"Do we have to get up today?" I asked Patrick as we lied in bed.

"Afraid so," Patrick sighed, nuzzling my cheek with his nose, "I have a few meetings and you should start thinking about plans for Uomini Cielo."

"I know, I know," I sighed, "is there anything else I need to know about Pappa's businesses."

He shrugged, "read through that folder, you'll find out more. And his diary."

I nodded, "what other businesses did he owned? Beside of Uomini Cielo and the casino."

"A few restaurants. He invested in a few businesses in New York, all legitimate," he reassured me.

I nodded and sighed, leaning back against his body.

"You're tired," he stated, patting my head, "Already?"

"I'm just...overwhelmed, I guess. I should be upset right now, I should be broken. But I feel, the same," I admitted.

He chuckled, kissing my cheek, "You're stronger than you look, Eliza. You need to start believing in yourself."

"I'm trying, I guess I don't know how," I confessed, rubbing my temple.

"Well, start learning," he told me, "there's so much more that you can achieve if you do."

I nodded, agreeing with him.

Saying it was so much easier than putting it into action.

Sighing, I pulled out of his arms and scooted off the bed. Patrick groaned, making me giggle. We didn't have sex last night but I had grown use to sleeping naked just as much as I had grown use to sleeping next to him. I made my way over to my wardrobe, not taking any notice that Patrick had just gotten out of bed. He moaned, pressing his hard pelvis against my ass and cupping my breasts with his smooth hands.

"Patrick," I moaned, "Stop."

"What? Don't you want me," he growled against my neck, sending shocks through my body.

"I do but –," I sighed, closing my eyes and leaning back on him, "You have meetings and –."

"Shhh," he hushed me, kissing my jaw, "I'll be quick."

All I could do was nod, pushing my dresses apart so that I had space to hold onto the bar and spreading my legs for him.

I heard him groan once again, running his hands down my spine before squeezing my ass. My clit throbbed between my legs as my nipples hardened.

"God, Eliza," he groaned, slowly sliding into me and making me moan, "I really do like the way you think."

After Patrick and I were finished, we split up to get dressed. It was back to my black skirt and jacket and white blouse with my black, shiny almond-toe heels. After ten minutes of doing my hair and putting makeup on, I was ready for today.

I jumped when Patrick's body almost hit me as I burst from the room. Small cheeky giggles escaped my lips as I remembered what had just happened between us no more than fifteen minutes ago. Standing-up-sex was definitely something that I could get used to.

Patrick's eyes turned dark with lust, as he cupped my cheek and forced my lips to take his. I couldn't stop giggling no matter how much I tried. It only seemed to fuel him more, pushing me up against the door.

Ring, ring. Ring, ring.

Patrick groaned, unlatching his lips from mine and dropping his head on my shoulder. I giggled again, loving his misery as he eventually took his phone. I watched him roll his eyes and groan before he looked back at me.

"Tell Garrick if you see him that I'm in the study. I'll talk to you later," he kissed my cheek before answering his phone.

I huffed, running my hands through my hair. Whoa, okay Lizzy, cool down, I told myself, knowing that it was the only way that I was going to make it through the day.

I was surprised to only find Piero and Nickola in the kitchen this morning.

"Where's the others?" I asked them, going straight to the coffee.

"Out doing some jobs," Piero told me, "They'll be back in an hour."

"What jobs?" I asked.

They were both quiet, sharing looks.

"Come on guys," I groaned, "Don't you think it's time I know?"

They both sighed, giving in.

"They're just checking up on things," Piero reassured me, "checking that the managers of Patrick's brothels, nightclubs, casinos are doing what their told. Simple."

I nodded, accepting his answer.

"Patrick's got meetings all day, so he sends us to do it," Nickola explained.

"Why are you two left behind?" I asked.

"It's my day off," Piero smiled.

"I'm your personal bodyguard, remember," Nickola reminded me, "My main job is looking after you."

"I don't need a babysitter," I scoffed.

They both looked at me as if I was stupid. I scoffed again and rolled my eyes. Clearly we had different views on the situation.

Patrick and mine's earlier conversation played on my head as I drunk my coffee. I had been too focused on Uomini Cielo to think about the other businesses I owned.

"What do you guys know about my father's businesses?" I asked them.

Piero shrugged, "Not much. Your father's casino was good. And his nightclub serves some good scotch."

I nodded, accepting his answer.

"Why did you want to know?" he asked.

I shrugged, "Just trying to learn more about the empire I own. Legal and illegal."

He nodded, not saying anything more. Sighing, I knew that there was only one way of finding out.

"Nickola, can you do me a favour? Seeing that you're my bodyguard," I asked.

"Yes," he said unsure, narrowing his eyes at me.

"Can you find out about my father's other businesses. His restaurants, his nightclubs. Just general stuff."

He nodded, "I'm on it. What are you going to do?"

I shrugged, "I'm going to look at his other businesses His non-legal businesses."

With that, I headed back up the stairs and into my room. I found the yellow folder that Patrick had given me and took it before making my way towards the bed.

First paper was about Paige Caivano.

They had quite the business. Drugs seemed to be a common theme in this world. Paige sold drugs to Pappa– mostly opium, that Pappa would sell it to his contacts in China. The payment was done once a month, easy cash for Pappa.

His deals with Harald Balboni were a bit more complicated. Harald brought his monthly share of prostitutes from Pappa. Pig. He also brought drugs from Pappa that he supplied to his nightclubs and casinos.

I skipped over Patrick's and Eagle's page already knowing his business with them.

My heart started to pound as I read Oscar's. They shared a few casinos together and each were involved in arm deals with the Cartel in Mexico and smaller gangs in the city. From what I knew about Sebastian Drago, it was like Oscar and Pappa took over his work while he was underground. My hatred for Oscar only grew. Not only did he benefit from my marriage but he benefitted from Drago going underground. More than just safety for himself and Patrick, he received profit from it. God, I hated him.

After a few hours, I headed towards Patrick's study. I could hear his voice through the new glass doors but he wasn't speaking English. Was he speaking Chinese?

Opening up the door slightly, I poked my head through. I found Patrick, sitting behind his desk with his phone to his ear, chuckling to the person on the other end. When he spied me, a smile spread on his face.

I mouthed, do you want me to go.

He shook his head and gestured me in. I closed the door behind me before tiptoeing my way over to him. The need I felt for him burned in the pit of my stomach that I couldn't control. Not caring that he was on the phone, I climbed onto his lap, taking his neck in my mouth. He fumbled for words, struggling to concentrate.

Leaning back, I smirked at his lust-filled eyes, peeling off my jacket and dropping it to the floor.

Get off the phone, I mouthed, my sexual appetite only growing.

Patrick raised a finger, trying to say one more minute. I shook my head, unbuttoning two buttons and spreading my shirt to reveal more cleavage. Patrick dropped his head back, looking as if he was trying to get off the phone. That wasn't good enough. I took a hold of his belt and started to undo it. There was a bludge in his pants that couldn't be ignored.

"Shì de, wǒ tóngyì... Shì de, wǒmen huì zài nàlǐ... Z-Zàijiàn... Zàijiàn, Eagle," Patrick sighed, finally getting off the phone, "You naughty little vixen."

His hands shot up my skirt finding my thong and pulling it down my thighs.

"I'm sorry," I breathed, "you're so sexy when you talk business. Was that Eagle on the phone?"

"Uh-ah," he growled, taking my thighs and yanking me so that my skirt was forced to roll up my legs and my sex was pressing against his hard pelvis, "Later, right now. You're mine."

His words caused a throbbing between my legs. His hands pushed my skirt further up my thighs as I worked on freeing his shaft from his pants. Hugging his neck, I lowered myself onto his erection, my head flopping back and sighing. His heat filled me, almost making me forget that there was nothing between his shaft and my walls.

"Patrick," I moaned, "We don't have a condom."

He groaned, his hand reaching over to one of his desk draws and pulling it opened. He pulled out a condom, making me wonder why he kept some in his desk draw. Automatically, my mind shut the thought down, not wanting to ruin this.

"Never doubt me," he hissed, as I got off him to allow him to put the condom on.

Just as he ripped the packet, I took his hand. He frowned, not understanding why I had stopped him.

"I want to do it," I whispered against his lips.

A cheeky grin spread against his lips as he gave me the condom.

I made sure that the condom was right side out before rolling it down his shaft, leaving a little a bit of space.

"You've done this before," he stated, adjusting a little under me.

"Once or twice," I purred, slipping back on him again, "Oh, God Patrick."

"Ride me, Eliza," he ordered, holding onto my hips as I started to jump on him.

Patrick groaned, resting his head on the back of the chair and allowing me to do all the work, finally in control. My body was possessed by the waves of the quick orgasm that seized my limps. I couldn't continue, leaving Patrick to finish for himself. He thrust underneath me, the chair creaking. Soon, he came too, leaving us both breathless in each other's arms.

"Okay," Patrick breathed, against my shoulder, still holding me in place, "Business."

I nodded, sitting up a little so that Patrick could pull out. He disposed of the condom as I fixed my panties and pulled down my skirt. I then buttoned up my shirt as Patrick zipped up his pants.

My body fell onto his, still worn from the orgasm. Patrick hugged me, sighing and resting his head on my shoulder.

"Was it Eagle?" I asked.

I felt him nod, "He invited us to a poker game at your casino tomorrow night."

I frowned and pulled back, "What?"

"It's his way to tell if he can trust people. He doesn't trust people who can't play poker."

Holy crap.

"Patrick, I can't play poker," I admitted, "I mean, I'm a horrible liar and an opened book."

He chuckled, tucking my hair behind my ear, "I know. That's why we've only got twenty-four hours to turn you into a gangster."

And if that thought didn't scare me, nothing would.

"What about earlier?" I asked, wanting to put the whole, going gangster thought in the back of my mind, "who was on the phone then."

He sighed, "my contact in the Cartel. They found Gabriel Bover."

"Are they allowing you to deal with him yourself?" I asked, surprising myself.

God, who was this person?

He shook his head, "he promised that he would get me my answers. But apparently he's known to the Cartel. They want to deal with him."

"That's good then," I stated, "means you don't have to go to Mexico."

He smiled, again, seeing something inside of me that I couldn't. Maybe it was the way I saw the world, or my ability to find some positives in a negative situation. Or maybe it was the light he saw inside of me. The light he didn't see inside of himself.