The Troubleshooter

9- one boss to another

"I'm sorry" Lili mutters, holding my arm and not meeting my eye.

I want to make her grovel, but I'm too excited that we might be on speaking terms again and I don't want to miss the chance to make up.

"Sorry for what exactly?" I ask, keeping still so she won't think to release my arm, unwilling to lose the closeness yet.

"Sorry for being a bitch this morning, and for being a mess last night and for… being sick in your car"

I feel my cell vibrating in my pocket but I ignore it, whoever it is can wait.

"Is that all?" I ask, regretting it when she releases my arm. "You have been cutting me out for months" I turn to face her holding her by the arms. Some primal part of me loves seeing her in my clothes, knowing that she smells of me.

When she doesn't respond I run my fingers down her arms to her hands, lacing our fingers loosely to pull her closer towards me. I can hear the phone ringing in the hall now.

"I thought we were good Lili? What happened?" I ask. Nudging her chin to look at me. Honestly her breath is disgusting, I should have sent her to shower and brush her teeth. How bad is it that I still want to kiss her?

"Knock, knock" Benji announces from the open doorway. Lili drops my hand like It burned her. "It's important," Benji says, holding out the phone.

Not many people have that number. I take the phone pushing Benji out of the room ahead of me and pulling the door closed.

"Pronto?"

"The situation in Brooklyn, it escalated, I'm sorry but you're gonna have to come out" comes the voice of Arty who handles things in my US businesses.

"Can't you deal with it?" I sigh, looking towards the closed bedroom door.

"You know I wouldn't be calling you if I could, our deterrents aren't working anymore you need to come out and handle it."

I don't even need him to go into detail because I already know what it is. I can't exactly register as a hitman on my taxes so to avoid drawing attention my legal business front is a number of bars and restaurants. But as with most bars we have issues with people trying to bring in drugs.

As someone who kills people for a living it's fair to say I have a pretty high tolerance for crime, but when it comes to drugs I have zero tolerance. I don't accept jobs involving them and I don't let them into my businesses.

This is common knowledge among all the organisations that operate around my venues.

Recently however, a new 'dealer' has appeared and has been becoming an issue for us. As a legitimate business the first step is just to let the police handle it, but I suspect they have been paid off, telling me this isn't some small time dealer.

I would usually have gone and handled something like this myself before now, but I have been trying to stay close to home recently. Instead I sent out some of my men to handle it which seemed to have worked for a while. But sometimes you just have to handle it yourself.

One boss to another.

"Fine." I huff, not looking forward to a ten hour flight. I pull my cell out of my pocket checking for flights, I would ask Lili to use the jet but I know her Ma will have used it to visit Matt.

"I'll be there late tonight. I'll send my flight details pick me up from JFK" I order him. Ending the call.

"Ben, I've got to head to deal with some business I'll be gone a few days, are you sticking around?" I check.

"Yeah if that's ok?" He replies walking out of the spare room pulling on a shirt.

"Yeah, just leave the key with the door man if I'm not back. Ah shit can you take Lili home?" I add as an afterthought.

"Sure, do I get to use the Porsche?" He asks hopefully,

"No, it's at the valet, someone puked in it" I say with a pointed look at Lili as she joins us.

"Shut up" she mutters. She looks so cute in my clothes. The jeans hug to her hips showing off the curve of her ass. The v neck of the shirt dips just low enough to tease a view of her tits, her nipples pressing against the fabric telling me she's without a bra. I wonder if she's wearing any underware at all?

I swallow hard before I meet her eyes. She quickly looks away as if she knows my thoughts. Like she knows how much I want to take her back into my room and take my clothes back. To explore her body as she writhes beneath me.

"I'm taking you home" Ben announces, breaking me from my little fantasy. Honestly I forgot he was standing there.

"You're not taking me?" Lili asks me.

"Let's go talk while I pack" I reply taking her back to my room by the hand, and pushing the door closed. I grab a bag throwing it onto the bed and pulling out clothes at random to throw inside.

"I have to go handle something with Arty" I explain. Lili raises an eyebrow at me in question "drugs" I reply, there's no need to elaborate. Not with Lili.

Instead of going to pack I turn trapping Lili between my body and the door. I don't want to go. Not now, I've been patient enough damn it.

"Nico?" Lili breathes, I move my body closer to her almost touching. I can feel the heat of her body through our thin shirts.

"Lili" I drop my head beside hers my lips brushing against her earlobe. I let my lips follow the line of her jaw with the barest of touches. I can feel her breath quicken. "Wait for me to come home?" I ask softly, "we'll talk, yeah? No more shutting me out ok?"

"Ok" she promises quietly, at her promise I take a step back.

I want to kiss her. I want so much more than that. But I know if I kiss her I won't be able to walk away after.