5. Luca

Chapter five

Luca

" B oss." Rafael drops a file on my desk before sitting on the leather sofa against the wall.

He's prompt—getting here right at ten. Margaret already has my terms for Angel. I was a bit more generous with the payments since I'm taking away her chances of choosing any other sugar daddy. I didn't want her tempted to wait for anyone else to respond.

"What have you learned so far?" I pull the file closer, but wait to open it, wanting Rafael's take on the girl first.

He leans forward, resting his elbows on his thighs before rattling off the details he's collected. "Her name is Kylie Davis. She's twenty-three and a senior at the university where she's majoring in education. She took a gap year between her junior and senior year. It may have something to do with her father being diagnosed with throat cancer. He retired early from the police force after receiving his diagnosis and her mother is a schoolteacher. While Kylie has no debt due to a college trust fund set up by her grandparents, her parents have racked up some hefty medical bills, and it looks like they're on the verge of losing their house."

He shifts to settle back, laying his arm across the back of the couch and lifting his ankle onto his other knee as he continues his report. "She rents a two-bedroom apartment closer to campus with a woman by the name of Talia Henderson, who's twenty-six. Talia has been a sugar baby at Sweet Connections for four years—one of the first girls hired when you started the company, and has an excellent reputation with the men she's been assigned to. I didn't dig any deeper, but will if you want me to. Though she's almost due for her annual background check for the service." He arches his eyebrow in question.

"Do it. I want to know more about anyone close to Kylie."I move to the sidebar to grab the bottle of scotch before turning to face Rafael. With a raised eyebrow, I hold the bottle up and wait for his nod before pouring us both two fingers as I absorb the information he's rattled off.

"That explains why she signed on to be a sugar baby." Handing Rafael his glass, I move to stare out the window and contemplate her motives. "If she loves her parents, the threat of them losing their home could cause her to do something drastic like this."

"That would be my guess, as well." Rafael swirls his scotch before lifting it for a taste. "Damn. Is this the bottle the mayor gifted you?"

"Good. I didn't miss my chance at the new stock," Gio announces as he swaggers into my office, heading straight for the sidebar.

Turning, I scowl in Gio's direction. "By all means … help yourself."

He chuckles at my irritation.Not that I'm really irritated with him. It's Kylie who's got me feeling out of my depths.

The guys know they can always help themselves to my stash. They may work for me, but I also consider them brothers. We've known each other since we were kids, growing up in the same neighborhood, bonding over our shitty home lives. When I began having success in real estate, I hired them both to be my right and left hand. I pay them well for it because loyalty and trust are priceless to me.

With my natural affinity for numbers, I was determined to make it on my own. While I started out with illegal poker games, Gio and Rafael became runners for the small dealers in town. By the time I earned enough to invest in my first rental property, they were on the verge of becoming a permanent part of the mafia. It took little to convince them to come work for me instead when I could afford to take them on. They knew the odds of living a long life of crime were slim .

Many people in town have the misunderstanding that I'm part of the same mafia since I'm a cousin to the current family, but I'm distant enough—I have a choice. Not one to follow orders, I declined any involvement in their business.

A few of my mafia cousins joined Sweet Connections, but that's as close as it gets. I keep a respectful distance from their business, and they leave mine alone in respect to our family name. But more, they leave me alone for not interfering when I was a child. They claimed they were unaware of what was happening. I have yet to decide if I believe them.

I run a hand through my hair and walk to my desk, my mind already wandering back to Kylie. If she's doing this to help her parents, it proves even more what a good person she is. I have no doubt her dad has no idea. Lucky for him, I'm all too willing to step in and protect her from this choice. She'll still become my sugar baby, but at least I can protect her while she's in my care. When it's time to let her go, I'll pay her parent's bills so she'll have no reason to jump into another contract.In fact, I'm on the hospital's board of directors. There may be something I can do there.

With that decision made, I settle back into my chair and focus on Rafael. "Check into the bank that holds their mortgage. I want to make sure her parents don't lose the house. I'll have my assistant schedule an appointment with their banker and make arrangements to keep them off their back."

Rafael lifts his chin but says nothing more. He's been observing me more closely since he arrived, and I can guess why. He wants to ask about her, but I'm not sure I can explain why I'm willing to go as far as I am for a woman I've seen only once. She's a knockout, sure, but there's plenty of beautiful and willing women in the city. I'm not ready to look any further into my reasoning.

It doesn't stop Gio from asking. He's always been the more talkative of the three of us. As deadly as he can be, he's also the friendliest. He has a knack for getting information out of anyone without the target noticing what they gave away.

Rafael is the silent observer. He has a stillness about him that gives him the ability to blend into any background and go unnoticed whenever he wants .

We each have an important role to play and it's the reason I've been so successful.

"I'm glad you're no longer impotent, boss." Gio smirks as he lays that shit on me right when I'm taking a drink. The liquid goes down the wrong pipe, causing a coughing fit and making me spill on my dress shirt.

"Fucking asshole," I grumble, making the guys laugh.

Scowling, I duck into the kitchen to grab a towel and run it under water before returning to the office as I dab at the spots. "See what you did, you fucker? I liked this shirt."

My irritation only amuses them more.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." I throw the towel on my desk, giving up on the stains.

"Seriously, man. I've been worried about you. Your sex life has diminished. It's not healthy, brother. I read somewhere that statistics prove men need sex to live longer. Rafael and I don't want you dying young, that's all." Gio shrugs as he sprawls onto the opposite side of the couch.

The man takes up the space of two smaller men combined. Rafael and I may be leaner, but we can be just as deadly as Gio. With as much shit as we got into in our teens, we all have a healthy appetite for the gym. So much so, I eventually built a gym in the basement for all three of us to use. We may not get into many brawls anymore, but with Gio's mouth, it's inevitable. He can start a fight as easily as he can snuff one out.

I unbutton my shirt and hang it on the back of my chair, leaving me in my undershirt. Needing another drink, I move back to the side bar to pour myself another.

Deciding on a bit of payback, I throw my own jab at Gio. "You'll not live a long life if you keep fucking anything that moves, either. I'm surprised you haven't caught an STD by now." I eye him over my shoulder. "Or have you?"

"Fuck no. I keep Big G wrapped up tight. You know I don't take any chances. I know what having a kid with a rando does to a child."

I regret my jab because Gio went from laughing to scowling into his glass. The reminder of his childhood sobered us all .

Picking up the bottle, I refill Rafael and Gio's cups before settling back into my chair.

"Are you sure this bird's going to satisfy you? She's pretty tame." Rafael leans forward again, elbows back on his thighs as he dangles his glass in one hand.

He's restless tonight.

Gio perks. "What'd I miss? Did she sign up for the dating service?" He hits Rafael with the back of his hand and lifts his chin. "Can you see Luca dating?" Gio chuckles, shaking his head.

I resist the urge to fling my drink at him.

Rafael turns to Gio. "No, man, a sugar baby, but we think she's doing it to protect her family. The girl is going to college to be a teacher. Plus, her dad's a retired cop, and her mom is a junior high school teacher. You can't get more Pollyanna than that."

Gio whistles while I tilt my head, observing Rafael. That sounded an awful lot like respect. He has a love-hate relationship with women, and he's justified. It's the first time he's talked about a woman with admiration.

Tension fills my frame as I focus more intently on him. I love him like a brother, but I won't step aside for him. Angel is mine, and I'm not giving her up.

Rafael shifts his attention back to me and recognizes my tension. He straightens and holds his palm out. "Luca, I'm not interested in her. Relax. I know she's yours. It's only that I respect what she's doing for her family, that's all. She's different, and I get why she caught your attention, but it doesn't mean I want her for myself. You know I'm never going down the marriage road—fuck, man! What the hell?" Rafael yells when Gio spits his drink all over him.

I chuckle, the tension leaving my shoulders. Rafael curses as he jumps to grab the rag off my desk to wipe the scotch off the side of his face.

Horror clearly written on his face, Gio sputters. "You're going to marry her?"

"Fuck no. I'm making her my sugar baby. What the fuck?" I scowl at Gio as if he's lost his mind.

"Don't look at me, man. He said it." Gio points at Rafael.

I shake my head at this ridiculous conversation.

Rafael eyes me as he moves back to the couch. "You can't deny she's wife material, Luca." He retakes his seat, minus the drink this time.

"No. I don't deny it." I lift my hand at Gio, who's about to have another fit. "It doesn't mean she's my wife material. I'll help her through the money crisis with her parents, and when I'm ready to move on, she'll be financially set to search for her future husband."

Instant anger blooms at the thought of another man touching her, but I don't give any credit to it. I'm a possessive fucker, so I won't want anyone near her while she's mine, but I'm confident I'll get her out of my system.

Granted, I've never felt such a powerful attraction to any other woman, but I've also never made a woman mine before. My past only consisted of one-night stands. Hell, not even a night—at most a few hours. Having a woman in my life meant an entanglement I wasn't ready for, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. Women always want more than I'm willing to give.

After a month or two, I figure I'll be ready to set her free. She'll be my most expensive fling, but something tells me she'll be worth it.

Rafael leans his head to the side, looking at Gio. "Bet you a grand he marries her."

Gio hoots, and he's lucky I don't have the drink in my hand, or I would've thrown it at both their heads. Instead, I scowl at Rafael. "Fucker. I'm not marrying her. How many times do I have to say that shit?"

Rafael gives me a side glance before returning his gaze back to Gio. "Make that two grand."

"Jesus." I run my hand down my face before turning my attention to Kylie's folder and dismissing the assholes, but Gio's laugh cutting off catches my attention again.

Gio's eyebrows are raised at Rafael. "You aren't joking."

Turning to Rafael, my mood sours. He isn't joking. Gio gets over his surprise and grins as he shakes Rafael's hand, sealing the bet.

"That'll be the easiest two grand I've ever made," Gio says.

At least someone's brain is working .

Rafael glances at me and smirks.

The fucker thinks he's right.

"Get the fuck outta here—both of you," I turn back to the folder as they move to leave. But as much as I don't want to do this, I can't let Rafael walk out just yet.

"Rafael?" I meet his gaze as he stops at the door. Gio pauses in front of him—the nosy fucker. "Dive deeper. I want the names of anyone close in her life. Anyone giving her any trouble or any of those college guys hanging around her."

Rafael's lips tip up as he turns to Gio. "I should've bet five grand."

Gio's boisterous laughter trails off as they leave.

"Fuck me." I rub my eyes before focusing back on the file.