A person running past us has me sidestepping to avoid her splashing in the puddles. She has no umbrella in hand and is getting soaked by the second.
Unlike Danny and me, who have no less than three people holding umbrellas for us to talk under. I think I might have gotten a drop on me when I opened my car door to greetmy brother, but his men were there quick to escort me, dry and all, to his side.
As she ran past, I caught her eye for a second before she continued on. Just like last night when I watched her dance, I couldn’t look away, following her movements till she entered the club.
“Ah, I understand now.”
I turned back to my brother and shook my head with a small smile. It was like that before. And while I might find her fascinating to watch, I know I’ve got a job to do. A big one. Vinny offering me a chance to take on more of the family business isn’t a small task. It’s a tall order. One that probably should go to Bobby, even Danny, before going to me. And yet he picked me. It’s an honor, and one I won’t let him regret.
“Doubtful, but you were never the one with the brains.” I smirked even as he jabbed me in the arm. Proving the unspoken point that he’s the muscle, as he doesn’t pull his punches at all.
I grab my arm and rub at the sting I still feel, smiling as I do. “Always was the overprotective type.”
“Lucky bastard,” Dante says with a side grin, and I don’t deny it.
I have four siblings. Dante has none. He might find some joy in being an only child, but he never knew what it felt like to have someone watch his back till he came and worked with me.
I raise an eyebrow and look at him. “Still get nightmares from his talk with you?”
“Not sure ‘talk’ is how I would phrase it,” Dante mutters. “More like life-threatening for them and their familyif something happens to you. And yes, every night.” He nods in earnest, and I let out a grunt of mirth.
Dante was always part of the family by name, but Dad never forced the family business on anyone. If you wanted to walk, you walked. Only, of course, if you knew nothing. Then you were just rolled into areas that were less “family in the face” type and more on the outskirts. Like a club.
Something Carl had the luxury of having, but he failed to do as he was told.
“Well, I suspect the wait has lasted long enough,” I say as I stand. A grin spreads across Dante’s face as he does the same.
“I secured a room for you. It’s small, but I have the boys clearing it out to make space. When we start the renovation, we’ll get you a better setup.”
I nod at his words, having little doubt about that. I looked up the building schematics last night, so I know what potential this place has and what areas were slotted for but never finished. Like the large meeting room above the bar, which has double-paned windows. It’s used for private parties where the patrons can look out at the dance floor and see what’s going on, but those below can only see a mural or sexual art. I honestly think it’s a secret fetish my brother has, to watch and be watched while having sex, but I won’t voice it since I really have no clue which one of my kin was the brains behind this place.
The Leone family doesn’t invest or build something without having all the details at the start. So if there wasn’t a place set up there when we built it, then I know one of my brothers added it. I just have to figure out who—eventually.
As soon as the girl I just interviewed shuts the door behind her, I scrub my face,hard.
God, this is tedious.
I almost have a newfound respect for Bobby and the company he runs. All those corporate hires he deals with every day. Almost. I’m sure he’s hired a few people in his life, but I doubt he spent this long in so many interviews. It’s already been four fucking hours.
Danny might hire people himself, but he deserves all the headaches they bring him. I might love my brother, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be a little shit to him, like the rest of my brothers, when I want to. And Danny’s cross to bear is that he doesn’t let shit bother him. So, I make a point to do it for him.
I started with the longest-tenured employees first, hoping some insight into them might help me figure out who might be stealing from me. Other than Carl, of course.
So far, I’ve just found desperate women looking to keep their jobs either to support kids and/or deadbeat boyfriends, or those with a kink who get off on people watching them dance for money. Whatever floats your boat. I don’t really give a fuck why a person is here; I just need to make sure they keep making the club money and don’t cause problems.
A knock on the door is the reminder that those few minutes are all the time I get alone before Dante pushes it open.
“Ready for the next one?”
“How many more of these?”
“Two.”
Thank God.
“Our waitress from last night who was hired last week, and another dancer, hired a few weeks before.”
“Let’s get this over with,” I grumble, and he just smirks before exiting once more.
