Chapter 347

Normally I’m all for listening in to my smart-brained man and understanding his businesses more, but tonight, dining with the beefy chuckle brothers, was painful. It was repetitive, monotonous basics about installing them into the casino if Alexi goes ahead with the purchase of the one we are viewing tomorrow.

It looks like a certainty, anyway. The way they were all talking it’s almost as if he has bought it already. Apparently, there has been endless months of negotiation and back and forth between lawyers and owners and Alexi needs to do a final once over of the entire premises before agreeing to a final price.

He has seen it before, back in the early days of considering it as a viable option, but he had a brief tour and no real in-depth insight into the building.

Tomorrow, he has the current manager taking him to view every single inch of the casino and bar and the residence rooms in the hotel above. Apparently, the current owner has moved out of the penthouse apartment that takes up the top two floors of the whole building and will be kept as accommodation for Alexi when he comes to oversee his building.

The cousins were angling for the floors to be separated into two living quarters for them and their families, but Alexi snubbed that out pronto. He intends to retire here one day, move permanently, and those top two floors will be redesigned to suit his needs for when that day comes.

Our needs.

That fact gave me the warm fuzzies.

Rob sulked a bit, realising he wasn’t getting free board on top of his manager's wage and then sat quietly for a good half hour trying to show his displeasure while his brother chatted. Alexi ignored it.

He isn’t one to be pushed to change what he wants for anyone, let alone a sulky employee who already pissed him off before the food came.

“We will see you at the Casino in the morning then.” Rob cuts in as we start to walk away and I feel Alexi’s arm stiffen a little, his hand presses to the base of my spine a tad aggressively as he guides me. A sign that this is not what he had planned.

“You’re not needed. I will call you after and tell you what’s happening.” It’s blunt, a little cold, and I can tell he’s moving from pleasant family dinner, back to big boss dealing with a minion.

“I thought we would be there to give input; I mean we are the ones who’ll be running it.” Rob chuckles smugly, once again trying to put himself on a higher footing and I know it’s the wrong thing to have done. The tone, the way he has cut out to step in front of us to block us going, and I can literally count down the few seconds it takes to see the Alexi switch.

3 … 2 … 1 … Mafia boss, boom.

“I will pay you to manage whatever the fuck I buy. You get no input on where I put my money, time or effort. You will do as I say and run my casino how I tell you to run it. Even if I let Cam paint it pink and fill it with drag queens as croupiers.” There is a hint of amusement in the tone to make him sound like he’s teasing, rather than biting, but that stiff cold stance and the undercurrent of a growl in his voice says otherwise.

Rob just got put in his place—again.

He baulks at the mention of me having more say over décor than his input in total, and I cannot help but twitch a little smug smile from the corner of my mouth. Avoiding looking directly at him and his instant WTF stance.

“Well, okay. I was under the impression our input mattered.” Rob tries again, his chuckling is more nervous and his eyes dart to his brother, who is offering no back up this time. He has learned not to mess with Alexi’s decisions; his brother should take a hint.

“It doesn’t. If that is a problem, I have two others willing to relocate here and run things in my absence.”

And it’s the kill shot. Alexi at his finest. Closing down any misunderstanding on how little value their opinion holds in this matter. Tone flat, commanding and a ‘shut the fuck up and get out of my way’.

My way or go fuck yourself because you are replaceable.

I kind of love that about him.

I know how he is, only too well, and he means every single word. He doesn’t get hung up on making emotional decisions over business. He is a stubborn hard arse and easily annoyed. He would fire them just for questioning him this way. Rob looks shocked and shuts up completely.

“We’re all good. We know all this and we’re fine with it.” George cuts in quickly, panic all over that shocked expression of his as he realises, they are teetering on the precipice of abandonment by the Carrero empire once more. They are desperately trying to claw back in and find a footing, so this is the last thing they want.

“Good. Now go home. We have plans.” Cold, curt, to the point, and Alexi pushes me forward again lightly to bypass our tall obstruction who wisely steps aside this time, sheepishly avoiding eye contact with me.

“Sure, Boss!” It’s sarcasm, more sulking, and I eye roll as soon as I pass him and cannot be seen. He’s worse than Alexi with his sulking, moody, foot-stamping tantrums.

Alexi blanks him and we head out far behind Gino now, who has disappeared out the door already and probably hightailing it to their rooms to get changed for party time. Glad to be away from this gloomy duo. They are overbearing as a mood killer.

I exhale heavily as we leave the dining room, and our dinner guests stand at the table as the waitress brings their wives’ coats. Leaving them far behind and I can physically feel the weight lifting as the space between us expands.

“That was tense.” I point out as we walk to the safety of the lifts out of sight, and Lexi takes my hand in his, interlocking fingers snugly. Now he can relax and be himself a little more and can touch me freely the way he has been itching to do all evening.

“It will be more so when they find out they won’t be managing my Casino after the deal is done and dusted.” Alexi doesn’t even break his stride as he says it, face deadpan, and I blanch at him.

“What?” I gawp, shocked.

“You really think I could deal with two assholes who question me at every turn and put my girl down at dinner, on a long-term basis? They are stop gaps because they are already here. I have family who knows how to take orders and whom I trust above all. They will move out here once everything is in order, and my two cousins will be demoted to the security detail under the watchful eye of Beppe, Mico’s brother. He already runs a tight ship for me in other areas and I think he will enjoy having those two under his command. I agreed to bring them back into the family as I saw fit. Dinner just helped me place them in a more suitable position for the long term.”

“In other words, they pissed you off, so you demoted them.” I raise a knowing brow and cast him a wicked look. Unable to stop the smile curling across my face.

“You know me so well.” He winks back, that face breaking from serious expression to cute smile with dimples and he changes instantly from stuffy businessman to my familiar Lexi. Sexier, warmer, more smiley. The devious shithead that I adore.

“Can we talk about the pink and the drag queens though?” I nudge him with my shoulder as he slides out of my hand and puts his arm around me instead, pulling me up against his warm body to meet his snugly. A preferred way of walking together for him. He likes full body contact as much as I do.

“No, to pink. The rest is negotiable.” I get another wink and a full-on smile that almost melts my knickers, and I rest my head against his shoulder as we wander into the first available lift.

“I quite like the thought of a fully pink casino manned by celebrity divas in glitter frocks. Can’t imagine many mob bosses would hang out there though.” I giggle, enjoying the release of tension now we are free to breathe.

“This one included.” I get the stern look now as I tease him for his own sarcasm and burst out laughing properly.

“Well, might as well just gift it to me then, as I think it would be a roaring success.”

“Isn’t one club enough?” His hand slides down to cup my left butt cheek and he squeezes it cheekily, making me jump a little at the surprise manoeuvre. Warming me up for what might happen when we get upstairs. I don’t mind a delay in going out.

“I have ambition. I won’t be happy until I’m wearing your crown.” I jest happily, allowing his hand to stay on my arse as we watch the doors slide closed before us; he punches in the penthouse floor and swipes his card in front of the infrared scanner. He visibly relaxes and I can sense all his tension ebbing away.

“London, stick with me and you will have a crown of your own. Every queen needs one. I happen to like a woman with ambition and her eye on a prize.”