Rock_A Bad Boy Biker Romance Page 6

  “Hades.”

  He leaned back and gave me a smug smirk that I wasn’t sure what to make of. I looked over at Sebastian and he just shrugged.

  “Hades?” I said. “What about it? The place hasn’t been open for years. What does it—Hold on a second. You wanna re-open Hades?”

  “Bingo,” Murph said, pointing at me.

  “I don’t know if you noticed but there are other bars to compete with. I’ve been locked up for four years and even I know that.”

  “You’re right. There are other bars. But there’s no place like Hades. And there’s no club like the Devils.”

  “Think about it,” Sebastian joined in suddenly. “We’d have the monopoly on Old Town.”

  “Having a monopoly on a place where nobody is at doesn’t mean much,” I said.

  “But Hades would bring ‘em back.”

  “You’re in on this, too,” I said. “You actually agree with Murph?”

  “Hey, the old man’s got a way with words. You don’t agree?”

  I closed my eyes and ran my fingers over my temples. I hadn’t been out of prison for more than a week and I was already getting into some shit.

  “You don’t gotta make a decision right now,” Murph said. “Just something to think about.”

  He got up from his seat and patted me on the back.

  “Good seeing you again,” he said as he walked away.

  The old man was gone as quickly as he’d appeared.

  I went over all of the shit I just listened to in my head while Sebastian kept eating his lunch.

  “You’ve gotta admit,” he said. “When’s the last time Murph ever made a bad business decision?”

  “This isn’t about business. It’s not just about re-opening. Bringing back the club—”

  “It’s not something you have to decide right now. Just like he said. Think about it.”

  “I’ve already got enough to think about taking care of this Palazzo broad. I don’t need to be thinking about how to invest Burke’s money before he gives it to me.”

  “Speaking of which, he wants to meet tonight.”

  “Anything different?”

  “No. I’ll watch over Burke during his meeting and you keep the girl out of trouble.”

  There was so much shit going on in Ivory that I had to focus on what was important. My main priority was watching over Mia. As soon as she was done, then I could worry about what Sebastian and Murphy were trying to push me into.

  I stared out the window and thought about everything. Sebastian took another bite of his sandwich and chewed loudly.

  “You want something to eat?” he asked, his mouth full.

  “Nah,” I sighed. “I’ll get something tonight.”

  Chapter 8

  MIA

  Night two…

  It had been almost a whole day and the fuzzy memories of what happened at Finn’s were finally starting to return to me. After Arthur went to take care of more business, I was once again left with having to find something to do with myself for the evening. I would’ve been just fine being on my own but there was no way I could escape from Roman’s watch. Then again, there was a part of me that welcomed his company.

  It was later in the evening when Arthur left me on my own. Roman contacted me only a few moments later telling me where to meet him.

  And that’s where I was now. Some out-of-the-way restaurant in the middle of Ivory that I couldn’t tell from any of the other places I’d been to.

  I sat at my table with my chin in my palm. There were a few people around us but everybody was minding their own business. I tapped my fingers and watched as Roman appeared at the entrance. He looked the same as he did the other night. There was something about a man in a leather kutte and some boots that made him seem a little more magnanimous than anybody else.

  “Hey,” I greeted him.

  He took a seat in front of me and started looking around.

  “What’s wrong?” I said. “This is the place you wanted to meet, right?”

  “This is the place,” he said, still examining his surroundings.

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  “I don’t know… It seems a little different from what I last remember.”

  “It looks like an ordinary burger joint. I can’t imagine this place looked much different.”

  “I guess it’s because I haven’t been here in such a long time.”

  He finally turned to me and gave me that half-smirk of his. Seeing his face after spending an entire day with Arthur gave me more relief than I was expecting.

  “Would you rather be somewhere else?” he asked.

  “No,” I sighed. “I’m starting to remember what happened last night. Finn’s, more specifically. I think a hole-in-the-wall burger joint is what I need right now. It’s a nice break from everything else.”

  “A break… What exactly do you need a break from?”

  Roman raised his eyebrows at me. He was so intense but his stare was so calm at the same time. It didn’t hurt that his eyes were so mesmerizingly blue that it made me feel relaxed. Considering how much bigger he was than me, it was definitely noteworthy to be comfortable around a man like him.

  I almost considered telling him about Arthur.

  “Hold that thought,” he said.

  “What is it?”

  “This place is a little slow. I’ll get us an order first.”

  “Oh… Right…”

  Roman got up from his seat and sauntered over the counter. I stared at his ass even though his blue jeans were baggy. I’d already seen him without his shirt on and my thoughts started to wander as I wondered what the rest of him looked like.

  Calm down, Mia. He’s just a bodyguard.

  I shook my head and giggled to myself. A deep sigh escaped my lips as I looked away. I sat in silence at the table and waited before Roman eventually returned to take a seat back in front of me.

  “You seem like you know this place pretty well,” I said. “You been here often?”

  “It’s a good place to get a burger. Not too many people come here, so that helps. Keeping a low-profile will help the both of us.”

  “Makes sense. I’m sure people are looking for me because of my engagement to Arthur. What about you?”

  “What about me?” he said, an eyebrow arched.

  “You’re in an MC. Or were, anyway. You notorious around these parts, Roman? How long have you been in Ivory?”

  “All my life. Outside of the four years I was upstate. But… I was born and raised in this town. I know everything about it. It’s not that big, so that’s not much of an accomplishment though…”

  “That doesn’t matter. It must be nice to have a place you can always call home.”

  “What about you? You live up in the city all your life?”

  Roman asked me like he actually gave a crap what my answer was. I couldn’t get over the fact that a tattooed biker was taking an interest in getting to know his assignment a little better.

  “My father did most of his business in the city,” I said. “There are so many people up there. He made a lot of friends. He knew a lot of people. There was never any reason for us to move. Of course, I left for the university but it’ll always be home. Kinda like how you got locked up.”

  “Ha!”

  His grin was as wide as I’d ever seen it.

  “I wouldn’t compare getting locked up to going to school. But… I see what you’re saying.”

  “I guess we’ve got a lot in common, you and me.”

  “I guess we do.”

  I smiled softly at him. Roman was still as intimidating as he always was. It felt like he could snap at any moment. I’d still only just met him a day ago but there was a strange comfort I felt in being around him.

  “Your father,” he said. “It’s not a secret who he is.”

  “Carlo Palazzo. I’ve got nothing to hide. Being the daughter of a Mafioso has its share of pitfalls but I don’t live my life in fear.”
>
  “That’s not what I was thinking.”

  “Then you’re curious about my father’s business?”

  “Curious but I know you won’t talk about that. What about the rest of your family?”

  “The rest of my family?”

  “I know who your father is. I know who you are. Is there anybody else? Your mother?”

  I narrowed my eyes at him.

  What is he getting at?

  I would’ve taken everything else for just friendly conversation. Now it seemed like he actually was trying to get the details on my father’s business by asking about the rest of my family.

  “You don’t have to answer that—”

  “It’s all right,” I said.

  I didn’t know what came over me. A man I barely knew and I was willing to tell him. Being around Roman made me careless in a way I didn’t want to think about.

  “My mother got sick,” I said. “Sometimes it doesn’t matter how successful you are. There are some things that money can’t buy.”

  I put my head down as the memories of my mother came back to me.

  “I know how that is,” Roman said suddenly.

  I looked up and saw Roman staring off to the side, his eyes lost in some memory.

  “My parents were in an accident,” he said. “Happened when I was 13.”

  “Thirteen… That must’ve been hard for you.”

  “It was. When it happened, I was numb to it all. It felt like some bad joke and I was just waiting for them to pop out of hiding and laugh at me. But they never came…”

  “Roman… I’m sorry…”

  “Don’t be,” he said, his eyes suddenly shifting toward me. “I met some people. They took me in. Watched over me like my parents would have. Didn’t do too well in school but I could fix up a bike as good as anybody. I made it. There’s nothing to be sorry about with the way things turned out.”

  Even though Roman was smiling at me, I knew there was something behind it. All of the tattoos and the muscles and the intensity in his stare couldn’t hide the fact that he was still just a man. He was as vulnerable as everybody else I’d ever met.

  “That’s why you’re marrying him,” Roman said.

  “What?” I said.

  I shook my head in confusion but Roman said it so plainly like he was sure of himself.

  “You’re marrying a man like Burke for security. Your father wants you to be with someone who’s well-off. And with the amount of money Burke is paying me for four nights of work, I’d say he’s pretty fuckin’ well-off.”

  Roman stared at me like he was waiting for me to confirm it. It didn’t matter if I didn’t say anything. He already knew.

  “It’s the right decision,” I said. “My father and Arthur are going to do some good business. The Palazzo name will continue to thrive and prosper.”

  “You’re a Palazzo.”

  “I am—”

  “Then how will marrying someone like Burke allow you to thrive and prosper?”

  I wasn’t about to let Roman change my mind. I’d already tried getting my father to see things from my perspective but he was right. Roman had even less insight into what I was thinking.

  “When I marry Arthur, I won’t be a Palazzo any longer. I’ll be a Burke.”

  “You’ll always be your father’s daughter,” he said as he shook his head softly. “You know you can still succeed without Burke’s wealth.”

  I sighed a deep breath through my nose and looked away.

  “…Let’s not have this discussion,” I said.

  Thankfully, someone arrived with our order. The waiter plopped down the massive burger in front of me and a plate of fries that would’ve fed four of me. Roman didn’t wait for me, digging in while I examined the monstrosity in front of me.

  “I guess I see why you like this place so much…”

  “That’s the thing about businesses in Ivory,” he said. “They don’t care about making a huge profit.”

  “If a business is a business, of course they care about profit.”

  “Not in the way you’re probably used to. They treat the customers right and they keep coming back. Having a customer for life is worth more than having them visit once.”

  He hid his smile behind a huge bite of his hamburger. Even the way he ate was so intimidating. It was enough to get another giggle out of me.

  “Four years,” he sighed, his mouth half-full. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this.”

  “It’s not quite what I was expecting but I did want to explore Ivory while I was here.”

  “Did your fiancé tell you how long he’s gonna be busy with negotiations?”

  “He didn’t give me a specific time. He only told me he’d get in touch with me tonight. As long as nothing happens, I figure it won’t be as late as it was last night.”

  Roman seemed indifferent, nonchalantly eating his food while he stared at me.

  “We’ve got the rest of the night though,” I said.

  “What’s that mean? You planning another trip to Finn’s?”

  “Oh, no! Not tonight. I think I’ve had enough of that crowd to last me a lifetime.”

  “…I’ll tell you what. I got an idea.”

  “An idea?” I said, scrunching my face. “I don’t know if I like the sound of that.”

  “Don’t worry. I know Ivory like the back of my hand. It’ll be a nice break from Finn’s.”

  “If you say so.”

  I picked the burger up. Roman’s eyes widened as I took a bite out of it.

  “What do you think?” he asked.

  I chewed on it and savored the flavor of it.

  “It’s… pretty good.”

  “I told you I know what I’m talking about.”

  “We’ll see about that. The night isn’t over yet.”

  “Trust me. You’ll have a good time.”

  “Is that a promise?”

  I raised an eyebrow at him. Roman stared at me for a second before slowly nodding his head.

  “It’s a guarantee.”

  “…I can’t wait to see what you’ve got for me.”

  Chapter 9

  MIA

  “Now this is what I’m talking about.”

  I held the glass up and examined the small amount of liquor in it before gulping it down. The alcohol burned down my throat and washed away any anxieties I had.

  Roman stood at the bar next to me, leaning against the counter while he observed me enjoying my drink.

  “Take it easy,” he said. “We don’t want a repeat of last night.”

  “I had a good time last night, now that I think about it. Enjoying a night out in a new town. Getting to know the locals. My first bar fight…”

  “It wasn’t much of a fight. And you weren’t involved.”

  “What’s wrong? Your hand still hurt?”

  I playfully took his hand and kissed his knuckles.

  “That make your boo-boo feel better?”

  His rough and calloused hand was relaxed in mine. I couldn’t help but smirk as he looked right at me.

  “How drunk are you right now?” he said.

  “One drink isn’t enough to get me drunk,” I said with a laugh.

  I dropped his hand down then signaled the bartender for another drink.

  “I promise I’ll only drink enough to loosen me up just a little bit.”

  “I’ll hold you to that,” he sighed.

  He turned his attention to the rest of the bar.

  It was dark, so it was hard to look around. The music from the broken jukebox in the corner was muddled. The place wasn’t as crowded as Finn’s. And the patrons weren’t nearly as energetic. Everybody here looked like they were only trying to have a drink and not much else.

  “Where’d you find a place like this?” I said.

  “There are places like this all over Ivory. Sometimes people just want to be left alone. Townsfolk are nice enough to mind their own business.”

  “We could use some place
s like this in the city.”

  “I can’t imagine people mind their own business when they’re around you though. With your father being who he is and all…”

  I swirled my drink around and stared at the glass in front of me.

  “What do you think of my father?” I asked.

  “I don’t know your father very well.”

  “But you know what he is. It’s not a secret, remember? There’s a reason you’ve been hired to protect me and it’s not just because of Arthur. So… What do you think of Carlo Palazzo?”

  Roman stared off into the distance. He shrugged and shook his head.

  “I don’t know,” he said.

  “You seem to have an opinion about him though.”

  “I’ve made assumptions about him. I’m guessing he’s not exactly the nicest man in the world if he’s in the mafia.”

  “That’s where you’d be wrong. My father is the nicest, kindest, most compassionate man I’ve ever known. He might get his hands dirty with what he does. That’s just who he is. But everything he does for a reason. He takes care of his family.”

  “And that’s why you’re doing this. That’s why you’re marrying a man like Burke. So you can take care of your father when he gets older the same way he took care of you.”

  Listening to Roman rationalize it made me feel a little better about what I was doing. It was a shame that I had to drink to get away from the reality of my situation. Looking at Roman though, I almost forgot about why I was in Ivory in the first place. It felt like I was there just for him and nobody else. It felt like Roman was the reason I came to Ivory.

  He stayed leaning up against the bar with his arms crossed. I finished my drink and cocked an eyebrow at him.

  “You’re not drinking?” I asked.

  “Nah, I drink too much,” he sighed. “You don’t want a personal security guard that doesn’t have his wits about him.”

  “I get it. You look like you wouldn’t be able to handle your chopper after a shot anyway. The ride was already a little wobbly when we were getting here.”

  I smirked at him, trying to get him to smile the same as me. But all he did was lean forward and whisper.

  “Don’t ever talk about the way I ride,” he said.