Chapter 18 #2
Giselle swirled the water in her glass, choosing her words carefully.
“Oh, her issue is a little more subtle.” She sighed.
“She loves to shop. She stayed at home, taking care of me and Craig while we were in school. She’s never worked outside of the home.
” She paused, tilting her head slightly.
“No, that’s not true. She worked when I was in elementary school.
But by the time I reached middle school, she’d convinced my dad that she deserved to be a stay-at-home mother.
And my dad gave in because he just wanted peace while he drank and watched sports on television. ”
Dimitri arched an eyebrow as he stirred the simmering sauce. “So, your mother has a shopping addiction.”
Giselle blinked, startled by the blunt assessment.
Her grip on the glass loosened slightly before she slowly set it down on the counter, staring at him.
“Yes. Yes!” A stunned laugh bubbled out of her.
“I hadn’t thought about it that way, but yes.
My mother is addicted to shopping. She goes out every day and buys whatever strikes her fancy.
” She shook her head, still absorbing the revelation.
“Wow. I hadn’t really connected it before, but now that you say it like that, it makes so much sense.
I’m sure my mom gets the same rush—or something similar—that my dad and brother get when they drink or use drugs. ”
“Makes sense why you don’t want to risk an addiction,” Dimitri agreed as he poured a can of tomatoes into the pot, then adjusted the heat. The scent of sautéed onions and garlic thickened in the air, making the space feel even warmer, more intimate.
Giselle folded her arms, watching him. “What were you like growing up?”
He didn’t look at her as he stirred. “Why?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m curious.”
Dimitri reluctantly met her gaze. “You want to analyze my childhood?”
She smirked, leaning forward on the counter. “What? Are you afraid I’ll tell you you’re repressing something?”
His lips twitched, but he just shook his head. “Not afraid. Just not interested.”
“Come on,” she coaxed, sipping her water. “I answered your questions. Fair is fair.”
Dimitri exhaled, setting the spoon aside.
“Okay, I’ll tell you something else that’s embarrassing.
I loved school,” she offered before he could divert the conversation again.
“I know that sounds really geeky. And in truth, I was a total geek. I loved science and math. I had to argue with my guidance counselors to get into the advanced placement classes. What about you?”
She looked at him expectantly.
He leaned his hip against the counter again, crossing his arms. “What about me?”
“What were you like as a kid? Where are your parents? Any siblings?”
For a moment, he just watched her, as if deciding how much to say. Finally, he sighed. “My parents died in a car accident when I was young. I was an only child, raised by an uncle who didn’t care about what I did as long as I went to school and kept my grades up.”
Giselle frowned, picking up on something in his tone. “There’s a lot you’re not telling me.”
He gave a wry smile. “My uncle was a vicious bastard. If I came home with anything less than an A in any subject, he’d beat me with his belt.
Then he’d go off and get drunk.” His voice was even, almost too controlled.
“So, I learned to stay out of his way. When I was ten, I met a friend who introduced me to the head of what some might call ‘The Brotherhood.’ I learned how to fight, how to read body language and expressions. I learned how to run businesses, and I got so good at it they promoted me higher and higher. Eventually, I became the head of the organization and expanded our reach into mostly legitimate businesses.”
Giselle’s stomach tightened as the pieces clicked into place. She stared at him, eyes widening. “You’re…mafia?” Yeah, she’d heard the rumors, but hearing him say it like that, it sounded… different.
Dimitri didn’t flinch. He held her gaze, unwavering.
“That’s what some people call us. But ninety-nine percent of our business is completely legitimate.
The other one percent is controlling the illegal markets so they don’t interfere with our business interests.
” He shrugged casually. “We’re actually far more ethical than some of the so called ‘pristine’ companies. ”
Giselle swallowed, staring at him, unsure of what to feel. He was so matter-of-fact, so unconcerned about what he had just admitted. A normal person might have been terrified, but somehow…she wasn’t. And that did scare her.
She blinked at him. “That’s… very… um…” She paused, exhaling as she slouched slightly. “I don’t know what to say. Except that I’ve seen your accounting information. I know that you really do run a legal enterprise.”
“Exactly,” he replied, relaxing slightly.
“When other businesses struggle during strikes or economic downturns, mine don’t because I take good care of my people.
My employees don’t have to worry about making rent or feeding their families.
They know if they need help, they only have to ask, and they’ll be supported. No matter what.”
She eyed him skeptically. “Is that why you gave me the bonus?”
“It’s not just a bonus, Giselle,” he countered, stirring the sauce. “I did give you a bonus, but separately, I also made certain to give you back pay. You earned that money. Elliot was fired today.”
Her head jerked up. “Fired?”
Dimitri turned to look at her, his expression unreadable. “Yeah. I don’t tolerate supervisors who take advantage of employees. It’s unethical.”
Giselle absorbed that information, nodding slowly as she considered it.
She folded her arms and watched him stir while also keeping an eye on the water coming to boil for the pasta.
The silence between them stretched, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.
He was waiting. Waiting to see if she would demand more details about his past, about the power he wielded, about what exactly he did behind the closed doors of his empire.
“So,” she finally said, breaking the quiet, “how many businesses do you have? Besides the retail stores?”
Slowly, Dimitri turned, studying her reaction. There was no fear. No judgment. Just curiosity. That was it? No interrogation? No moral outrage?
Deciding not to push his luck, he answered, detailing his ownership in various industries, from shipping and logistics to high-end restaurants, investment firms, and construction.
She listened attentively, asking intelligent questions, even about the things most people would avoid—like how he controlled the drug trade, how he influenced crime rates, how he balanced power without everything turning into chaos.
Dimitri didn’t sugarcoat anything, nor did he hold back as he normally would.
He laid it all out, letting her decide how she felt about it.
And when the pasta was done, he served her a heaping portion, making sure she had as much as he did.
A crisp salad, prepared earlier by his housekeeper, was added to the meal.
They ate at the kitchen island, talking about their childhoods, their views on the world.
Dimitri was as honest as he could be, and he noticed that Giselle struggled with the same level of openness—not because she wanted to lie, but because she was only just starting to come to terms with certain truths about herself as she spoke them aloud.
It was a nice evening. Better than nice.
He found he liked her, not just as a woman, but as a person.
She was sharp, thoughtful, and far more open-minded than he’d expected.
She had opinions on almost every subject, was well-read and curious, except when it came to herself.
There, she hesitated, retreating. He saw it in the way she toyed with the hem of her blouse and the way her lips pressed together when a topic veered too close to home.
When dinner was over, he leaned back against the counter, watching her carefully. “You’re staying here tonight.”
Giselle laughed, then got to her feet, collecting their plates and heading for the sink. “I am not,” she said, her voice firm.
“Leave the plates, Giselle,” he instructed. “My housekeeper will take care of them tomorrow.”
She ignored him, determinedly rinsing off the plates despite his glare. At least she put them in the dishwasher instead of scrubbing them by hand, but her refusal to simply leave them as he’d instructed annoyed him.
“I’m going home,” she announced, grabbing her purse and slinging it over her shoulder.
“Thank you for dinner tonight. It was delicious.” She hesitated for a moment, her eyes meeting his, something unreadable flickering in their depths.
“And for your honesty. I won’t betray the confidence you’ve shown in me with your revelations tonight. ”
Dimitri didn’t doubt that for a moment. But it wouldn’t have mattered anyway.
His organization had an unspoken agreement with the powers that be.
He met regularly with the district attorney and the chief of police.
They knew exactly how he operated, how he kept crime within his territories controlled.
Because his methods made them look good, they didn’t interfere.
In return, he supplied evidence on the worst of the criminals—those who believed in no rules, no restraint, no loyalty.
He funneled them straight into the system, getting them off the streets before they could cause too much damage.
His arrangement with law enforcement was symbiotic. Not all crime families had the same understanding, but that wasn’t his problem.
“You should stay here,” he insisted, watching closely for her reaction. “You’ll be much safer.”
She turned, her lips curving into a slow, teasing smile. And then, to his utter shock, her gaze flicked over his body, heat flashing in her silver-blue eyes.
“I don’t think you would be safe,” she murmured, amusement lacing her tone.
Dimitri’s body tightened painfully at the challenge in her words, taking his breath away. Before he could respond, she was out the door, purse in hand.
For the first time in his life, he was too stunned to react quickly enough. By the time he snapped out of it, she had already disappeared down the stairs. He cursed under his breath, rushing to the doorway.
“Follow her,” he snapped at his guards. “Make sure she gets home safe.”
The guards nodded sharply and disappeared down the stairs after her.
Dimitri lingered for a moment, staring out the window into the dark cityscape.
What the hell had just happened? He’d spent the entire evening keeping the conversation under control, making sure he didn’t let their attraction bleed into his words or actions.
He’d been so careful. And yet Giselle had just thrown the door wide open.
A slow, wicked smile curved his lips as he turned and headed to his bedroom. If she thought she could tease him like that and walk away, she was in for a surprise. She’d issued a challenge.
And Dimitri had every intention of accepting it.