kitchen. I don’t want to make her angry. ” Matthias looked conflicted.
“They’re trying to get you to believe she’s April.” Kent straightened to the side of the desk, the lawyer in him taking over. “They’re using deception to get your money.”
“That’s true.” Matthias started to put the money back in the drawer.
“On the other hand,” he said, reaching out to take the money, “why take a chance that they could be splitting the money, and April could become upset if she doesn’t get as much as she’s expecting?”
Giving him a distracted nod, Matthias resumed watching the screen.
“How much are you going to charge me for talking to her?”
Straightening his tie and tucking his shirt back neatly into his slacks, he headed for the door. “Don’t worry about what you owe me,” he said over his shoulder, more than eager to carry out his emissary role. “This one’s on the house.”