My pulse jumped, but my face remained impassive. "That’s a sentence fragment, Marcus. What about her?"
"I noticed your reaction when you encountered her earlier." His tone was carefully neutral, but his eyes were watchful, missing nothing as always.
"My reaction." I kept my voice cool, dismissive.
"Yes. It was, shall I say, atypical of your usual interactions with staff."
I turned back to the window, irritated that he'd observed whatever momentary lapse in control I'd experienced. "I don't know what you're talking about, Marcus."
"Uh huh. I’ve known you too long to fall for that. Look,” he moved closer to me until we stood side by side. “No one gives a good Goddamn who you fuck, Dario. Just be aware that girl needs this job.”
“Then she’ll have this job. I don’t fraternize with the staff. You know that.”
“Yeah? That’s not what your body language said.”
I sighed. I could understand his derision. In ten years, Marcus had never seen me look twice at an employee. I thought I’d hidden my reaction to her, but I obviously didn’t fool Marcus. Likely when I helped her retrieve her things. And kept engaging her. Yeah. I might be fucked here. “I’ll keep it under control, Marcus. I’m not a man who can be led around by his cock.”
“Never said you were, Dario.” Finally, Marcus cracked a smile. “I gotta admit, though. Kid’s cute.”
“Key word being ‘kid’,” I said, crossing to the bar on one end of my office. “You said she needed the job. Is it something we should help her with?” I sighed as I poured myself a double scotch, knowing I might as well clear the air with Marcus about Belle. The man wouldn’t let up until I did anyway.
“She’s not in trouble, if that’s what you mean.” Marcus leaned in, dropping his voice like we were plotting state secrets. “From what the background check pulled, she’s got nothing. Just a couple jobs, mostly minimum wage. No priors. No family in the city. Her lease is a couple steps above a flop-house and she’s two months behind on rent. Landlord is a crotchety old coot but he hasn’t kicked her out yet. I think he feels sorry for her.”
“Christ, I don’t need this.” I shot the rest of the expensive Macallan single malt.
“No you don’t.” Marcus grinned. “You need a bottle of Jack Daniels if you’re gonna shoot it like a cowboy. That scotch is too fucking expensive to kill like that.”
“Remind me why I keep you around again?”
“To keep you from running roughshod over innocent little cocktail waitresses.”
“Ass,” I muttered as I found the aforementioned bottle of Jack. Time to change the subject. “Is there anything else about the Rossis?" I asked, firmly redirecting the conversation.
"Not at present. I've also instructed Matteo to increase surveillance on Vincent's meetings with the council members."
"Good." I turned back to my desk. "Let me know as things develop. And thanks, Marcus, keep Dom in the loop. If things go sideways he can get hands on the ground faster than anyone."
Marcus nodded. “He’s working with Matteo. Between the two of them, we should know things pretty close to real time. As he turned to leave, he paused at the door. “She’s the first woman you’ve shown interest in since Valentina lost her Goddamned mind.”
“Marcus —”
“I’m not saying you should fuck her. I’m merely making a comment.”
“Not interested.”
"Bullshit," he said simply, walking toward my desk.
I raised an eyebrow, though I knew exactly what he meant. "Excuse me?"
"I’m calling bullshit." He sat on the leather couch and crossed one leg over the opposite knee. "I've known you a long fucking. I've seen you with dozens of women. Models, heiresses, politicians' daughters. I've vetted your mistresses and arranged discreet exits for your one-night stands."
I poured one last shot of Jack. I needed the burn for a much welcome distraction. "Your point?"
"In all that time, I've never seen you look at a woman the way you looked at that girl." His voice remained even, factual, which somehow made it more difficult to dismiss. "She's different from your usual type."
"I don't have a 'type,' Marcus," I replied coolly. "I have standards."
"Your standards typically include women who understand the game. Women from your world." He clasped his hands behind his back. "Women who approach relationships as transactions, just as you do."
