“You know what will help me?” I asked, an idea popping into my head.
“Hmm?”
“Griffin. If Griffin vouches for him…that could completely change everything.”
Vanessa shook her head again, but this time, it seemed like she wasn’t cooperating. “I have a lot of influence over that man, but I can’t make him do something he doesn’t want to do. We just had an argument about how I can’t be around Bosco without him there. I don’t think it’s likely his support is gonna happen.”
“What if I talk to him?”
She shrugged. “You can try, but I don’t think it’s gonna help.”
“What if we all went to dinner? Maybe that would soften Griffin a bit.”
She laughed. “Griffin loves food, but not that much.”
“Well, do you have any better ideas?” I had to make this work, and I had to give Bosco the best chance possible. Having Griffin’s support could make a huge difference.
Vanessa must have seen the heartbreak in my eyes, because she finally caved. “I’ll get Griffin to come to dinner. But that’s the best I can do. Have Bosco explain that he’s decided to give up everything for you. If that doesn’t please Griffin, at least it’ll make him respect Bosco.”
“Thank you so much. Your father and Griffin are connected at the hip now. If we have Griffin helping us out, Uncle Crow could help persuade my father to get on board with this. It’s better than nothing, right?”
“Yeah, you’re right. You helped Griffin and me at the start of our relationship. Of course we’ll do anything we can to help you.”
When I asked Bosco to dinner with Vanessa and Griffin, he didn’t put up an argument.
He wore a gray V-neck, a black blazer, and dark jeans. His watch was on his wrist, and a spray of his cologne made him smell potently masculine. He was tall, dark, and so handsome it hurt sometimes.
He stood near the elevators and looked at his phone as he waited for me, still running the business as usual. He hadn’t gone in to work since I came back to him, and he probably had Ronan handling everything in the meantime.
He looked up at me when he heard the sound of my boots. His eyes roamed over my body in my tight jeans and sweater, affection deep in his gaze. “You look beautiful.” His arm hugged my lower back, and he brought me in for a kiss on the corner of my mouth.
He was the one who looked beautiful. “Thanks.”
He kissed my forehead before he entered the code on the wall. The doors opened, and we stepped inside. “I wonder if Griffin is gonna punch me this time.” He made a joke without smiling, doing his best to lighten the mood even though the comment wasn’t funny.
“He won’t. I won’t let him.”
“I would rather you let him hit me than get in the way.” His arm wrapped around my waist. “It’s a nice way to break the tension. You know, the way men communicate.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s barbaric.”
“No, Beautiful. You’ve seen men be barbaric.” Without spelling it out, he was referring to the ring when he beat The Butcher into submission. It was like watching wild animals rip each other apart, for sport as well as for glory.
I didn’t want to think about that night. “You need to win Griffin over, Bosco.”
“Not possible.”
“Well, you need to try.”
“Griffin isn’t the kind of man that changes his mind. That’s not a bad thing. He’s stubborn and hardheaded because he bases his decisions on instinct. That’s what makes him a good killer—because he can read situations so well.”
“He’s not a killer anymore.”
He shrugged. “Still has killer instincts. I know I’ll always have them.”
We got into the car and were driven to the restaurant. Bosco held my hand in the back seat as he looked out the window, watching the cars pass on the road and the pedestrians on the sidewalk. It was a clear night and the stars were visible, but that also meant it was particularly cold.
We arrived at the restaurant, and Bosco took me by the hand as he guided me inside. We found Vanessa and Griffin in the corner, sitting at a private table far away from the other diners.
That was best for everyone in the room.
When we reached the table, I hugged Vanessa then hugged Griffin.
Bosco steered clear of Vanessa, not even being polite by shaking her hand. All he gave Griffin was a subtle look and a nod before he pulled out the chair for me.
I sat down, disappointed this was already off to a rough start.
Bosco sat beside me, directly across from Griffin. Unafraid of the beefy man, he held his gaze with a relaxed posture. “Griffin, long time no see.”
Griffin didn’t seem quite as hostile as before, probably because Bosco didn’t go anywhere near his wife. “It hasn’t been long enough.”