She gives me an irritated look but obeys. “I promise I will stay behind you and be quiet.”
“Good girl,” I praise her, which only earns me another glare.
We exit the Porsche and before we enter the casino I give the valet a stern warning not to fucking touch my car. This shouldn’t take too long.
The Boston casino is grand, it rivals Vegas’ smaller ones. If I didn’t hate the O’Connor’s so much I would give them a pat on the pat for putting together such a nice place.
But I do hate them.
So instead, I enter the casino with Annie on my trail hoping this isn’t a death sentence.
Is that Gio DelGado, at my casino?”
The man in front of us has light brownish hair and a clean shaved face with striking blue gray eyes. He was shorter than Gio, but it didn’t stop him from trying to flex his muscles. He wore a clean gray suit with a linen dress shirt and shiny loafers. He looked powerful in his business attire, but it didn’t rival Gio’s sharp looks and the badass aura he was letting off in his black leather jacket and tight jeans. If I had to choose between the alpha males in front of me, I would always bet on Gio.
“In the flesh.” Gio flashes a wicked smirk. “Nice place you got here Declan.”
I feel small standing in the midst of these men. Tony and Frank are flanking us, and have been since we entered the building and the hostess led us to this private room. Johnny is sitting with a swollen eye and three large men around him.
It took everything I had not to scream as soon as I saw him.
The man, Declan, returned Gio’s smirk. “I hear this one is yours?” he gestures to Johnny.
I type out a quick text to Rob to get the hell out of here. At Least one of us should leave tonight unscathed.
“I-” Johnny barely opens his mouth when Gio gives him a silencing look.
“Shut up.” He tells him. “He’s not mine,” he directs to Declan. “But out of curiosity, what does he own?”
“One hundred g’s.”
I stiffen. One hundred thousand dollars? How in the world did my brother rack up that much debt in one night?
Declan looks smug waiting for a response from Gio.
“You know he’s never going to pay that right?” Gio asks. Despite what feels like chaos to me, Gio looks calm and in his element. He grabs a chair, spinning it so he can straddle the seat.
My heart is sinking. My brother, with a black fucking eye, is in more debt that I ever could possibly imagine. And Gio, the man I thought would help him, is fucking around. We’re never going to get out of this. I steal a glance at the men on either side of me, both stoic looking with their eyes glued to Declan and his men.
“He has nothing. Why would you loan to him?”
Declan lifted his smug gaze to meet Gio’s. You’re right. He won’t pay. But I think you will.”
Gio considers him for a moment. “FIfty k and you never lend him a dime again.”
“Hey-” Johnny’s protest is once again met with a look from Gio. I wish I had that ability to silence him with just my eyes.
“One hundred and I loan to whoever the fuck I want.” Declan shoots back.
“Good luck then.” Gio stands from the chair and adjusts his jacket.
“Wait-” Declan stops him. “Seventy-five.”
“Fifty.” Gio returns.
Declan laughs. “Fine, fifty. But if he comes back here it’s on you.”
“He won’t be back. Tony?”
Tony pulls a large stack of cash out from the message bag he wore and tosses it to Declan.
A smile lights up Declan’s face as his man picks up the stack. “Nice doing business with you.” he gives Gio a nod.
Gio pulls Frank close to whispering instructions before turning around, directing me back out towards the front.
My heart is racing. “What about Johnny?” I ask frantically.
“Frank will get him.” Gio presses his arm to the small of my back and continues leading me out.
“Can I-”
“No.” he doesn’t even let me finish, just rushes me out of the casino.
I stay silent as he ushers me into the Porsche and pulls us out of the casino and onto the road. Inside, I’m boiling.
I know how this arrangement works between us, but is it really necessary for him to treat me like a worthless child? My hands tremble and my voice shakes when I finally talk again. “So I can’t talk to my brother?” I accuse.
He turns his head to give me a pained look. “I never said that.”
“Then why did you rush me out of there?”
Before he can answer me, his phone starts ringing through the car speakers.
“Frank.” He greets, answering via Bluetooth so I can hear the conversation.
“Skip,” he returns. “We have Johnny, we’re heading back now.”
“Good, put it on speaker. Annie wants to talk to him.”
“Oh,” I mumbled, surprised. Was this his plan all along and I’m sitting here bitching at him? I feel like the stupid child he’s made me out to be. “I didn’t realize he was calling.”
“Yeah, there’s a lot you don’t realize, hmm?” he gives me a pointed look.
I ignore him and focus on the fact that my brother is on the other end of the line. “Johnny?”
“I’m fine, Annie.” his voice is exasperated, dripping with accusations I’m not ready to listen to.
I exhale a long breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “Are you okay?”
“Why would you call him, Annie? I was fine.” Days ago Johnny was overly excited to have Gio in our life, now he’s acting like calling him was the worst
