Unable to process his declaration, I challenge it. “I’m supposed to just believe that? You stole half the business.”
He cups my face, rubbing his thumb over my bottom lip. “I didn’t steal it. Technically, he put it up as collateral. When someone doesn’t pay the bill, it’s repossessed in most businesses.”
Damn it. He has a point. We had our car repossessed last month. “But he’s been paying the mortgage and the bills, and we don’t have the money.”
“Sugar, I was told that you’re terrible at math, which makes it ironic because I live for numbers, but I digress. I’ve gone through your daily numbers and after tallying the past week, you’ve earned over ten thousand dollars of profit. You are one of the most popular cafés in the area. You should be making money hand over fist. Hell, do you know what this is?”
He waves a paper in front of me, which I snatch and read.
Setting it back on the desk, I nod. “It’s our coffee cup supplier invoice,” I say. I’ve seen it a thousand times over the years.
He shows me another paper in his hand. “No, this is your coffee cup supplier invoice. I called asking for the past six months of invoices, and they emailed them over. Do you see the difference?”
“About six thousand dollars a month.” The words fall out of my mouth, but I’m still processing it.
“Yes. That’s just one of the many forged invoices. Vincent has been fixing them, so that he pockets and blows the profits.”
“My stepfather told me it was the economy and inflation. I’ve considered raising prices, but I figured it was too much and I would lose money.”
“Your prices are what drive people in here. Hell, the coffee’s great too, but you were wise not to raise the prices. You may lose a third of your customers and not recoup the losses. Spending dollars to save pennies. Now that I’ve made it so your father is never allowed to step on these premises again, things will look up financially.”
“He’s dead,” I gasp. I don’t know how I feel about that, but it’s not sadness.
“No, but he will be if he tries to come here. All the locks have been changed, and cameras have been installed. Your profits will soon turn around.”
“But how will I get out of debt? There’s just so much. You and your family, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and whoever else he made back-alley deals with.”
“First, relax. Since taking over the café, we take it as a corporate loss and will take our standard profit sharing. I’ll work on the banks personally and negotiate the removal of the late fees. As for the assholes your father was willing to deal with, they have two choices: take what I give, or take their last breath. It’s just that simple.”
“Damn, you seem tougher than your brother.” Seriously, the man I met today doesn’t appear as tough as Niccolò.
“You met Domani?” Do I sense a hint of jealousy in his deep voice?
“Yes. Domani and his men came to the apartment after Aria showed up.”
“Oh, well, when it comes to his wife and his son, he’s a softy. Everyone else is in deep shit if he’s not in a good mood. In fact, he’s paid your father a visit this morning for those fuckers’ names.”
Oh that explains what he said earlier. “How many more people does he owe?”
“Three, for a total of two hundred thousand.”
“I’ll never be able to repay that.”
“You aren’t paying shit. They shouldn’t have ever mentioned fucking you because they’re lucky if I give them a dollar for speaking to you at all.”
“I’m starting to think you’re crazy…”
“About you, that’s a guarantee. I’m obsessed. Now, did you eat enough? I can tell you had garlic bread, but have you eaten a meal with some damn protein?” I blush, covering my mouth. “Baby, I’m Italian—I fucking love garlic. Now answer me.”
“I didn’t eat much. I wanted to check on the café.”
“It’s doing well, but we can take a lunch break across the street. I want you to eat more than carbs for a meal.”
“Says the Italian.” I roll my eyes, and he pulls me into his arms.
With his face against my throat, he kisses my neck and then whispers in my ear, “I didn’t say you couldn’t have them, but you need more than that.”
“I suppose you have a point.”
He releases me and then adds with a smile that nearly floors me, “Besides, we need a proper date. By the way, do you know how sexy you look?”
“Aria says I look adorable.”
“Yes, and that’s sexy as hell.”
We head out of the back to the busy storefront. We’ll be back in an hour.” He doesn’t address Ella, but rather the girl behind the counter. She’s cute too, but she looks about sixteen. “She’s Enrico’s daughter.”