Chapter Forty-Nine

Matten stepped out of his office, carefully balancing two steaming cups of coffee in his hands. He made his way toward one of the benches nestled beside the courtyard fountain, the gentle sound of water adding a calm backdrop to the morning air. Settling down beside a man engrossed in the New York Times, Matten took a slow sip of his black coffee, savoring the warmth.

“There are a few suspicious characters hanging out in the lobby,” Matten remarked casually.

The man rustled the newspaper as he flipped to the next page. “Suspicious? No, just harmless. The guy in the fedora is visiting his sister on the seventeenth floor. The man in the trench coat? He’s a strippergram sent by the modeling agency on thirty-two. As for the guy in the cheap suit questioning my competence after two decades on the job… well, he’s about to get a black eye for assuming I’m sitting here doing nothing.”

Matten offered his coffee to the man. “Just making sure you’re paying attention, Leo.”

Leo accepted the cup with a doubtful hum and returned to his reading.

Setting his own coffee down, Matten pulled out a pack of cigarettes. “He’s coming back this morning,” he said, slipping a cigarette between his lips. “I’ll meet him at the club around seven to catch him up on what he’s missed. I expect we’ll be there most of the night.”

Leo folded the paper and glanced at Matten with a knowing look. “Which means his wife will be alone for the first time in weeks, and she’ll want to see her sister…” His gaze sharpened. “Stop underestimating me.”

Matten lit his cigarette and drew a slow breath. “I want you to keep an eye on her tonight. You know how Jada can be.”

Leo grumbled, “Lury will love hearing that,” before returning to his paper.

Matten smiled faintly. “Tell her you’ll make it up to her tomorrow. I won’t need you or Foster tonight.”

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?” Leo asked, folding the paper with deliberate care until it looked crisp and new.

“I’m taking Genevieve to Carmela’s.”

Leo leaned back, his eyes narrowing as he faced Matten. “Carmela’s?”

“That’s what I said.”

Leo’s right eye twitched—a rare display of emotion. “You know what that means.”

“I do.”

“And you’re ready for it?”

Matten took a long drag from his cigarette, the smoke curling around him as he gazed out over the courtyard. “I’m going to tell her everything.”

“Tomorrow night?”

His eyes followed a group of men passing by. “The Irish know, the folks in our box at the track know. It’s time everyone else did.”

“That’s not what I asked, Accardi,” Leo said firmly.

Matten rubbed the bridge of his nose, sighing. “I’ll tell her.”

“Make sure you do,” Leo warned, flicking the paper aside. After a moment, he paused. “Are you certain now is the right moment? With the Irish on edge, this Luca character rising… things could spiral quickly. Maybe you should wait until we’ve neutralized the threats.”

Matten cut him off. “Sure, I’ll just wait until the Irish are wiped out, right? It’s the same story, Leo. If it’s not the Irish, it’s the Russians. If not the Russians, the Swedes. If not the Swedes, the Mexicans…”

“I get it,” Leo hissed.

“I won’t let anything happen to her,” Matten promised.

“It’s not always that simple, and you know it,” Leo cautioned. “I’d hate to ruin our friendship because you let your dick make the decisions.”

Matten studied his old friend, noticing the tension in Leo’s grip on the newspaper, the way he turned the pages a little too roughly, causing a small tear.

“Sounds like someone’s getting attached to his charge,” Matten teased.

“It’s a flaw of mine,” Leo admitted.

“Speaking of protection and flaws, why are you still at her apartment?”

Leo shrugged. “I thought you’d finally let that go. She doesn’t have a gun.”

“She won’t ever have one,” Matten said firmly. Leo scoffed.

“I live next door. She doesn’t need your bat.”

“It has a sensor,” Leo explained. “If it strikes something with enough force, I get a notification.”

Matten leaned back, impressed. “Has it ever gone off?”

“Once. I went up to check, only to find she’d already kicked the idiot out.” Leo lowered his paper just enough to flash a wink. “You’re a funny guy.”

Leo shrugged and returned to his reading.

“Need extra hands tonight?” Matten asked.

“I’ve got her.”

After tomorrow, you know…

“I’ve got her,” Leo repeated firmly. “Adding more men will only draw unwanted attention.”

“As long as you’re sure. She means more to me than pride.”

“I’m flattered.”

“I’m having Franker test security at the apartment and the office,” Matten continued. “If he’s not incapacitated for a few days after, I haven’t done my job.”

“Go easy on him. He was trying to help,” Leo said.

Matten scoffed. Leo’s phone buzzed. He set the paper down and pulled it out, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he read the messages.

“Aw, Lucy sending you some nudes?” Matten teased.

Leo’s fist connected with Matten’s stomach, making him nearly choke on his cigarette. “Watch your mouth,” Leo warned. “Besides, she’s not my woman.”

Matten grabbed the phone, laughing as he looked at the screen.

Miss Sinclair: Hey Leo, hope your watchdog shift is going well. I was wondering if you might do me a favor?

Leo: Sure thing, Miss S. What can I do?

Miss Sinclair: My sister wants to meet tonight, but I also have an event tomorrow and need to get a dress. Would it be an imposition to ask for a ride to some stores in town?

Matten smiled broadly. She was shopping for their date? Damn, he needed to do the same. Flowers… chocolates… maybe a corsage? He wasn’t sure what to do.

Leo, unfazed by Matten’s phone theft, went back to his paper with a smug grin.

Matten started typing on Leo’s behalf.

Leo: Not an imposition at all. Where were you thinking of going?

He watched the typing bubbles appear and vanish several times.

Miss Sinclair: Honestly, no idea. I’m more of a thrift-shop girl, but my sister insists on Fifth Avenue. I don’t know what I can afford, but it’s important, so I’ll make it work.

Matten grinned from ear to ear.

“Careful,” Leo muttered. “If you walk around looking like a lovesick fool all day, everyone will know before you even take her to Carmela’s.”

Matten rolled his eyes and continued the conversation.

Leo: Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll find something. I’ll be ready to take you whenever you’re set. Looking forward to seeing your pick, Weakness.

Matten’s finger hovered over the send button, then he caught his mistake. Quickly, he deleted the last line and sent the message. Tossing the phone back to Leo, he stood up and pulled a card from his wallet.

“For me?” Leo asked, placing a hand on his chest and batting his eyelashes. “Eve had my eye on this lingerie set that would match…”

“Just take the damn thing, Leo,” Matten grumbled.

Leo chuckled as he accepted the card. “Whatever she wants. Got it?”

Leo swept his arm in a mock bow, and Matten barely cared. He had a date to prepare for.