Vincent (16 page)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The Good Kind is More Dangerous Than The Bad

When Lake went back to work after the changing room encounter, Vincent went upstairs to talk to his dad.

He sat in the oversized, leather chair in the dark surveillance room.
I wish they would fucking hurry. I need to get back downstairs.

When the door finally opened, he quickly stood. His face showed he wasn’t happy to see the man in front of him.

“How’s the job?” Lucca smiled at him as he passed.

Fuck you.

“It’s great. Thanks,” he gritted out the words.

Vincent went through the office door and was met by Dante and his father, the two men he hated most at the moment.

“What do you want, son?” Vinny asked.

“I need to speak with you.” He made it clear it was a blood family discussion.

Dante stood. “You can talk in here. I have some business I need to take care of. I’ll be gone for an hour, so take as long as you need.”

“Thanks,” Vincent said before Dante walked out the door.

He continued to stand and stare at his father.

After a moment, his father raised an eyebrow. “Are you going to just fucking stand there?”

“Why the hell is Lake working down there?”

“How did you find out?” Vinny looked at him curiously.

“Lucca put us on security.” Vincent rubbed his eyes, on the verge of a headache.

“He did?”

“Yes. Now, why is she down there?” He didn’t have time for the bullshit.

“Because Lake was stupid enough to walk through that door.” Vinny pointed to the one he had just come through.

“Goddammit,” he mumbled to himself.

“I had just gotten here because Dante wanted to make sure whatever decision he made was fair. So Dante, Paul, and me are here and in fucking walks Lake. She literally walked up to Joe and asked to see the boss. That girl isn’t very bright.”

Jesus Christ.
Lucca had warned him about her mouth. Vincent was going to have to teach Lake a thing or two.

“What happened then?”

“She told Dante she would work for him to pay off her father’s debt, so I suggested she work down there.”

“Tell me why the fuck you thought it was okay to do that! She’s my sister’s best friend. Would you have done that to Adalyn, too, and not even fucking told me about it?”

He hated how calm his father always was, never once showing emotion or caring about anything in particular. His job was to be the voice of reason without taking sides or being partial to anything or anyone. That time, his impartial judgment had gone too far. He should have cared a little about Lake.

Vinny’s tone changed. “What did you want me to do, son? Put her life in the hands of Dante? Paul had been borrowing money from him for years. You know the family loves Paul as if he was made, but he owed him fifty grand. Then, when he gets in a poker game and wins enough to pay Dante back, he decides to go all-in. Dante had the right to do as he pleased with Paul—it was his fucking money. Her walking in here made a bad situation worse, so she had to be placed where she was going to be the most beneficial to him.

“I can pull any girl off the street to answer calls or clean piss stains off the hotel sheets. Not to mention, those jobs are minimum wage and would take him too long to collect his money. The
only
chance that girl had for living was that job. She’s young and pretty, which will keep his customers happy and his pockets full. Lake is fucking lucky that job was available and I was here to even suggest he give her a shot.”

Vincent ran his hands through his hair and finally had to take a seat. “Okay, so she owes him fifty.”

“No, she owes him thirty.”

He quickly turned his head to look at him. “What?”

Vinny shook his head. “She fucking dropped twenty grand in front of Dante like it was nothing and said it was her whole college fund.”

“Fuck!” Quickly, he stood, going to the door. “I need to go.”

“You want her, don’t you, son?”

Vincent squeezed the door knob, unaware of how to answer his father’s question.

In their line of work, they started to think it was best and safest to not have someone you cared about more than
the family.

Vinny gave his son a warning. “She’s the good kind of trouble, and the good kind is more dangerous than the bad.”

Opening the door, he started to go through before saying, “Thanks for the advice. I’ll keep it in mind.”

Vincent shut the door behind him and headed straight toward the elevator. Once there, he held down the code to reach the underground casino. When the doors closed, he let out a deep breath.

She’s fucking scared of
the family
enough to leave yet not enough to keep her from trying to save a dead man’s life.
He didn’t think Lake valued her life, and he was going to make fucking sure that changed.

His father was right; she was stupid to think she could save her father. It didn’t matter whether she did or not; the risk was too high to even try.

Dante was a man you shouldn’t fuck with. His moral code had died a long time before when his wife did. If his dad hadn’t been there, Lake would be six feet under in a casket, not in a casino.

‘She fucking dropped twenty grand in front of Dante like it was nothing and said it was her whole college fund.’
Finding out that Lake wasn’t planning on leaving anymore was bittersweet. It was selfish and wrong for a part of him to be happy that she wasn’t leaving, but the other part of him hated the fact that she had made the decision. Giving Dante that money was like throwing her life away, and he doubted she had even thought twice about it. Not only that, but she owed a dangerous man thirty thousand dollars. The minute she’d agreed, she was owned by the Caruso boss.

Vincent got off the elevator and headed down the hallway. Knocking on the door, he was let in a moment later. His eyes searched the room until they landed on a sad pair of hazel eyes. Lake was smiling, but he could see how she truly felt.

Nobody fucking owns her but me.

Going to the wall, he stood between Nero and Amo. “Anyone fucking touch her?”

Amo crossed his arms as he leaned back on the wall. “Do you think we would be standing here if they did?”

“Yeah, I think you fucking threatened us enough before you left. What did you find out?” Nero asked.

“Her dad owed yours fifty grand, so your dad wanted to kill her dad. She decided, like a
genius
, to take her college fund of twenty grand to him and work the rest off. Sooo, my dad suggested she work down here for several fucked-up reasons, such as her being worth more alive than dead because, let’s face it, your dad would have killed Lake
and
her dad if he didn’t.”

Nero thought for a minute, trying to digest what he had said. “Well, she and Elle do have one thing in common—my dad wanting to kill them.”

“Damn, I didn’t think she could get any hotter. She really fucking did that?” Amo continued to stare at Lake, not pulling his eyes away to fully engage in their conversation.

“I told you to fucking watch the men to see if they try to make a move on her, not stare at her ass,” Vincent growled.

Amo averted his eyes. “Exactly how do you plan to fuck her after she caught you in the bathroom with that bitch?”

Vincent heard a small laugh escape from Nero.

“You don’t think I can fucking win her over?”

Amo looked back at Lake’s long legs. “I never thought I’d say this, but I think she just might be out of your league.”

Vincent felt offended.
Out of my league, really?
He was Vincent fucking Vitale the Third. No girl—or woman, for that matter—was
ever
out of his league.

He watched Lake sweep her bangs off to the side.
Fuck.

“I need you to go make sure her fucking car doesn’t start tonight.”

Nero started to laugh. “So, you’re
forcing
her to be with you.”

“Yeah, like you didn’t force Elle?”

“I didn’t say it was wrong,” Nero agreed.

“Can I watch her attempt to fix it?” Amo asked sincerely.

“No!” Vincent was beginning to wish for the death of one of his best friends.

“What if she fixed it in that outfit, though, man? You would benefit from it, too.”

Vincent decided to give Amo a warning. “You better quit fucking staring at her.”

Amo turned his head to the side again as Lake bent over the table to give someone their drink. “You know how I said you owed me for watching Adalyn? Don’t worry about it; I think I got rid of all my nightmares.”

Vincent began to laugh hysterically. Suddenly, he flipped a switch and went silent.

Amo finally turned his head away from Lake. “Are you ok—”

Reeling back his fist, his knuckles pounded into flesh. “I am now.”

Nero shrugged. “He kind of deserved it.”

Chapter Thirty

Russian Roulette

Lake came out of the dressing room, feeling normal once more. She had washed off her makeup, put on her jeans and hoodie, and then put her mass of curls in a bun. Throwing the curtain behind her, she saw Vincent, Amo, and Nero waiting.

“What are—” Lake covered her mouth when she saw Amo’s gruesome black eye. “Holy shit, what happened to your face?”

A big sneer appeared on Vincent’s face.

“Jesus, are you okay?” Lake went up to Amo to examine his eye.

I wonder what the other guy looks like.
He had to either be ginormous or in a hospital.

“Not really.” Amo lowered his head so she could have a better look.

Vincent’s smile disappeared. “You’re gonna fucking get another one here in a minute.”

“
You
did it, didn’t you? Why the hell did you do that?” She didn’t think whatever Amo had done had made it necessary for him to be hit that hard.

“Because he wouldn’t quit staring at your ass.”

“Well, in that case”—she looked back at a guilty Amo and gave his black eye a love tap—“suck it up.”

Amo grabbed his face. “
Ow
!”

Vincent and Nero cracked up with laughter.

Lake quickly started walking to the elevator, hoping they wouldn’t follow her. When the doors finally opened and she got in, they all joined her.

Staring at them then at the buttons, she froze.
Damn it.

The guys curiously watched her, wondering what she was doing.

Quickly, she hit the code to take her to the top.

Vincent reached out and grabbed her hands too late, and the elevator began moving.

“What the fuck are you doing, Lake?”

“I need to see Dante.” She tried to pull her hands back.

“That is the
last
person you need to see! How do you even know the code?” Vincent screamed at her.

“I memorized it.”

Nero coughed and motioned his head toward the camera before Vincent could do anything.

Vincent let go of her hands to grab the back of her hair as he pressed his body against hers, pinning her to the wall. He leaned his head down to whisper in her ear. “What is it with you? Do you want to fucking die? What you are doing is basically putting a gun to your head and playing Russian roulette. You only get to see the boss when he asks for your presence, not when you please. Do you understand me?”

Lake tried to shake her head. “But I need—”

He pulled her hair down so she would meet his angry eyes. “No, you will tell me what you need, and I will either take care of it myself or give you permission to see him. Now, do you understand me?”

She stared blindly up at him and nodded. She could see past his anger to the glint of worry in his eyes. “Yes.”

Vincent relaxed his body and rested his forehead on hers. “Goddammit, Lake. Do not ever do that again.” He still kept his voice harsh, wanting her to keep believing he was only angry.

Her body grew excited and anticipated him kissing her when he went to rest his head on hers.

When the doors opened, he quickly pulled away from her and got off the elevator, leaving her stunned.
What’s fucking wrong with me?

Her body had betrayed her by wanting a kiss from that man-whore.

“Now, what was so fucking important to see Dante about?” Vincent asked her when she exited the elevator.

Lake bit her lip and pulled out a wad of cash from her bag. “I want to give him this.”

“What is this from?” he asked, holding it up.

“It’s my tips for the week.”

“Did he ask for them?” he questioned her.

She shook her head. “No, but I thought if I gave him all my tips, I could pay him off faster.”

“Are you even keeping any for yourself?”

What kind of question is that?

Lake rolled her eyes. “Yes, twenty dollars.”

Amo hit the button to get back on the elevator. “I can’t deal with this shit.”

“Is she fucking joking?” Nero asked.

Vincent squeezed the bridge of his nose. “Fuck. Amo, take her downstairs with you and wait in the lobby. I can’t deal with this right now, either.”

What? What’s wrong?

“I don’t understand.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore. I’ll take care of it,” he said, holding up the money.

Amo got onto the elevator and held his hand over the door so it couldn’t close.

“Go with Amo, and I want you to stay with him. Don’t try anything, because it won’t work,” Vincent told her.

“Wait, there’s something else...” She looked down at her old sneakers. “M-my dad, he hasn’t come home all week, and when I call him, he doesn’t answer. I’m worried that…”

Vincent took a deep breath and grabbed her chin. “I’ll take care of it.”

Lake took her chin away after a moment, hating herself for liking it when he touched her. “Thanks.”

Getting on the elevator, she couldn’t look at Vincent as the doors closed.
You’re supposed to hate him.
Somehow, someway, he had managed to get right back under her skin.
He’s going to be the death of me.

*  *  *

Vincent knocked on the office door for the second time today. That time, he heard “Come in” instead of “Wait.”

Opening the door, he went inside the smoky room and took a seat in front of the boss.

Dante took a hit of his cigar. “Does this have to do with the girl?”

“How’d you know?”

“I got a call telling me you dragged Lake away from a very important customer of mine,” Dante said, leaning back in his chair.

Well, this is starting off fucking great.

“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“How the fuck am I supposed to know it won’t?”

Vincent reached into a bag he had brought with him and set stacks of cash in front of him. “Thirty grand for Lake’s debt.”

Dante sat back in his chair, thinking for a moment. “Lake working for me brings in a lot more money than just her debt. My customers go there just to see her, so it benefits me to have her work it off, not just have you give me the money and have her gone the next day. So this is what I’ll do: I will accept your money and clear Lake’s debt, but she has to continue to work for me downstairs for a month.

“That customer you dragged her away from today—David—has a thing for Lake and is here on business for the next month. David is my biggest customer right now, so when he’s gone, Lake can leave. This will also serve as your punishment for dragging her away. Now, you will have to watch that sick shit stare at her every day.”

Motherfucker.

Vincent gave a nod, unable to speak because if he did, nothing good was going to come out of it.

“I will make sure Lake gets paid now for her hours.”

“Just add it to my cut, and I will give it to her.”

Dante took another hit off his cigar. “If you say so.”

Vincent ran his hands through his hair, unsure if he wanted the answer to the other thing on his mind. “Her father hasn’t been home or spoken to her this week.”

The boss picked up his phone and punched in a number then placed it on the table on speakerphone.

The man on the other end answered. “Hello?”

“I need to see you in my office,” Dante responded.

“I’ll be right there once the job is finished, boss.”

“See you soon, Paul.” He hung up the phone, looking at Vincent. “Satisfied?”

He nodded.
I would be if Lake didn’t have to fucking work down there again.

“Good. I will let Paul know the debt is paid and his daughter is worried about him. No harm will come to him as long as he stays away from my slots and tables,” Dante promised him.

“Thanks, boss.” Vincent stood, going to the door.

The boss had parting words for him just like his father. “If I were you, I’d be knocking some fucking sense into that girl.”

That wasn’t advice like his father’s; that was a clear fucking warning.

Vincent managed to nod one last time before he shut the door.

One thing was for damn sure: he was going to be knocking some fucking sense into her in more ways than one.
As long as she doesn’t fucking kill me with the shit she keeps pulling.

Replaying in his mind how quickly she had dared to hit the button to come up and see the boss, he was certain death would come first.