Song: Fire Meets Fate
By: Ruelle
https://tinyurl.com/rj4vpqq
"I uh. I uh, um, am going to get this cleaned up. Thank you for the lovely dinner conversation, Lucan. It's been nice to get to know you. If you want to go back up and relax, I will clean up and head out."
I need to keep her here. "I'll help you, Jack. My Nonna would have my ass if I didn't and my mother would faint at my lack of manners." Jack giggled again. She's killing me. Fuckin killing me.
They cleaned up quicker than Lucan would have thought. "Let me walk you to your car. I didn't see it out front."
"Oh no no Lucan, it's okay. I'm parked around the back. I actually live really close. It's not a big deal. Let me, um, show you how to buzz me at the house." Jack pointed to the box on the wall near the back door. "Open the box and there is a button. It rings at the house. I can come anytime. I don't sleep a lot, so please don't hesitate."
"I insist Jack. And we won't bother you. Thank you for your hospitality. I owe you." Shit, she's moving for the door.
"You don't owe me. It's been a pleasure and I have enjoyed getting to know you, Lucan." Shit, I can feel the heat in my cheeks. So embarrassing. "See, here's my Jeep. Please, if you need anything, just buzz me."
Lucan takes a step closer to Jack and opens her door for her. Stalling. You're a fucking jackass Lucan. Get it together.
"Lucan, could you please lock the back door when you go back in?"
"Of course Jack." How can I keep her here?
"Thank you, Lucan," Jack says, smiling.
"You're welcome, Jack." Stalling to keep her from leaving.
"I'll just get going. Sleep well, Lucan. Thank you for a lovely and unexpected afternoon and evening."
"Thank you as well, Jack. Sleep well."
And she's gone. It's fucking freezing. There must be 8 inches of snow on the ground. Fucking snow. She's backing out and Lucan notices a lane going up into the trees. He watched her Jeep disappear to the right at the tree line and notice a shadow behind him.
"Angelo?"
"Sir. Don't mind me, just checking."
Angelo and Lucan go back inside and upstairs after locking up. Lucan glanced at the call box and thought about pushing it just so he could see Jack again. Why is this girl under my skin?
"Let's get some sleep, Angelo."
I want to read the report from Frankie again. And a glass of wine sounds good. My phone is quiet. I wonder how much of that is from Angelo running interference. He is becoming just as valuable to me as Frankie. He's loyal. And his performance tonight was outstanding. He's a fucking wolf in sheep's clothing.
Jack watched Lucan standing there in her rearview mirror until she had to turn. She finally felt like she could breathe. Lucan was so unsettling to be around. He was nice, not very loquacious. Mysterious. Scary? Yes, definitely scary. So very very handsome though. My god, that man is beautiful. And he smelled good too. I wonder what that cologne is.
Jack sets her things down and grabs her phone to text Mayson.
JH: Hey Mays, I'm home. All is well. I'm exhausted. Will see you tomorrow. Come early, we can talk over coffee.
MJ: OMG. I can't wait to hear. I want every detail. EVERY DETAIL.
JH: Yes ma'am. I'll see you tomorrow.
I need a shower and a glass of wine. Scratch that, a bath and a glass of wine. I kick my shoes off and throw my purse on the table. I can hear my leggings and sweatshirt calling me from my bedroom. It's good to be home.
Angelo glances at Marco as he sleeps on the pullout sofa. Thank god. I figured I was going to have to shoot him. He's getting on Lucan's nerves.
"I'm going to take a shower. We will talk when I get out." Lucan tells Angelo as he shuts the door to the bathroom. Good, it will give me an opportunity to text Frankie privately. Angelo grabs his phone and waits until he hears the water start.
AZ: Frankie. He's distracted.
FB: Fuck. This is the last thing we need. Not now. I'm going to murder the brothers tonight.
AZ: We are getting out of here ASAP. Estimate 4 am. We should hit the hotel around 10-11
FB: See you then.
If Frankie is worried then this is worse than I thought. I've heard the story about Lucan and Sophia and how bad that was. His rampage was legendary after he found her and Nicolas Abruzzi. I wasn't around for that fallout. This is not the time for distractions when we are so close to merging with the Germanotti family. Don Germanotti sent his two idiot boys to the casino. Fucking tools. They bring shame to him and the family name.
Lucan will turn that around. We have a billion-dollar industry at the tips of our fingers. We can't have Don Marchetti losing his shit over a piece of ass. She is cute. She can definitely cook. She'd also look cute cut up into cutlets and packaged nicely in butcher paper.
Angelo is still staring out the window when he hears the bedroom door open. Don Marchetti is out of the shower. Business time.
"Wine Sir?" Angelo asks Lucan as he approaches the table.
"Yeah, thanks, Angelo."
"Don Germanotti should be coming in at the end of next week. We have the plane picking him up in New York. The brothers are contained for the moment, Sir."
"Those fucking guys. Frankie had to move them to one of the private rooms upstairs. Fucking coke heads. They have been there less than eight hours and they are already pushing the limits of my fucking patience, Angelo."
"I will arrange something, Sir. Did you get the calendar from the casino? We have some high profile entertainers coming in for concerts. Sold out."
"Who is coming? I can't remember this bullshit, Angelo."
"Taylor Swift for a weekend and Ella James after that. We also have Maroon 5 at the end of the month. A copy is in your email, and it's already loaded into your personal calendar, Sir."
"Thank you, Angelo. Now. Sit. I want to talk to you about a couple of things."
Angelo listens as Lucan runs through his thoughts with him on everything. Including issues that he thinks may arise with Don Germanotti. Crusty fuck. He may not live to see the buyout. Angelo might need to make sure that he doesn't. It would save a fuck ton of money not to mention he could get rid of those coke head kids of his. I need to think about how to approach Lucan about this.