Once again, she leaves me wondering what the hell I ever saw getting rid of her, but I have to try. Particrly if I ever want to have anything meaningful with Caterina.
in her. I’m starting to think there won’t ever be any hope of
Sebastian Costello is young–he turned twenty–five a month ago. Hes off as cocky, but I see it as more of a front. A way for him to convince you he knows what the hell he’s doing before trapping you. His usual expression would appear to be a smirk since that’s most of what I’ve seen from him since he entered my office, taking the leather chair across from me. Roger, as always, lingers near the window. Holding his tongue as expected, all the while watching closely with his keen, experienced eyes.
Sebastian shakes his head when offered a drink. “I prefer a clear head when discussing business.<b>” </b>This little shit, posturing in front of his elders. I wasn’t much better at his age. Inparison, he’s got an advantage over me; he was raised in this dark world while I came into it in myte teens. I have no doubt his father groomed him for leadership from the day he was born. It’s what happens in crime families. The men are set up from birth to take over the family business and the women are merely pawns, set up in arranged marriages and used as bargaining chips.
However, Sebastian is not the only one with experience. Unlike him, I have actual, real–world knowledge, not the sort of experience that’s attained while sitting on daddy’s knee or ying in his office while the grown–ups talk.
“I understand you’vee with some information you think would benefit my business,” I ask gruffly as a lead–in. It’s a breadcrumb. I won’t take it any further. I want to see how he handles this without any help from me.
He nods, looking at a carefully nk–faced Roger before swinging his gaze back to me. “There’s been much talk in certain circles about the hijacking of your shipment.” He smooths down the front of his silk tie, obviously wanting to up the tension by pausing.
“Okay? Who’s responsible?”
“Let me ask you something.” Sebastian tilts his head to the side, studying me. “Who would benefit from stealing that shipment/ of weapons?”
“Who wouldn’t?” Roger counters.
“Not financially,” he replies with a wave of his hand. “We’re not talking about the business side alone.”
“Jack Moroni,” I growl. Unsurprisingly, it is the first name to pop into my head.
The corners of his mouth twitch. “Word travels fast in the underbelly of the city, and everyone heard about your unfortunate dinner from a few weeks ago.”
Instantly my heart begins to race while my chest tightens. My lungs can’t seem to get enough air into them. That night took a grisly turn shortly after Caterina lodged a fork in Donovan Moroni’s hand.
Now is not the time to get distracted.
Shaking it off, I ask, “Well, what was said?”
Almost everyone
Now he wears a full–blown smile–it reminds me of a shark, if anything. Sharp, white teeth merely waiting to pierce into my skin. Eyes nearly as ck as the gleam of his hair. “There’s plenty of people who would like to meet the girl who had the balls to stab that stupid son of a bitch in the hand. But that’s just it. Word has spread, and nothing bad hase who’s heard the story finds it hrious. A case of someone getting what they deserve. So for Jack, it’s be wants to hurt you. You’ve embarrassed him. His family. His name’s sake. It’s all anyone is talking about.”
e personal. He
“Ahhh.” Everything he’s saying makes sense. I have no reason to believe this kid would lead me astray—and it isn’t like I couldn’t get confirmation of his story.“Are you assuming that means Moroni would be stupid enough to hijack my weapons?”
“It’s not an assumption. His son told one of my men. He thinks he’s smooth,” he continues, scoffing. “He’s so sure his daddy won’t let anybody make a fool out of him. That sort of stupid, childish bullshit.”
Eyeing him<b>, </b>I speak with care and purpose. “It was my understanding that your family always worked closely with Moroni and his crew. Has that changed?”
Rather than waiting for me to lead him in the direction my thoughts are going, he picks up the hint. “My father did. He didn’t like Moroni or respect him, but felt it was more wise to be a friend rather than foe. Violence was never his thing.” The glimpse of what I catch in his eyes reminds me of a psychopath barely holding onto themselves. There’s the real Sebastian.
“And under your leadership, things are going in different direction?”
“I can’t stand the son of a bitch,” he shrugs, “I never could. Plus I am not, how do I say it, the diplomat my old man was. With all due respect to his memory, I miss him like crazy, but he ran things very differently than I do.”
“Of course.” I appreciate his candor, even if the disapproval on Roger’s face says otherwise from his perspective. Probably because I try to fall on the side of the diplomat since there is no point in letting a slip of the tongue earn me an enemy.
“I guess that brings us to the bigger question.” I make it a point to grin as I look him up and down. “Why are you here? I understand hating Moroni is amon factor, yet is that all there is? Are you trying to honor an old rtionship or are you looking to get something else out of it?” I feel the need to be open and honest with him.
“Bottom line, I have a cache of weapons and the means to keep theming. You have the means of transporting them. I think we could arrange a deal that would benefit both of us. It would mean your buyers are getting what they want. At the same time, it’ll increase your cash flow while I expand our operation. My father was never interested much in this portion of the business, although he was old school. He was very intelligent and a respectable leader, but he didn’t have the vision it takes nowadays to keep up with changing times. I’m not leaving money on the table anymore. I hope I can count on you to partner with me.”
I appreciate his honesty, and I’m never one to overlook the opportunity for a profitable deal. Still, I withhold judgment<b>, </b>mulling it over silently while Roger waits for my answer. I don’t think he trusts this kid, and I can understand why, but again, Roger isn’t in charge.
Yes, Sebastian is young, but he’s hungry. He wants to seed, and it’s undoubtedly noticeable. I can’t possibly pass up the opportunity to work with him.
“Send me the specifics, and I’ll look it over,” I vow, standing and extending a hand. “And as a gesture of good faith, when I recover my missing shipment, I’ll be happy to offer a percentage to you in thanks.”
“I appreciate the gesture. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help in the recovery efforts.” He shakes my hand, his grip firm, before turning to Roger and offering him a shake as well. The momentary pause as Roger sizes him up isn’t lost on me. “I have men that aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty if you need the assistance. I simply want to help.”
I nod, and Roger shows him to the door. As soon as he’s gone, I pour myself a generous amount of scotch. Tough kid, rough around the edges even with all his posturing in that suit and expensive haircut. Certainly somebody I’d prefer to call an ally than an enemy. When Roger returns, he immediatelyunches into the earful he’s dying to give me.
“We didn’t need him to tell us it was Jack. I think it was obvious from the beginning that he’s behind this shit.”
“Did you pay any attention to that kid?” I sip my scotch, shaking my head. “That is someone we want as an ally. He thinks he’s doing us a favor, and in a way, he is.”
“How so?”
“He came in here as a gesture of friendship. He wants us to know he intends to make good on the rtionship I had with his old man. That’s extremely valuable.” Then I lift a shoulder, grinning. “And it means more money in our pockets if we can work out a deal. It’s a win–win all around. The more guns we sell, the happier I am and the happier our clients are.”
“You’re the boss. I see your point, we want him on our good side. I’m warning you<b>, </b>in any case. I’ve got a strange feeling about him. There’s more to him, and I don’t trust him. It’s too soon, and he’s far too cocky.”
“Then why the fuck do I trust you?” I call out after him.
He’s smart enough not to say a word. We haven’t gotten into our disagreement over Christopher, but I really can’t get on his case about it again. Specially when I had so much fun beating the shit out of that son of a bitch. I didn’t stop until he begged me to. Stopping was the hard part. I didn’t want to, but I also promised to be back. Now I have the pleasure of knowing he’s waiting. Wondering when I’ll return. Dreading the idea while also maybe wishing I would get it over with and kill him.
A
It’s almost enough to get me hard.
The buzz of an iing text stirs me out of my reverie as I imagine Christopher bleeding out on the cold concrete. Not that
there’s any suffering too extreme for him after what he did to my daughter. Death isn’t even enough at this point. I look down at
the screen and find a message from Amalia. Once again<b>, </b>she cannot help but remind me that she exists. So thirsty for attention. I regret ever giving it to her.
Amalia: Remember, it would be in your best interest to give me what I want.
It took her that long toe up with such a pitiful retort? She’s not the opponent I thought she was. But if it wasn’t for her–her cruelty, her lies, her greed–I would have the one person beside me that I crave most. I would finish my final meeting of the day, then find Caterina wherever she is in the house. I’d bend her over the nearest t surface and fuck her senseless just because I could. Always having her presence to look forward to, her smile, herughter. Her love. She might never have spoken the words out loud, but I saw it in her eyes. It shined brighter than anything else.
She was beginning to love me, if she wasn’t already there.
And now she’s gone, willing to run over if Tatiana needs her, but not if I do. She would rather run away from me. She would prefer to me me for something outside my control.
That’s what’s on my mind while I type out a quick reply.
Me: The only reason you’re still alive is our daughter’s existence<b>. </b>If not for her, I would have rid the world of you long ago. And I still can, so don’t tempt me.
I send the message and return to my scotch, mulling over my Moroni problem and imagining all the ways <b>I </b>could make his life miserable for deciding to fuck with me. I might not be able to punish Amalia in the way I’d like to. I also can’t seem to get Caterina out of her own head. It looks like Moroni’s going to have to bear the brunt of my anger. Eventually<b>, </b>everybody will remember who they’re fucking with and just what the Rossetti name means.