3. Tomas
3
TOMAS
“ T wo hundred thousand euros?” Daniel says the moment we step outside. “That’s not the number we discussed.”
I should have realized he’d remember. Daniel is the Venice Mafia’s go-to lawyer for a reason; the man has a mind like a steel trap.
I shrug uncomfortably. “Well, you saw the place. It needs work.”
“It does,” Daniel agrees, his voice amused. “That’s why you’re taking a reduced share of the profits. Remember?” His grin turns sly. “Did I sense some tension between you and the lovely Alina Zuccaro?”
“If by tension you mean she doesn’t like me, then I’d say that’s rather obvious.” Alina hissed and spit at me like an angry kitten. She reminds me of Freccia when I first got her. The line between play and prey was so fine it was invisible. She’d be playing with a ball of wool, and in the blink of an eye, she’d transform into a feral creature that only wanted to attack.
Alina was like that. The two of us were starting a perfectly pleasant conversation, but the moment I mentioned that I owned part of her gym, her claws came out.
“But the feeling’s not mutual, is it?” Daniel gives me a sidelong look. “She’s very pretty. I wonder if she’s seeing anyone? I should ask her out.”
Daniel’s clearly baiting me. “Signorina Zuccaro seems like an interesting woman, and under different circumstances, I might be interested,” I say calmly, tamping down my annoyance. But I am going to own a business with her, and there’s no need for that kind of complication.” I pull out my phone. “She mentioned a contractor, which suggests she’s hired somebody who’s not doing his job. I need to remind him that’s a terrible idea.”
“You’re going to call the contractor? I thought you were planning to be a silent investor, not take an active role in the day-to-day operations.” He chuckles. “Time to revive the office betting pool.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake. First, the padrino gets married, followed quickly by Dante, and then Leo gets engaged to the woman he’s been pretending he’s not interested in, and now everyone is looking at the world through rose-tinted glasses. Even people like Daniel, who, as a practicing lawyer, has seen the worst of people and should know better.
I fell in love once, five years ago. It cost me my home, my job, and my family. I’m not interested in repeating that disaster.
“I’m just protecting my investment, Daniel. That’s all there is to it. The gym is in an excellent location. Despite its current state of disrepair, and despite Groff harassing every woman there, membership has not taken a precipitous drop. People keep showing up because Alina is extremely good at what she does. Last week, she won an industry award for innovation in teaching. With a little effort, I’ll be recovering my money in no time.”
“Hmm. You paid a million. You think you can get a one point three in a year? That’s a thirty percent rate of return.”
“I’ve put an additional two hundred, so it’s really a twenty-five percent return,” I correct. “And if that’s the best I can do, Antonio should fire me.”
“You’re really planning to sell in a year? To whom? Alina?”
“Alina, someone else, I don’t care. I bought the gym to get Simon Groff out of Venice. This isn’t the kind of business I typically invest in. My goal is to improve it enough so I can sell at an acceptable profit.”
He gives me a sharp look. “You’re going to let Alina do all the hard work, and you’re going to profit from it? And then, just when she’s in the black again, you’re going to sell it from under her feet?”
When he puts it that way…
“It’s just business, Daniel. It’s not personal. If Alina can afford to buy me out, she’s welcome to make an offer. Once the contract is signed, I doubt I’ll be seeing her again.”
Daniel smirks. “Au contraire, my friend. You’re going to see her on Monday for a walkthrough, remember? You want to be consulted on how she spends your money.” His smile turns positively gleeful. “Or maybe you just want to see her again.”
I give him a withering glance, but he’s undeterred. “I also noticed you didn’t contradict her when she thought you weren’t a fighter.”
My lips curl into a grin. “No, I didn’t.”
“She’s going to feel pretty foolish when she finds out.”
Yes, she will. I can picture her fury. Maybe she’ll come at me, spitting fire out of her eyes, and shove me hard against the wall. Then I’ll pull her down on top of me and roll over, trapping her underneath my body. “Tap out,” I’ll whisper, licking the shell of her ear. “Tap out, and I’ll let you go.”
But she won’t give up that easily. She’ll fight back, her body moving under me, her rage turning into hot passion…
I hastily shut off that train of thought. Alina Zuccaro is the last person I should be physically attracted to, and there’s no reason I should be fantasizing about her. It’s obvious what’s going on. I’ve been busy at work, and it’s been a while since I’ve had sweaty, mindless sex. It’s an itch, and I need to get it scratched. That’s all.
That’s the only reason I’m picturing Alina naked.