Giovanni

by Dominique Butler

  "I'll give you a quarter of a mil, but after my first year, my investments should be four or five times more," I tell him.

  "Yes, Gio, with the expansion that I have going on, that should be right. You'll also be informed about what's going on in the meetings," Donovan said.

  "That sounds good. Just send Lorrie the contract," I tell him. I look over to his assistant sitting next to him.

  "Britt go wait in the car," Donovan said. She grabs her things then walks out the door.

  "On the other side of business, what can I expect?" I ask.

  "With each new house or building, one of my personal men will give you a tour and show you the special features," he said.

  " Good with me," I said, staring up, shaking his hand, and walking out of the conference room. I pull out my phone, calling Danny, he instantly answered.

  " Boss," he said.

  " I need for you to pick up Angel at the airport dropping Camille off at my house," I tell him.

  " Ok, I thought the trip would have been longer," he said.

  "I did too, "I said before hanging up.

  I walk into my office when my phone rings, answering it. "Hey, mama," I say.

  " Where are you?" she asks.

  "On my way to see you," I tell her.

  " Where am I?'" she asks me.

  " At the restaurant," I tell her.

  "Good, be here in ten minutes," she said. I hang up my phone walk back out of my office.

  "Lorrie Donovan's assistance will be sending you a contract in the next couple of days. I'm out for lunch," I tell her walking to the elevator.

  " Yes, Mr. Ricci," she said.

  I get in the elevator with Michelle. "Hey Giovanni, " she said, and I look at her.

  "You know the rules," I tell her. She thinks that since our families want us to marry each other that she's above everything and everyone in the building. Michelle walks up to me, placing her hand on my chest.

  "Sorry, Mr. Ricci, we don't want anyone thinking that we have something going on," she said in a low voice. I pull her hand off my chest.

  "Michelle, I don't want you, so just stop pursuing, " I tell her, then walked out of the elevator door before it opens, stepping out into the lobby.

  " Boss," Dominic said, walking next to me.

  "Lunch at the restaurant," I tell him as we walk out the door. Dom drives while I get in the back seat calling Rich’s phone. "You have eyes on Amy?" I ask.

  " Yes, she's at a garage owned by the Ferrari's," he said.

  " Keep your eyes open. Don't want that bitch surprising us," I tell him before hanging up.

  "We’re here," Dom says parked in front of the restaurant. I get out walking start through the door.

  "Mr. Ricci, your family in the back," the host said. I nod my head walking past the many tables to the back of the restaurant.

  I see mama and papa at the table, talking. I bend down, kissing mama on the check.

  "How are you doing?" I ask her.

  "Good now that you're here," she said. I walk over to my papa, giving him a hug.

  "How's work?" he asks.

  "Good just closed the deal with Donovan," I tell him. Papa shakes his head. I take a seat across from them.

  "When is Camille coming back?" Mama asks.

  “Sometime tonight," I tell her picking up the menu.

  "Good, I can have someone to talk to," she says.

  "What I'm not a good conversationalist?" I ask her she laughs.

  “ You’re as much fun to talk as talking to the wall," she said.

  "Ouch," I said, holding my chest, we all laugh.

  "Hush boy," she says, picking up her menu.

  "How's that problem going?" Papa asks.

  "I have a plan," I tell him. The rest of the meal we lightly talk and eat for an hour, I get up from the table. "I have to go," I tell them, walking over, giving mama a kiss on her cheek.

  "Reminder Nonna's birthday is next week," mama said.

  "I'll remember," I tell her. I walk over to papa give him a hug.

  "Get that situation with her family under control, " he tells me.

  "I will," I tell him before leaving the table. Dom walks from the bar to my side, handing me his phone.

  "Yes," I say.

  “Boss, we have a problem at the warehouse," a man's voice says.

  "I'll be there no one leaves," I tell him, hanging up the phone. I take out my phone, calling Lorrie.

  "Yes, Mr. Ricci," she said.

  "Lorrie, what do I have planned for the rest of the day?" I ask, getting in the car.

  "You are having dinner with Mr. Warner at eight tonight. He runs a shipping company," she said.

  " Good, send me the details to my phone. I'm out of the office for the rest of the day," I tell her.

  “Okay, Mr. Ricci," she said before I can hang up.

  I look at my phone, seeing that it was 2 o'clock. They should be boarding the plane now. I can have Camille come to my house for dinner. Yea, I'll be able to see my lovely goddess with her chocolate skin, curvy body, and that ass, I thought, smiling pulling up to the warehouse. Dom parks the car on the side of the building. We get out, walking to the back door. I knock on the door a few minutes later. The door opens. "Hey, boss," Tommy said.

  "Hey, Tommy. What's going on?" I ask after we get in.

  "We're missing some coke," he said. I look at him. I walk farther into the room, seeing naked women and men lined up in the middle of the floor.

  “Tony," I say, walking up to him.

  “Boss," he said.

  "How much is missing?" I ask.

  "Two bricks," he said. I shake my head, looking at each person standing up, walking up to them.

  “Does anyone have something to say?" I ask, walking down the line. No one said anything. I reach out and grab the closest person to me, picking the man up by his throat.

  "Ain't no one going anywhere until I get back what’s mine," I tell them. The man struggles since his hands are tied behind his back. I throw him to the floor then walk up the line looking each person in the eye pulling a short woman by the hair she instantly started shouting. I pull her face towards me. "Who stole from me?" I ask.

  "I don't know," she says.

  "Not a good answer," I tell her taking my hand and smacking her across her face. "Does anyone know anything?" I ask, seeing people quiver at my question. "Somebody knows something. Until I get my answers, I guess everyone’s going to get hit," I tell them.

  "Boss," Dom says, holding his phone. I grab it out of his hand.

  "What?" I say.

  "Gio, I can't find Camille," Angel said.

  "What the fuck you mean you can't find her?" I ask damn near ready to explode.

  “I went to her room to tell her it's time to go. She wasn’t there, but her bags are packed sitting on the bed. I asked her family do they know where she's at, but nobody knows. Tisha and I have been calling her phone non-stop, no answer," Angel tells me.

  "What's her family doing?" I ask.

  "Nothing. No one’s worried about her except for her one aunt and sister," he says.

  "Keep looking for her. Watch your back her; family's up to something," I tell.

  "I will," he said before hanging up the phone.

  I take out my phone, calling Lorrie. "Hey, Mr. Ricci," she said.

  "I need you to add a flight to Atlanta tomorrow, then send my flight plans to Amy," I tell her.

  "Will do boss," she said before I hang up. I put my phone in my pocket.

  "Tony, get the tools," I tell him. I look at each person in line. Tony comes back with the tool roll placing it on the table on the side of the room. I walk to the table, unrolling it. "What are we gonna play with today?" I ask myself picking up pliers. "Teeth or toenails," I ask.

  I heard labored breathing. I put them down, picking up a hand saw. "I could use this," I say, looking at it, "or the hammer," I say. I grab the hammer walking back to the line.

  "So is there anything that someone wants to t
ell me before I start," I say walking up and down the line. Again not a word is being said. I stop in front of a man that's at least 5'6”. I take my suit jacket off, handing it to Tony. I take my left arm swinging it as far back as I can, then coming forward, hitting him in his left knee. He falls, muffling his cries. I look at the rest of the people.

  "Anyone?" I ask.

  The women start crying and shaking. Dom walks up to me. "Boss," he says, and I turn around. "The cameras," he said.

  "You're ruining my fun," I tell him, putting the hammer on the table.

  I grab my jacket off Tony walking in the basement of the building pass the tables of coke to the little office. I take a seat in front of the computer. I press play on the video seeing Tommy taking two bricks of coke from the wall. I replay the video again, looking at the date in the corner. I get up from the computer going back up. When I reach the top, everyone's eyes are on me. I look across the room. Seeing everyone a little shaken up. My eyes stop at Tommy in the corner putting on his tough face. I walk to the table. Running my hands-on tools.

  "Does anyone have something to tell me?"I asked.

  "You see, boss, one of the girls took the coke, but I took it from her," Tommy said, strolling towards me.

  “Where did you put it?" I ask him taking my jacket off, placing it on the table.

  "I put it in there," he said, pointing towards the wall. I pick up the hammer smacking him in the face.

  “Boss, what's going on?" Tony asks, stepping next to me.

  “This motherfucker stole the two bricks," I say. Tommy lay on the ground holding his face. I drop the hammer on the floor, walking back to the table, picking up the pickaxe.

  "Boss, this is Tommy," Tony said.

  "You heard him. Tommy is a thief that can't be trusted," Dom said. Tony backs away. Tommy gets up off the floor, ready to run when I swing the pickaxe through his calf.

  “Ahh, you sick motherfucker," Tommy said, lying on the ground clutching his leg.

  "I'll show you sick," I say, standing above him, swinging the pickaxe all over his body.

  "Gio," I hear Danny calling my name.

  I stop looking at the body lying lifeless in front of me. I turn to Danny as he walks up to me.

  "You been at it for ten minutes. We need to go," he said. I shake my head, dropping the ax on the floor.

  "Here," Danny said, giving me a rag. I look around, seeing everyone in fear.

  “Do some work," I tell them. They all scurry away but Danny and Dom. "What brought you here?" I ask Danny.

  "Besides you going bat shit crazy. Angel called me saying that they still can't find her," he said. We walk out the door back, getting in the car.

  "I have a plan leaving tomorrow," I tell him.

  “You sure about that since Amy is your CO," Danny said.

  "What other way is there?" I tell him.

  "Send a couple of men down there with Angel. If they don't find her in a couple of days, then we all go down there," Danny said.

  I think about it; for the next couple of days, I do have a lot of meetings, and Amy is gonna be all over my ass if she knows that Camille is in Atlanta too, I thought.

  "Get a team together," I tell Danny. I lean my head back, closing my eyes.

  "Gio," Danny says. I opened my eyes to see that we're at my house. I get out of the car, going into the house.

  "Mr. Ricci," Mrs. Rose says, my name.

  "I'm fine," I tell her walking to the staircase, going to my room. I turn the shower on, taking my clothes off, getting in the shower, putting my head under the water.

  Fuck. How can someone just take her? I know it was her family, but where did they take her, I thought, banging my fist on the wall. I need to calm down and be level headed before I get out of control I breathe in and out then finish up in the shower. I grab a towel from the side of the shower to dry off with then wrap it around my waist walk in my closet, pulling out a dark blue suit with a white button-up and black dress shoes. I walk downstairs.

  “Would you be eating dinner tonight, Mr. Ricci?" asked Rose.

  "No, I have a business dinner to attend tonight, Rose. You can go home," I tell her. I walk in my office to see Danny and Dom sitting down. I go to the minibar, pouring some Scotch in a glass downing that in a few seconds. I pour another. I take a seat behind the desk.

  "Send Tommy's family some money and our condolences," I say.

  "On it," Dom said, leaving the room.

  "Who will you be sending?" I ask, taking a sip of Scotch.

  "Trey, Dan, and Gabe," Danny said.

  "Trey," I said.

  "He won't look too suspicious while down there," Danny said.

  "Ok. When will they be leaving?" I ask.

  “Tonight on one of the private planes," Danny said. I nod my head taking another sip of the scotch.

  "I'll see you later," Danny said, getting out of the chair.

  "Okay," I said, leaning back in my chair.

  My phone rings. I take it out of my pocket, answering it. "Yeah," I said tiredly.

  "Gio, we found her phone by this pond on the other side of the property," Angel said.

  "No blood or any ripped clothes," I ask.

  "No, just the phone. She must have been snatched," Angel said. I was relieved that she wasn't beaten or raped.

  "Stay there. I have Trey, Dan, and Gabe coming down to help," I tell him.

  “We're gonna need it; ain't no one saying shit," Angel said. I just shake my head.

  "Call me when they arrive," I tell him before hanging up, I drank the rest of my scotch getting out of the chair heading to the car to meet Mr. Warner for dinner.

  Camille POV

  "Shit," I say to a pounding headache I'm having. Opening my eyes blinking a few times to get my vision in focus. I sit up on the bed, looking around, seeing that I'm in a room. I take my time getting off the bed. “Shit," I say, holding my head walking to the door. I grab the knob twisting it but not moving. I push the door open. “Fuck," I say.

  Who locked me in here? I thought, banging on the door.

  After doing that for a few minutes, I take a seat, rubbing my temple. The door opens, and I look up to see Devin.

  “Finally, you’re up. I was getting bored," he said, closing the door.

  "What's going on?" I ask.

  "Camille, you’re a smart girl. I'm sure you can figure it out," he said, pulling a chair in front of me. I stare at him for a few minutes.

  "So, this is about me going back to Ricci?" I said.

  "Yes, but what else," he asks, smiling like this shit is a game.

  “This has something to do with the Ferrari family also," I say.

  "Ding ding we have a winner," Devin said. I just look at him to explain more. "You don't know what's really going on, huh?" he said, getting out of his chair.

  “Let's start from the beginning. My family works for the Ferrari's. My job was to get your family part of the team. The only way is to make it so that they can't work for the Riccis. My father befriended yours taking him out to casinos, hot clubs, trips overseas, but the man that your father is wanted to compete with mines getting your uncle to take out the money from the restaurant and the other business. But they still couldn't compete, so he eventually borrowed money from Ricci. The rest is history," Devin said.

  This explains why dad felt like he had to take care of the problem he's been getting played by this fucking moron. It's fucking funny knowing that Devin's family doesn't have that type of money by the way they are acting, I thought.

  Chapter 20

  "When are you gonna let me go?" I ask Devin.

  "Don't know yet, but get comfortable. Knock on the door if you need anything," he said, walking to the door.

  "Wait, what’s gonna happen to Giovanni?" I ask.

  "Are you sure you want to hear this?" he said.

  I nod my head, yes.

  "Okay fine," he says, retaking a seat. "You know that the Ricci's and Ferrari's have been at war for a long time," he said. I sh
ake my head for him to proceed. "The Ferrari family originally wanted the Ricci's to marry into the family, but now they just want to take all their new business that Giovanni had made. Now that we're done with storytime, I'll bring you up something to eat," he said, leaving out the room.

  I wait a few minutes before getting off the bed, checking the door. I twist the knob, but the door is locked. "Fuck," I say, walking to the window, moving the curtains out the way. The window has bars over them. I look outside, seeing no house close by with lights on since its night time but a forest.

  The door opens; Devin comes in, holding a tray with bottled water, chips, and a sandwich kicking the door close. He places the tray on the bed.

  "You saw the bars," he asks, taking a seat. I walk away from the window, grabbing the water off the tray listening to the cap crack open. "We're far away from anyone that can help you," he said.

  I take a sip of the water, moving around in my mouth before swallowing.

  “Devin, you must get enjoyment from this getting your high school crush all to yourself," I say.

  “Camille, I don't want you. I have more beautiful women to attend to," he says.

  I laugh a little at him, knowing that them women don't want an errand boy but the man running the show.

  Giovanni POV

  "My boy let's celebrate," Mr. Warner said, passing me a glass of Scotch, and I take a sip. The meeting went well, with me becoming Warner's new investor. "Look who walks in," Mr. Warner said, looking at the door. I look up to see Christian Ferrari walk in with a blond woman on his arm. We stare at each other for a few seconds before I drink my scotch. "Why is he here out of all places?" Mr. Warner asks.

  "This is a restaurant," I tell him.

  "But for him to be at a restaurant that your family owns, there must be a problem," Mr. Warner said.

  That's the million-dollar question of the night, I thought while finishing my drink. Dom walks over to me.

  "You want me to throw him out?" Dom asks.

  "No, I'll go welcome him," I say, putting my glass down. I stand up, fixing my suit, walking across the room.

  "Giovanni, good to see you," Christian smiled when seeing me.

  "Good to see you too," I tell him shaking his hand.

  "Have a seat," he says.

  “No, I just came over to say hello," I tell him, walking away.