Book 1
Gia Salvatore does not like to feel tied down. Tired of answering to her controlling father, she ran away the night of her high school graduation and moved in with a secret older boyfriend, glad to cut ties with her toxic family.
But four...
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Gia walked to the elevator, surprised to see Carmine and Chester still waiting for one's arrival.
"I'm not sure how the label's gonna feel." Chester stood wringing his hands, stammering out his words. "I'm not even sure if there's a limit," he said. "All transactions have to be approved as a busniess expenses."
"Well, let's call it that," Carmine glanced over his shoulder, sensing Gia's presence behind him. He glared at her but continued his conversation. "Let's say you're paying for added security. Troubling times we live in."
Carmine reached around the anxious man in front of him to push the up button on the elevator so both arrows were now lit.
"What are you doing," Chester sputtered, jumping sideways at Carmine's sudden nearness to him.
He spotted Gia himself, and his eyes blazed with fire but he was controlled enough to not reveal any other emotion on his face. Instead, his gaze danced back and forth between Carmine and Gia, trying to gauge the threat to his life now that two mafiosos were present.
Carmine eyed him wearily. He stood up straighter, holding one hand behind his back, a subtle reminder of the manpower tucked beneath his shirt. "I can't very well walk you downstairs if piss is running down your leg."
Both Chester and Gia glanced down at his pajama bottoms but both legs were dry. Gia realized it was a call for him to hide his fear before they were present in front of the public downstairs.
Chester used his arm to wipe the beads of sweat from his brow. He closed his eyes to take a few deep, calming breaths but his peace of mind only lasted a moment. The elevator doors chimed open and the sound startled him back to reality.
Gia looked to the arrows, this one headed up.
"You're going upstairs," Carmine said to Gia, looking to the second elevator for its arrival.
Gia entered the cart but held the door open, looked to Chester sadly, She tried to convey through her eyes an apology but he refused to acknowledge her stare.
"What about him," she asked Carmine, nodding in the manager's direction.
"My pal here," Carmine said, wrapping his left arm around Chester's shoulder as the second elevator finally arrived. Chester instantly bowed his head when Carmine touched him, almost as if in prayer.
"He's under my protection... as soon as he makes a down payment."
Chester's mouth quivered. "Please," he whimpered as Carmine began to usher him toward the elevator. "I have a french bulldog at home. She's a purebred." He quickly wiped a single tear from his eyes.
"No shit," Carmine shoved him playfully, although a little too forcibly, into the empty carriage. "So do I," he laughed, quite entertained by the coincidence.
