9
Leo
I’m walking through the lobby on my way to see Daphne when I spot my father sitting at the hotel bar, sipping on a glass of brandy. He never comes here. Not unless he wants something.
We’ve always had an agreement. He keeps his business out of my hotels, and I try to ignore the fact that he’s a criminal.
“Hey, Pop,” I say, motioning to the bartender to pour me a drink because I have a feeling I’m going to need it. “What brings you here tonight?”
“I heard you were in the old neighborhood the other night.” He swishes the brandy around the inside of the glass, beating around the bush instead of coming right out and asking me what he really wants to know.
That’s my father’s way.
He’d always pry but pretend he wasn’t actually fishing for information.
Tonight, my father looks tired. The lines near the corners of his eyes seem deeper than the last time I saw him. There’re more gray streaks running through his perfectly placed black hair. Time is catching up with a man who has seemed invincible my entire life.
“I was,” I tell him, sliding the whiskey in front of me as soon as the bartender sets the glass down.
“It’s not safe for you there.” My father glances across his shoulder at me. “I thought you were smarter than that, Leo.”
“I have nothing to do with your business, Pop.”
His brown eyes narrow. “You’re my son. Whether you like it or not, you’re a target because you’re my blood.”
I take a sip of whiskey, listening to him go on and on about the danger I put myself in by going into enemy territory. I let him say his piece without argument because there’s no reasoning with the man.
“I forbid you to go there again,” he tells me like I’m a little kid and, somehow, he’s still in charge of my life.
I lean back and stare at my father, wondering if he’s high on a power trip or growing senile. “I’m a grown man. You no longer get to tell me where I can and can’t go in the city.”
“The Gallos are dangerous, my son. Santino is out of prison now, and I’m sure there will be a power play for him to regain some of the territory he lost in his absence.”
“Maybe he’s done with the hustle and is a changed man after prison.”
My father laughs cynically. “There’s no such thing. Prison only makes someone harder.” He pauses for a moment as he takes a sip of brandy before continuing. “And a better criminal.”
My father should know. He’s spent his fair share of time behind bars. Mostly when I was younger because he was a hothead, craving the spotlight and trying to live out his Scarface fantasies.
“If something happens to me, the blood will be on your hands. I’m not part of your business and won’t let your world dictate my life.”
His stare turns colder. “If someone touches you, a war will break out. You are my child no matter how old you are, Leo. I will always try to protect you.”
“Maybe it’s time to retire, Pop. Ever think of that? Live a normal life away from the violence and without having to look over your shoulder constantly.”
He cracks a smile. “There’s no other life for me. Since your mother died,” he pauses and does the sign of the cross, “God rest her soul, there’s no reason for me to quit.”
My chest tightens. “Then we’ll have to agree to disagree.”
He places his hand on my arm, which is as close to affection as my father can seem to muster with me. “Nothing good can come of you going there.”
He’s wrong about that. If he knew I was meeting with Daphne Gallo, he’d literally shit a brick before stroking out on the barstool next to me. But that’s his problem, not mine.
I polish off my drink before rising to my feet. “I have to run, Pop. Anything else?”
He stares straight ahead, looking at the mirror behind the bar. “I don’t like getting reports on your whereabouts, Leo.”
“Then stop having me watched. Call your bulldogs off and remind them I’m not part of your business. I’m off-limits.”
“Naïve,” he mutters before I walk away.
I leave him sitting at the bar, nursing his drink and probably stewing over the fact that I don’t seem to follow his advice.
My sisters are so much better than I am at listening to my father. They always have been. They’re all pampered princesses, willing to take the dirty money to maintain the cushy and over-the-top lifestyles they grew accustomed to.
But I am nothing like them and never will be.
* * *
Daphne doesn’t look excited to see me parked next to her Jeep behind the bar a little after midnight. “What are you doing here?”
“Get in.”
She stares at me, blinking a few times, but she doesn’t move. “You hang up on me, and now you’re telling me to get in your car?”
“Yeah.” I smirk.
No matter what she’s saying, I know she’s going to get in. She can act offended all she wants, but I know it’s a front. The way she kissed me said everything I needed to know when it comes to Daphne Gallo.
“It’s not safe for me to be here. So, get in the car so we can find someplace more private to talk.”
Daphne glances around, looking into the darkness. I planted the seed, and that’s all I needed to do before she marches around the back of my car and slides into the passenger seat.
“I’m here,” she announces as she slams the door and then clears her throat. She folds her hands in her lap and stares out the front window, practically ignoring my presence.
I pull onto the street, heading toward my place where I know there’s no one watching. “We’ve got to talk.”
“I thought I said everything I needed to at the airport.”
God, she’s such a hard-ass. The woman doesn’t give in about anything, especially when it comes to her feelings.
We’re sitting at a stoplight, and she still hasn’t glanced in my direction. “You didn’t mean it.” Those words make her turn, and I could give two shits if it’s out of anger. I have her attention now. “We both know that.”
“I promised you a date. I gave you what you asked for, and I kept my word. We both know we’d never work. So, why force it?”
I don’t answer her question as I pull away and maneuver through the streets of Chicago. I spend a few minutes planning my next move, my next words, and how I’m going to proceed with Daphne to get her to admit what she’s feeling.
I don’t need a profession of love, but knowing we’re both on the same page physically would be nice. Everything else can be figured out later.
Since neither of us is involved in our father’s businesses, there’s nothing stopping us from seeing where this goes.
Once I pull into the secure underground parking below my building, I stop looking in the rearview mirror to see if we’ve been followed and finally relax. “Are you seeing someone else?” I ask as I park the car in my reserved spot and cut the engine.
“That would infer I’m seeing you, which I’m not. I’m seeing no one.”
I shake my head and smile. I don’t know if I’ve ever met someone as maddening or stubborn as her. Why I enjoy her sharp tongue is beyond me. There’re plenty of women who would enjoy being with me, and hell, they wouldn’t put up this much of a fight.
Maybe that’s why I like Daphne so much.
She isn’t easy.
She doesn’t give a rat’s ass who I am or what I have, unlike some of the women I’ve had in my life.
“Come up for a bit, and then I’ll take you home,” I tell her as I open my car door, trying to at least get her into my place. Once I have her, I know she won’t be so fast to leave.
She stares at me for a moment, not saying anything. I figure she’s about ready to tell me to fuck off and take her ass home. Everything that’s coming from her mouth is hinting in that direction, but she surprises me. “No kissing. Only talking. Got it?”
“Of course. I’ll be a complete gentlem
an,” I promise her.
She’s out of the car before I am, stalking toward the bank of elevators just a few feet away. Her hips sway with each step, shaking her ass at me in a silent tease. She knows exactly what she’s doing. She knows she drives me wild.
“Don’t you miss the old neighborhood?” Her back is to me as she looks up, watching the floor numbers ticking by as the elevator descends.
“Sometimes.”
Daphne and I grew up only a few blocks from each other. Back then, our fathers weren’t enemies and life was less complicated. I remember her brown hair, pulled tight in pigtails, blowing in the wind as she’d ride her bike down the street, terrorizing the other kids. She was a pistol then and hasn’t mellowed with age.
She gives me the side-eye as she glances over her shoulder. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Just remembering you as a little girl.” My smile widens. “You haven’t changed all that much.”
“That’s funny,” she says, turning back around as the elevator dings. She steps inside, walking all the way to the back before facing me again. “I can’t seem to remember you.”
“I remember plenty about you.” I don’t take my eyes off her. “I remember the pink bike you rode around the neighborhood, bullying half the kids to get your way.”
“I loved that bike.” Her eyebrows draw downward. “Why don’t I remember you?”
“I’m older, and I didn’t go to St. Catherine’s.”
“Ah. Wait. So you did know who I was at the wedding, then. I mean, we grew up with each other. How could you not know?”
“The last time I saw you, you were seven. You’ve changed a bit.”
When shit went south between my father and hers, we moved out of the neighborhood and away from everyone and everything I ever loved. It wasn’t until years later that I really understood why we’d had to move.
She grabs her breasts, lifting them higher and giving me a show in her V-neck T-shirt. “I know I didn’t have these,” she teases, knowing full well she’s driving me mad and loving every second of the sweet torture she’s inflicting.
I close my eyes, wishing the elevator moved a little faster or I lived on a lower floor. “Your mouth hasn’t changed at all.”
10
Daphne
Leo’s penthouse is nothing short of amazing. With the floor-to-ceiling windows, sleek hardwood floors, and modern furniture, everything about the place screams single male and excess wealth.
“Make yourself comfortable,” he says as he tosses his keys on a table near the door.
I walk toward the windows, soaking in the decadence. The city lights twinkle in the distance like a cloudless sky, sparkling against an endless backdrop. “The city’s beautiful from up here.”
Leo stands behind me, his body heat licking at my back. “I’ve spent many nights staring out across the city.”
I smile over my shoulder, but I don’t let my gaze linger too long. His cocky smile and luscious mouth are like my kryptonite, making it almost impossible for me to hold true to my promise to be done with him. “I can see why. It’s so beautiful,” I say, keeping my focus on the skyline in front of me.
“Want to sit outside?”
“Yes,” I say quickly. I know staying inside means we’d sit on the couch, and the likelihood I’d end up in Leo’s lap or in his bed is extremely high. I need to maintain a safe distance because my willpower around him is damn near nonexistent.
Leo grabs a bottle of red and two wineglasses before I follow him onto the patio. I’m not planning on staying long enough to polish off a bottle, but Leo doesn’t seem to care. I settle into the chair near the railing, on the opposite side of the table, and swallow down my fear of heights.
The best course of action is to get right to the point and not to veer off topic. “What did you want to talk about?”
Leo stares at me for a moment as he pours two glasses. I drink him in, noticing the silver cuff links sparkling like the stars above our head. They’re expensive, just like his penthouse.
“I need to know who saw us at the airport.”
“You’re not going to…” I pause and look out across the city, wondering if I should tell Leo the man’s name. While the physical attraction to Leo is undeniable, I don’t know enough about him to know if he’s dangerous or not. I bring my gaze to his and soak in his piercing eyes. “You know…”
“I’m not going to hurt anyone, Daphne. I’m not my father,” he says.
“Fine. All I know is his name is Billy. I don’t know a last name or what he does, but he knows my brother and was all too quick to call him and report on my whereabouts.”
“I’ll take care of him.” He hands me a wineglass like he didn’t just say he was going to off someone, and my eyes widen in horror. “I’ll talk to him,” Leo corrects and shakes his head slowly. “Again, I’m as much like my father as you are yours. Stop thinking the worst of me.”
I glance down, running my fingers along the base of the wineglass. I feel so out of place and like a fool. “What are we doing here, Leo?”
“Talking,” he says like it’s that simple.
“I know that, but why?” My gaze flickers to his for a brief second, but the lust is too strong, and I have to look away. “I told you we were through. I sound like a broken record at this point.”
“If my father wasn’t my father and your father wasn’t yours, would you still be telling me there’s no future for us?”
I don’t answer right away. I ponder the question along with the complexity and simplicity of the entire situation. I want to lie to him. It would be easier for both of us if this were nothing more than a passing attraction. I really wish I’d fucked him out of my system, but that only seemed to make matters worse.
“I don’t know,” I say honestly. “You’re busy. I’m busy. There’s not much time to plan a future when we’re both dedicated to our work.”
He studies my face, and I can feel the heat of his gaze. “What’s more important to you, work or family?”
“Family, of course.”
That’s a no-brainer. Family always trumps business. It’s the main reason we shut down the bar for half the day every Sunday. We decided that we didn’t want any interruptions during our family dinner, and there always seemed to be a crisis at the bar that needed our attention.
Leo leans back and undoes the top button on his dress shirt, exposing just enough skin to draw my attention back to him. “Do you want a family of your own someday?”
“Someday,” I say in a deeper tone, unable to hide what the sight of him does to me. “But not yet.”
His fingers work at more buttons on his shirt. “So, if we were just Leo and Daphne, not Conti and Gallo, we’d have a shot?”
He knows what he’s doing to me. The smirk on his face tells me as much. It’s only fair since I toyed with him near the elevators first.
“Maybe,” I sigh and look away. “Who knows. I don’t spend much time thinking about what could be when reality seems to smack me in the face every day, constantly reminding me I’m a Gallo.”
“My father questioned me today,” he confesses.
“About us?” I swallow the lump that’s now lodged in my throat.
“No, but he heard I was in the old neighborhood.” Leo rubs his hand across his face, trying to cover the frown I know is there. “He warned me to stay away. He said your father was a dangerous man.”
I laugh at the stupidity of the entire situation. “See? We would never work.”
“Maybe,” he admits as his gaze drops to his wineglass. “But I’ve never been one to let my father dictate my life.”
“Me either.” But that doesn’t mean I don’t heed my father’s warning every once in a while.
Leo leans forward and pushes his glass to the side. “I’m not ready to give up on whatever this is, Daphne.” He slides his hand across the tabletop and places his palm on my arm, reminding me of the sparks I feel every time we touch. “Life’s too short
to deprive ourselves of finding out.”
I stare across the table, wanting to say yes, but something stops me. I could easily fall in love with Leo—hell, I was in full-blown lust already. “I need time to think,” I say, hoping it’s enough to satisfy him.
“Stay the night.”
“I can’t.” My heart wants to stay, but I know nothing good will come from another night with Leo. I’ll fall a little harder and a little deeper, making my ability to resist him even weaker.
“Another time, then.”
I shake my head, because there won’t be another time. There can’t be. “You’re persistent.”
His stare intensifies. “Only when I know what I want.”
I pretend to ignore his statement even though my stomach flutters and my heart practically skips a beat. “I think I should go.” I need to get away from him before we fall into bed and I never want to go back to reality.
“I’ll take you back to the bar.”
“No,” I say quickly. “I’ll grab a cab.”
“It’s late, and the bar is far, Daphne. Don’t be silly.”
My phone rings in my purse, and I scramble to answer it, without looking at the caller ID. It’s well after midnight, and there’s never good news at this hour. “Hello,” I say, watching Leo across the table.
“Where the fuck are you?” Michelle asks. “Your Jeep is here, but you’re not. Angelo is going to stroke out when he notices.”
“Tell him I’ll be back in thirty minutes. I had to help a friend or something.”
“Are you with him?”
“Michelle…”
“Daphne, so help me God—” she starts to say, ready to give me a lecture, but I cut her off.
“Don’t breathe a word to my brother. Cover for me.”
“I’m not a good liar,” she tells me like I don’t already know this. “I’ll buy you some time, but you better get your ass back here because I can only entertain him for so long.”
“Find a way,” I say. “Flirt with him or something.”
Flow: Men of Inked: Southside 2 Page 8
