Sasha curled up next to Rin in bed, the excitement of the last forty-eight hours dissipating and exhaustion taking over. He was holding her tight, her head resting on his bare chest and his fingers playing with the silky strands of her hair as they cuddled.
“You won my mother over tonight,” he said suddenly.
“I did?” she was surprised.
“You had dad at manicotti but the minute you put leather on and rocked out to Janet Jackson she was hooked. It seems it was one of her favorite songs as a teenager.” He chuckled, “also, she said something about being terrified of the way you command the attention of every evil person she’s ever seen. She recognized one of the men in the club as a man she and Dad ran across once in Sicily on a vacation. It seems they pissed the man off and he threatened to end them.”
“Really? Who?”
“Saul –”
Before he could finish speaking Sasha
“This is bullshit,” Chastity complained as she wiped sweat off her forehead. “Who the hell thought it was a good idea to do this?”Sonny laughed at the woman’s misery as he patted the head of the dog who had just returned with the ball, he had tossed for her. “It’s not so bad. Could be worse.”“It’s hotter than the sun here,” Chas lifted a glass of sweet tea to her lips and chugged it like it was a beer. “I literally just took a cold shower and I’m sweaty again. Texas is too hot.”Sasha opened one eye from where she lay in the hammock and stretched, “he’s right. It could be worse. They could have brought you along on their little cattle drive and then the campout last night. Rin made them eat beans and hotdogs off a campfire.”“How do you know? Did he message you?” Chas sat up and glowered at her. “They said they weren’t bringing p
Sasha pulled up to the mansion on the outskirts of Vegas and offered a prayer to her grandmother in heaven to protect her from getting shot, or worse, from finding a dead body. She wanted to get into the house somehow and check on her long-time friend and best customer. She was surprised of the state of the house. The front gate unmanned, the gardens and yards in desperate need of attention. She admitted she shouldn’t have been startled. Sonny had not been himself for the last year and a half since he’d given his grandson and his siblings control of the family early. They’d taken it and then left him to rot. She knew who Sonny Allegretti was, or at least who he used to be. One of the most ruthless leaders of the Italian mob Vegas had ever known. Now he was a sad old man who came to her club and drank whisky at the end of her bar every night. Except the last two nights. He hadn’t shown up. It was unheard of. She lifted her eyes in another silent prayer begging she didn’t walk in on a
Sasha felt guilt for not realizing how poorly her friend had become. For the first thirteen years of her life, he had been the only grandfather she’d known, even though they weren’t blood. She could feel both her grandmother and Ruthie scowling down at her from where they probably ruled heaven with an iron fist. Ruthie had been her grandmother Gina’s closest friend growing up and their friendship had lasted nearly seventy years. They had been together through thick and thin, although Ruthie kept Gina sheltered from a lot of her life with Sonny. When Gina’s sixteen-year-old daughter Avery had gotten pregnant by a boy she’d met in the strip club where she’d been working illegally, Ruthie and Gina had stepped in, with Sonny taking up the rear. Avery had confessed he’d been an older boy, a tourist, and she’d lied about her age. He’d been there on a vacation with his family and every night for two weeks Gina had snuck off with him. Then he’d gone back to wherever he was from, and Avery ha
Rin sat in the ballroom of the hotel with his closest friend Marcello and couldn’t be bothered to feign laughter at the airheaded chatter of his date when she tried to tell a joke to the table. His invitation to the wedding of his cousin on his mother’s side of the family had made him realize how much bullshit his grandfather and his grandmother had had to put up with when they’d been in charge of the family. Eighteen months. It had been eighteen months since his grandfather announced his retirement and walked away from anything having to do with running the business. He had been the old man’s right-hand man for twenty-two years before that. He could still hear the slippery old bastard when he’d walked into his fortieth birthday dinner, looked him right in the face and told him for his birthday he was giving him his seat at the family table. Then the old man had looked his son, Rin’s father, in the face and said he wasn’t smart enough to run a 7-11 let alone a billion-dollar empire so
He tried to focus on speeches going on and on at the front of the ballroom, but he was eyeing his phone with far more attention than the rest of the world. He gripped his phone tightly when the accountant messaged him back with a copy of his grandfather’s last credit card statement, which according to the man had been paid off in full. He knew the old man had kept a few secret accounts and didn’t blame him. He had several of his own.He noted almost a daily charge for roughly thirty dollars at a place called Gina’s and wondered if his grandfather was frequenting a coffee shop in his neighborhood. It was the other item near the bottom of the bill which caught his attention. Mercy General Hospital. Eighteen thousand dollars.He pushed his chair back and walked out of the room ignoring the curious glances in his direction as he dialed out his grandfather’s number. He didn’t stop walking until he found himself in the hotel lobby and even then, walked to a far corner of the room and hung u
“Sonny, are you home?” Sasha called out as she entered the house, surprised to see the three cars in the yard. He never had guests according to him and he hadn’t mentioned anything today when she’d checked on him before she left to run to the grocery store.She stood listening and noted the closed door to his office and made a face and made her way to the kitchen with the groceries she’d picked up. She considered knocking on the door but considering the types of cars in the yard, black SUVs she considered it might be family related and she did not need to know. If it was business, the last thing she needed was to let herself be known as an acquaintance to Sonny.She would simply go to the kitchen and make lunch and with luck, whoever was here, would leave soon and she would be well hidden in the back of the house. Hopefully, it wasn’t anyone dangerous. Though, it was entirely possible given she knew Sonny kept a loaded weapon in his desk.She would make him pasta the way Ruthie had ta
He walked away without saying another word, but she noted he took the bowl of pasta with him. She carried the bread, butter and salad and followed and noted the dining room was eerily quiet and Sonny was smirking as he took his seat. It was clear he had heard the way she had spoken to his grandson, and he was there for it. She almost giggled when he purposefully took the seat next to the head of the table and forced Rin to sit at the head of the table. Sonny pulled a chair out and patted the empty seat immediately beside him, “come Sasha, I will protect you.” “Ah but I’m not afraid of them, my friend,” she kissed his cheek warmly, “but I do appreciate the company of the most handsome man at the table.” “Sasha, how is it you came to know my grandfather was ill, yet his own family was not made aware?” Rin asked curiously as he ladled the pasta to his plate and then passed it to Sonny. He twirled the pasta around his fork and shovelled it into his mouth and his eyebrows went up in surp
Sasha exited her room thirty minutes later and made her way to the dining room, unsurprised to find the table had been left with all the dishes and food still there. Not a single solitary one of them knew how to pick up after themselves. They likely couldn’t wipe their own ass without coaxing and applause. She fought her smirk at the empty pasta bowl though. They hadn’t been able to resist. She imagined them all sitting here begrudgingly enjoying the delicious meal she’d made. Ruthie had taught her well and she felt smug satisfaction at knowing even though they hated her, they liked her food. She looked around wondering where they had all disappeared to and then decided she would have to clean up after them, regardless of Sonny’s warning to them while he’d sat at the table. She gave a sad sigh as she noted Sonny’s dish still had most of his pasta on it. She began collecting the dishes and carrying them to the kitchen. It took nearly thirty minutes to get the
“This is bullshit,” Chastity complained as she wiped sweat off her forehead. “Who the hell thought it was a good idea to do this?”Sonny laughed at the woman’s misery as he patted the head of the dog who had just returned with the ball, he had tossed for her. “It’s not so bad. Could be worse.”“It’s hotter than the sun here,” Chas lifted a glass of sweet tea to her lips and chugged it like it was a beer. “I literally just took a cold shower and I’m sweaty again. Texas is too hot.”Sasha opened one eye from where she lay in the hammock and stretched, “he’s right. It could be worse. They could have brought you along on their little cattle drive and then the campout last night. Rin made them eat beans and hotdogs off a campfire.”“How do you know? Did he message you?” Chas sat up and glowered at her. “They said they weren’t bringing p
Sasha curled up next to Rin in bed, the excitement of the last forty-eight hours dissipating and exhaustion taking over. He was holding her tight, her head resting on his bare chest and his fingers playing with the silky strands of her hair as they cuddled.“You won my mother over tonight,” he said suddenly.“I did?” she was surprised.“You had dad at manicotti but the minute you put leather on and rocked out to Janet Jackson she was hooked. It seems it was one of her favorite songs as a teenager.” He chuckled, “also, she said something about being terrified of the way you command the attention of every evil person she’s ever seen. She recognized one of the men in the club as a man she and Dad ran across once in Sicily on a vacation. It seems they pissed the man off and he threatened to end them.”“Really? Who?”“Saul –”Before he could finish speaking Sasha
Sasha stood still while Rin helped peel the almost painted on leather from her body. The entire day she had waited for him to call her and demand she come home. Then she expected text messages of the same. Instead, he’d given her radio silence and she had considered maybe he had just become fed up with her wild temper and stomping out on him.Most of her day she had dreaded coming to the floor and him not showing up. Even when his application and the corresponding fee had come through, she had thought perhaps he was doing it because Sonny had asked him to. This was a place where Sonny had conducted a lot of business in his heyday. It only made sense Rin did the same.Now he was here behind her, sliding the garment over her hips and his lips pressed to her shoulder and she closed her eyes at the myriad of feelings she had. “I thought I might have pushed my luck one time too many. You didn’t call even once today and I knew you were angry about me smacking up your guy.”“Are you kidding?
The house lights lowered around the booths and seating areas and tables surrounding the main stage. They must be nearing show time, Rin considered as the crowd were making their way to tables or inching up to the bar.Rin noted the stage was massive, the big black curtains likely made of velvet were shut. While there were absolutely poles which ran from fixtures, the set-up was definitely more of a Vegas show than what he expected. It was high-end and now he understood where his million-dollar membership fee was going. When he’d balked at the fee, Sonny had laughed at him telling him it was a one-time fee and the best money he’d ever spend.He felt Marcello’s hand on his shoulder warningly and he looked up and then followed the man’s gaze. Edik Volkov was heading straight in his direction. He got off the bar stool and accepted the man’s hand but the older man pulled him into a tight hug.“Rin, I just left Sasha backstage. What
Rin was working in his office and struggling to get through the day. Sleep had been near impossible for him without Sasha laying next to him. He considered sending her a message or calling her but he wasn’t sure what he would say. He missed her but something about Regal’s warning the night before had him pausing. Give her space. She’ll come to him when she’s ready.“What are you doing?” his grandfather asked as he entered the office without knocking. “You should be getting dressed!”“We have lots of time,” he looked up and then raised an eyebrow at his grandfather’s appearance. The man was dressed to the nines. “You’re going to a strip club.”“You can’t wear jeans and a t-shirt in Gina’s, Rin.” Sonny scoffed at him. “Even your father and mother are dressed up and your sister is wearing something scandalous, or it’s how she described it.”
Rin wiped his hands off on a towel and exited the cell and grimaced at Marcello. “What kind of fool believes he can come into my house, my house,” he repeated angrily, “and try to steal from me using the little devices in his pockets.”“He’s not going to use those little devices anymore,” Marcello said smugly.They both looked up as one of their security agents came down the stairs in a rush.“Now what?”“It’s Miss Smith, sir,” Eddie said scraping his finger over his forehead. “She got upset when Tiny tried to take her out of the lounge and away from Regal.”“Did she now?” Rin exchanged an annoyed look with Marcello. “Let me guess. She threw a fit, stomped her feet, and demanded you leave her alone?”“Um, well no.” Eddie appeared embarrassed. “She said she was going to leave and was going to call her security to come
Dinner was over and Sasha and Rin were sharing a quiet moment before heading back to the suite when Marcello poked his head into the room.“Aw, don’t you two look cute and cozy.”Rin held her hand up, “she said yes.”“She had no choice,” Marcello mocked him. “She’s making the best of a bad situation in being saddled with your cranky ass.” He winked at Sasha with a grin.Sasha gave a snort of laughter at his teasing.“Can I steal your fiancé away from you for a minute?” Marcello asked her curiously. “We have a situation I know you will want to weigh in on, Rin.”Rin frowned at him, “you cannot deal with it yourself?”“Our friend you personally banned is sitting at the blackjack table. I believe he thinks you were still out of the casino this week.” Marcello met his gaze directly.Sasha noted Rin’s posture imme
“You are like a cat with a canary,” Rin laughed at her as he sat down. “You knew it would nettle him to know he had to have permission to come in with me to the club.”“I did and he does.”“You can just grant the permission or did Sonny put his name on the application?”“No. I don’t think Sonny even considered him to be truthful. I can grant the permission. I am the one who processes the applications and completes the vetting process.” She met his surprised glance with a cocky smirk.“Are you suggesting you could have let me in all along?”“Yes, but I know Sonny has been the one who wants to show off Gina’s to you and I wasn’t taking it from him. As I’ve said before, it’s not your run of the mill strip club, not that it matters. However, I know he wants to be the one to introduce you. Chas finally gave him permission to return so when he come
Sasha ground her hips against Rin’s as she straddled him on the sofa and dug her fingers into his thick hair. He tasted of alcohol and smelled undeniably of his signature body wash she had become accustomed to. He was getting hard under her movements and his moan of approval as she took the kiss from him was exhilarating.This was a make-up kiss and she knew it. He had actually apologized for his behavior and said she was his world. She felt as if she were wielding power over the raw masculine energy of the man who was kissing her back as if she were the most precious thing in the universe.His hands were kneading her ass beneath the hemline of her skirt and he was grinding her on him roughly.“Topolina, if we don’t stop,” he broke the kiss, “I fear we will be even later to dinner.”“It’s not like they’ll cancel the reservation,” she whispered against his lips, “you do own the entire place