36. Brie

CHAPTER 36

Brie

One Year Later

The morning sunshine washes over the Strip, turning the neon signs pale and ghostly. I watch from my office window—Terry’s old office, though it’s thoroughly mine now, redecorated in shades of gold and cream. The Golden Sands is already bustling below, though in a quieter way than during peak hours. The daytime crowd is different: retirees at the slots, business types trying their luck before meetings.

“Eva Novak’s plane lands in three hours,” Frank says from behind me. He’s reviewing the quarterly numbers, his reading glasses perched on his nose. The past year has been good to him; the stress lines around his eyes have eased now that he’s not trying to hold the Family together alone.

“Good.” I turn from the window. “Big Joe’s coming in at noon?”

“Already here, actually. Up in the restaurant having a breakfast buffet with some of the new recruits.” Frank’s mouth twitches. “Telling them the old stories.”

I have to smile at that. Since we pried him out of prison eight months ago—and got the charges dropped completely thanks to some crafty lawyering—Joe Buccino has taken on the role of Family historian with relish. The newer members—especially the non-Italian associates we’ve brought in—eat up his tales of the old days. Even the two women we inducted last month seem to appreciate his crusty charm.

That one was difficult for the Family to swallow—female members. But swallow it they did, in the end, and I got a little advice from both Hadria Imperioli and Juno Bianchi on how to manage dissent.

“Anything from Vince?”

Frank shuffles his papers. “Says Larry’s staying put in Reno, running his little operation up there without causing trouble.”

“For now.” I drum my fingers on my desk. “Make sure Vince is here for the meeting with Eva. I want all our key players present.”

A knock at the door interrupts us. It’s Banks, looking sharp in his new suit. “Morning, Mrs. Colombo. Just wanted to let you know the new security protocols are in place for Ms. Novak’s visit.”

I nod. “Where’s Nik?”

“Checking the conference room personally.” He grins. “Again.”

Of course she is. My love may have deputized Banks as her second-in-command for casino security, but she’s still hands-on with anything involving my safety. Sometimes I think letting her train other bodyguards for me was more stressful for her than actually doing the job herself.

“Ask her to come see me when she’s done,” I say, and Banks heads out with another grin. He’s grown more confident since his promotion, though Sophie tells me he still gets nervous sometimes. Their wedding next month is going to be beautiful—it will be held right here in the Golden Sands ballroom, and I insisted on paying for it all.

“You really think Eva will renegotiate to a lower price?” Frank asks once we’re alone again.

“She’ll have to.” I settle behind my desk. “The Colombos are stronger than ever. Our profits are up forty percent, we’ve modernized our operations, and we’ve got solid relationships with every major player in Vegas.” I allow myself a small smile. “And as far as her particular wares go, as you know, she’s not our only option.” I’ve opened up a lucrative trade route with the Styx Syndicate, who get their arms imports from other European suppliers, via Canada. “If she refuses to bring the price down, we’ll just have to increase our orders from Chicago.”

The door opens and Nik comes in, moving with that athletic grace that still takes my breath away. Her eyes sweep the room automatically—old habits die hard—before she comes to stand beside my chair.

“Conference room’s secure,” she reports. “I’ve got our best people on rotation, and?—”

“And you’ll be right beside me the whole time,” I finish for her, catching her hand. “I know.”

She squeezes my fingers. “Always.”

Frank clears his throat. “I’ll go check on Joe, make sure he’s not telling too many tall tales about the old days.” He gathers his papers and heads out, leaving us alone.

I look up at Nik, at the woman who’s stood beside me through everything. The Family accepted our relationship easily enough—whether because they were used to Terry and Holden, or because they’ve learned not to question their Don’s personal life, I’m not sure. But I’m grateful for it.

“Ready to face Eva this afternoon?” she asks softly.

“More than ready.” I stand, smoothing down my jacket. “In fact, I’m looking forward to it.” Because look how far I’ve come. This is my city now. And I plan to keep it that way, whatever Eva Novak tries to throw at Nik and me.

Nik glances over her shoulder, making sure the door is shut. Before I can register what she’s doing, she sweeps me into her arms, dipping me into a passionate kiss. I sink into it, giggling when she finally pulls her mouth from mine.

“I love you, Brie Colombo,” she says. “In case you forgot.”

“Love you, too. But I’ll have to fix up my lipstick before I leave this room, or everyone will know I’ve been smooching my bodyguard.”

She pulls me upright with a grin. “Well, we can’t have that.”

“I need my face on,” I agree.

She touches her nose to mine. “Your face is perfect,” she tells me. “Don’t you ever forget that.”

I take her hand as we leave the room, because the truth is? I want the whole world to know how lucky I am, having a woman like Nik Kusek by my side. Her love is the reason I’m still standing. And I can’t wait to show Eva Novak that I’ll always stand my ground and fight for what is mine.

For my casino. My Family. My kingdom .

And for Nik, over everything else.

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