Tommy’s happy. So, he’ll be sure to deliver the message—all five parts of it—to Abram Baskov’s mailbox first thing in the morning.
Dominic
It’d been a few days since I had dinner with Alannah at River City. She had work stuff to tend to, and I had business that needed my attention, so when she finally called this morning, I nearly jumped out of bed to answer the phone. She told me she’d be free later in the day after she got off her shift, and asked if I wanted to hang out again. I said “fuhgeddaboutit,” which confused her until I explained what I meant, then I made a call to my staff at Isle of Capri and reserved my favorite outdoor table for a candle lit dinner. Now, as I stand in the lobby of River City waiting for her to come down, my belly is doing summersaults. With all the things I do in my life that should make me nervous, it’s the thought of being with Alannah Sullivan that does me in.
I feel like I’m living in a fucking alternate universe. I don’t even know how all of this came to be. One minute, I’m doing business as usual, the next minute, Alannah is back in St. Louis and here to stay. She’s actually here! It’s been ten years, and the only woman I’ve ever loved has come back into my life. I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve such a thing, but I’m thankful. With Alannah being here now, I have everything a man could want. All the power and respect my dad commanded now belongs to me, and once I wrap up my acquisition of Lumiere Place, I’m going to be good to go. I’ll be able to sit back and relax while my businesses make money for me, and I’ll have Alannah to relax with. Just one more deal to go.
Speaking of Lumiere Place, it’s been quiet on that front ever since I sent Tommy to pay Alex Romanov a little visit. Tommy made ole’ Alex disappear, but not before delivering a little package to Abram on my behalf. It’s no surprise Abram’s been quiet. It usually takes guys a couple of days to get their affairs in order before they move on from a business, especially one as lucrative as the Lumiere. So, while Abram fights over the mental hurdles of accepting the inevitable, I wait patiently, and I watch in awe as Alannah struts her way towards me wearing the sexiest navy blue dress I’ve ever seen.
Her brown hair flows and sways gracefully behind her as she walks, and I see other guys in the lobby checking her out. I have half a mind to put one of these boys in a chokehold, but I resist the urge. I’d hate for Alannah to think less of me.
“After all this time, you’re even more stunning than before you left,” I manage to say as she approaches. Her smile is wide and sincere, and I have to shake off the fact that it makes me more nervous. I did a good job of playing it cool at dinner last time, and I’ve got to keep it up.
“Thank you, Dominic,” she replies. “You look very handsome. That’s a gorgeous suit. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a gray one with red pinstripes before.”
“Well, I know a guy, and he hooks me up with whatever colors I want,” I answer, making sure not to go into too much detail about some of the places we extort. What can I say? A captain has to earn.
“So, where are we going?” she asks.
“I’ve got a place in mind. Shall we?”
I lead her to the car, and she marvels at the metal flake paint on my BMW that shifts from black to dark purple, depending on the angle you look at it from. As we drive, I can’t stop my eyes from wandering over to her legs as they stick out of the dress, teasing me, forcing me to reminisce about homecoming night. Fuck how uncomfortable it was in that car, being with her was amazing. Images of that night flash across my vision like a slideshow on fast forward, and I really have to focus just to get us to Isle of Capri without crashing.
Once we’re inside and seated, I see Alannah checking out the décor of the fancy outdoor setup. Well, it’s kind of outdoors—there are five tables in a glass enclosure that gives you a nice