Chapter 165
Alcee entered Torq’s office and found herself swept up in his arms, his back to the men being shown into behind her.
*You might find your brother has a new pair of cement shoes by morning.” He growled into her ear as he dangled her off the floor.
“It’s not worth the price of the concrete,” she snorted and rubbed her cheek against his chest. “Put me down, we have guests.”
“Guests I didn’t invite.” He shot an irritated look over his shoulder.
“Jesus Christ, he’s bigger than a bus,” Lefteris Pavlidis gaped at Torq and looked to his brother.
“Isn’t he just?” Alcee beamed over his shoulder and then patted his chest, “put me down or I’m telling Ant you lifted me without permission.”
He set her on her feet and pressed a kiss to her lips. “I don’t like when you are not where I can see you.”
She waved to her new desk, “obviously, you possessive neanderthal.” She moved to it and grimaced, “it’s not even set up right. You moved all my shit and things aren’t where they need to be.”
“Then I guess you’ll need to stay here all afternoon and arrange it correctly. Tank can cover your work orders.”
“You did it on purpose!”
“Would I do such a thing?”
“Damn gorilla.” She started pushing her monitor to the other side of her desk and then looked up when Karolos Pavlidis cleared his throat. “Oh, yeah, you’re still here. Karolos Pavlidis, my husband Torquato Lozano. I believe you owe him an apology.”
“I believe I do. Mercurio’s mother has him quite convinced Alcee was refusing to see her because you were holding her captive.” Karolos spoke seriously.
“She was projecting her marriage onto mine,” Alcee grunted. “I don’t live in the gilded cage which was her life.”
“Mercurio Mariani is selling all of his family business, what is left of it, to me. His father’s offices, the mansion and the one car.”
“Why you?”
“Nobody else wanted it,” Karolos shrugged. “I mean, literally, he couldn’t give the fucking business away. He had some bad debts I took on too however he’ll get a sizable amount of cash, of which you,” he waved at Alcee, “were supposed to get part of.”
“I don’t want any of their shitty money. I can make my own.”
“I also am taking a fifty percent cut on the new business he’s created with his money laundering scheme. He’s a smarter businessman than his father but he needs to cut those apron strings with his mother. She is in his ear too much.”
“You saw your mother?” Torq asked Alcee.
“Yeah, she looks awful.” She shrugged carelessly.
“Are you okay?” Torq really didn’t seem to care an ounce the leader of a Greek mafia family was in his office.
“I’m fine. She’s sick, I guess. Dad refused to let her attend treatments because her doctors were good looking, and she’s deteriorated. Merc gave me some shit about how Dad hated me and so the best way to keep me safe was for all of them to push me away. What a bunch of bullshit. They shot him now, but they could have shot him then.”
“You,” Karolos gave a laugh and shook his finger in her direction, “are not what I expected. Your father should have named you his successor. I feel you would do better than your brother.”
She laughed at his words, “probably but I’m lacking a penis.”
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Chapter 165
“In my family, women are revered for being strong. If my first child is a daughter, she will take of over 1 ans det fnfluenced by gender but by sevens family were fools, Alcer Mariani.
“Are you flirting with my wife right in front of me?” Torg questioned with a roll his eyes. “Shaz taken, Polidia.*
“As much as I do love a good feisty woman, I do not like other men’s women. If she wants to be with you and is happy, I respectfully be ent” He vingen in her. “It’s too bad you didn’t have sisters instead of brothers thigh.”
“She has those in spades.” Torq laughed and settled on the edge of his desk and waved to some chairs. They’re not related by himod, but they would all ne for one another faster I’m sure.” He motioned to Tito, “his fiancée is one of my wife’s best friends.”
“So, you are keeping them all close. Good for you.” He extended his hand to Torq, and they shook before he moved to sit in a seat. “I do apologize for my involvement. I did believe I was rescuing a woman and her child who was being unwillingly confined. My brother, he waved at Lefteris, is married in woman whose first husband kept her chained up, literally. We rescued her. I believed I was doing a similar favor, although I admit, it struck me as add øver the details I do know of you.”
“She has me by the balls, Pavlidis.” Torq laughed. “If she told me she wanted to leave me, I’d play ever dirty trick in the book to keep her He leaned back to press on his desk intercom, “coffee?” When the men all nodded he called out to Genevra, “hey, Genevra, bring in a coffee service please.*
“Sure Torq.”
Torq looked at Alcee, “I like your influence on her. She’s actually willing to work and not stomp on her stilettos all day.”
“Your assistant?” Karolos asked curiously.
Torq nodded, “sister to my underboss here, Bastiano. We brought her here because she caused some shit back home which almost got her killed.
“It wasn’t her fault. She got mixed up with a couple who didn’t understand boundaries.” Alcee defended her new friend vigorously.
“She was with them for the pretty things.”
“A deserves pretty things.”
“She should buy her own pretty things.”
“With what money? She has only just started working for you and before that her parents were giving her a shitty allowance.”
“She’s only twenty–one.”
“She’ll have money soon enough,” Alcee grinned wickedly.
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