Rome sat down on the couch opposite Neil and wasn’t surprised when Marco took a seat next to Neil.
“Anything new?” Rome asked.
“He’s gone,” Neil said. “I assume when he didn’t hear from the men last night, he took off.”
Rome clenched his teeth. Fuck.
“Can you find him again?” he asked Neil.
“Maybe. I’ll try.”
Rome nodded, content with that answer. “Do we know how much damage he has caused?”
“Enough,” Marco growled.
Neil put a hand on Marco’s thigh and, remarkably, Marco seemed to calm down.
“It’s a lot of money,” Neil said.
“We can always make money,” Rome said. “It’s everything else I’m worried about.”
Marco’s reputation was on the line along with his life. Along with Dante’s life.
“Alvaro has been smart about the whole thing. Starting out small without any direct attacks until now,” Neil said.
“He’s like a kid. Taking the other’s toys while disrespecting the adults,” Marco grumbled.
Rome snorted. Marco wasn’t exactly wrong with that description.
“When I find him, I’m going to gut the bastard,” Marco hissed.
“Perhaps we should focus on getting back what he has stolen from you,” Neil said with an arched brow at Marco.
“Easier said than done,” Marco grumbled. “I should be out there. I shouldn’t be hiding like a fucking coward.”
“The restaurant runs itself and the rest of the business is at a standstill anyway,” Rome tried to reason.
“You show up at the restaurant or at home and you’re as good as dead,” Neil said.
Marco looked like he was about to argue but then released a loud sigh. “I’ll stay but only because I know Alvaro is too much of a coward to show up to kill me himself. Then I’d at least have a fucking shot at him.”
Juno
He walked into the tattoo shop wearing a scowl. He went past Scar, ignoring her frown as he didn’t return her greeting, and made his way to Bones who was sitting at one of the desks.
“I need you,” Juno grumbled at Bones as he continued past him.
“I hope you didn’t mean that the way it sounded, ‘cause, buddy, sorry but I’m not into dick,” Bones yelled after him.
Juno didn’t stop or answer Bones, he just kept walking until he was inside his room. Bones walked in and closed the door behind him.
“What’s wrong?”
“Everything?” Juno let out a frustrated breath. “I know he’ll be pissed that I told you, but I need my best friend right now. This is wholly unchartered water for me. Fuck. I don’t even get that I’m feeling like this right now.”
Bones sat down on Juno’s stool and said, “This is serious. You just said ‘feeling.’”
Juno aimed a glare at Bones but all he saw was concern in Bones’ eyes.
“So?” Bones prompted.
“I’ve been fucking Rome for a while,” Juno said.
Bones frowned for a few seconds, then his eyes went wide, and his mouth dropped open.
“Rome D’Alessio? Mobster Rome? That Rome?”
Juno rolled his eyes. “Yes, that Rome.”
“Fuuuck,” Bones said.
“That’s what we’ve been doing, yes.”
Bones flipped him off, then said, “Man, that’s crazy.”
Juno sighed heavily. “I know. I fucking know. But that’s not the craziest part. I like him, Bones. I really like him.”
“I’m sorry, as in you like him like him?”
“As in I like him so much, I don’t even want to fuck anyone else. As in I don’t want him to leave my bed once he’s in it. As in he drives me fucking nuts and still, I want him to stay. I just… One second he wants to be exclusive, the next… fuck, I don’t even know. It’s so fucking frustrating. I just… I just wanna be with him but he makes me fucking crazy.”
“Awe. Juno. You’re in love,” Bones said.
Juno pointed an accusatory finger at Bones and growled, “Say that one more fucking time and I’ll shoot you.”
The wide smile on Bones’ face told him he’d probably have to.
Juno
He was finishing up with his last client when Scar popped her head through the door, a smile on her face that had Juno narrowing his eyes at her.
“Hey, babe. You have a visitor,” she said, a smug smile on her face.
Juno frowned at her, then just gave her a nod before turning back to the man in his chair. He grabbed a sheet of paper with instructions from the dresser drawer and handed it to him.
“Follow the instructions. Keep the bandage on for at least a few hours and make sure to clean it and keep it out of the sun.”
Kenny smiled up at Juno and said, “Sure. Thanks.”
“Anytime. Let me know when the addiction sets in and I’ll happily take more of your money,” Juno said, a cheeky smile on his lips.
Kenny threw his head back with laughter while Juno grinned at him. Juno had just popped the guy’s tattoo cherry and he knew from experience how addicting tats could be. Once you’d gotten one, you rarely stopped there.
Juno walked the man out and had to do a doubletake when he saw Rome standing by one of the desks, talking to Stiletto. He’d taken off his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. Anyone who claimed rolled-up sleeves didn’t amplify the sexiness in guys were insane. Or blind. The arm porn was real. It was especially mouthwatering where Rome was concerned.
Juno led his client to the counter but didn’t even get to say anything before Scar showed up to take over, bumping her hip against Juno’s to make him move.
He cautiously made his way to Rome and Stiletto,
