The incessant buzzing of Vitali’s words broke into his troubled thoughts.
“Somebody’s got to teach Lucinda Ricci a lesson and it might as well be me,” Vitali remarked bitterly, chugging back more liquor, and then looked at him again. “This is my sex and drug-induced valley. If anyone’s going to leave a stink or corrupt it, it’s me.”
He eyed him across the space.
Asshole…
Such a high level of cockiness and indifference on his part was sickening, and being proud about that fact was twisted and abhorrent.
Hadn’t Vitali hurt and destroyed enough people?
“So, it’s not enough that she’s taken control of the north? She’s landing a base here, in the south, too.” Somehow, he managed to appear unfazed. For wasn’t he disgusted by the both of them, yet Ricci to a lesser degree. That was all due to their tentative agreement several months back. But, would she really live up to it? It was exactly what he intended to find out. “Where is her current base of operation?”
“Birmingham---perfectly and secretly positioned in the Sweet Logan area. Her clientele are rich and polished.” Vitali stared across the living room, and both envy and jealousy tinged his tone while speaking. “Prep boys that everyone lauds and pays no attention to. The perfect type to turn into mindless zombies---for their main concern will be protecting their reputation more than anything else. They’d die before allowing anyone to witness their pathetic weakness. Therefore, in total submission, they become slaves to the drugs.”
So, his pseudo-enemy was drawing closer.
Too close…
That wasn’t good.
Not in the least.
“You really think she’s that much of a threat?” he demanded, feigning ignorance. “Or are these just nervous whispers coming from the Wolf Pack?”
“Oh, they’re more than whispers. They’re solid truths.” The disgust marred Vitali’s face. “This wouldn’t even be an issue, you know, not if that sick fucker hadn’t intervened and ruined things! Everything was going seamlessly, a mutual deal amongst the greatest of us. Then, he fouled us and sold us out to the feds. What’s worse, even after all this time, no one knows who did it. Know what I think?”
He kept his poker face. “What?”
“I think that he and this Ricci heifer were in this together. How else is it that her father and husband are in prison, but she’s not? No, she was in on it. Nothing else makes sense.” Vitali’s expression turned colder. “As for the low life muthafucka that sold everyone out, he’s going to wish to be dead after I’m through with him.” Cursing under his breath, he spewed white spittle from his mouth and sent it flying to the floor. “I spit on his father’s grave and curse him! With my line of torture and punishment, there will be no end.” A cruel light gleamed in his orbs. “First, I’m going take the blade and pierce his flesh, little by little, before peeling the skin from his bones. See the picture yet, son?” He turned his crazed gaze on him. “Then, I’ll gut him wide open, and after his guts spill on the floor, I’ll feed them to my fuckin’ hounds…”
Not breaking eye contact, his gaze steeled over.
Like hell, he would.
In fact, he wasn’t going anywhere.
Whenever the time came for him to leave this green earth, it wouldn’t be at his hands. A long time ago, as a young teenaged boy, he’d made that solemn promise. Even now, the memories burned bright in his head. While he’d lain in a crumpled bloodied heap, too weakened to move or cry out, he’d plotted different methods of revenge in his head. Goodness knows, during those awful and unspeakable times, those thoughts were the only things that offered him solace.
Every beating after that, he’d grown stronger mentally and physically.
There was no turning back.
Vengeance was his.
Raising a brow, looking away, he eyed the slimy spittle.
One by one, he was ridding the slime.
Actually, months ago, his actions had been exceedingly crafty.
He was the mastermind behind the downfall of some of the country’s most prolific drug dealers. The FBI had seized over $750 million of cocaine at a NYC port and a shipload of hard green cash. Anonymously, he’d mailed in a copy of the flash drive that contained names and things of other sorts. Ricci and a score of other criminals had gone down hard and received life long prison sentences.
His hostile gaze fell on Vitali.
In time, here soon, it’d be his turn.
But, not before he avenged his mother by making him suffer.
“…I’ll even attend his funeral services afterward,” Vitali went on cruelly. “With no regret, with steadfast confidence, I’ll peer into his widow’s and children’s eyes and give them a sweet blessing.” His gaze was glacier. “Doesn’t that prove that I’m not to be played with, son?”
“I pity the fool.” His smile was tight. “Sounds like the poor bastard is in for it.”
“Damn right he is!” The cold sneer turned Vitali’s mouth downward. “Millions were lost in that fuckin’ deal! It’s probably one of my biggest hits and loss of revenue. No product…no cash…that means I came out a loser rather than a winner.”
“But, you walked away scot-free. Isn’t that enough?”
“No! Not when my empire could be flourishing at unbelievable heights. And you know what? That Lucinda bitch is hearing nothing but straight up ka-chings! Owning the northern parts of the country isn’t enough for her, and now she has the audacity to try and infringe on my territory. I’m not about to let that happen! That’s why we have to be on the up on this Ricci shit now. We target her before she targets us.” Vitali eyed him straight point. “My boys have word on her next move. Her first line of attack is Cedartown and subtly spreading into parts of Rome.”
He straightened on the sofa. “So, the rural counter parts.”
“Yep, those good ol’ boys will be stuffing her shit into their coveralls and getting high. But, that’s my job. I’m their addiction king, and it’s up to me to maintain a high level of control.” His alcohol-glazed eyes landed on him. “For a second time tonight, I’m asking for assistance from you.”
“What?” Shaking his head, blowing a breath, he reared forward on the sofa. “You’re trying my patience with these ridiculous demands.” He dangled the half-full alcohol bottle between his widened legs. “What now? What do you want?”
“Take control of Lucinda Ricci. I want you to snag that bitch! Fuck her dry,” Vitali muttered darkly, working his mouth fast, and then swallowed the liquor. “If it’s anything that she loves more than money, it’s dick.”
While he took in his father’s wild look, his expression was unreadable.
Wasn’t that a fact that he discovered himself when in NYC?
“Wait a minute, you want me to whore myself out?” he asked instead with an abrupt laugh, passing him an incredulous look. “You’re something else, you know that?”
“The idea’s not so far-fetched. It’s not like you haven’t done it before to broker a deal. Ah, come on, stop it with this choir boy act of yours. We both know getting laid is high on your scale,” Vitali said giving a humorless laugh. “So stop acting so damn uptight.”
Staring across the room, he swirled the alcohol.
At one point, that’d been true.
But, since meeting Bella---
His mindset had changed…
She made him believe the impossible.
She made him want everything.
Stiffening, he brought the bottle to his mouth again, drinking long and hard again.
As if there were any real truths to her…
No, the only truth was that she was Vitali’s woman.
In some way or another, he’d been a pawn in her game.
Later on, he’d discover why.
“Think of it as a sexual expedition. Explore different passages with her. Twosomes, threesomes, orgies if you must…just fuck that damn bitch,” Vitali continued on, and his eyes were blurry-eyed. Now, even his words were somewhat
slurred. A mix of alcohol and cocaine obviously would have some strange effect. On the table before him, there was a perfectly cut row. Bending down, the criminal snorted a nostril full. Sniffing, red-eyed, he looked at him again. “With her man holed up in the pen, she has to be damned thirsty. Most men run from croc-bitches like her. They’re fucking man-eaters, and their sole ambition is to make a man ball-less. But, you’re just her type---young, handsome, good-looking, rich as hell.” His gray eyes were glazed over. “Charm her. Take her out to dinner. Do whatever’s necessary and find her weak spot. In the meantime, I’ll be scoring wins against her.”
“So your idea is to pimp me out.” He eyed him with boredom. “Another fine example of your fatherly love? How did I ever get so lucky?”
“Call it whatever you want,” Vitali shot back, eyes bloodshot. “Remember this. If I lose, you lose. Truth told, I’m not thrilled by the idea of you being my apparent heir. Unless some other bastard child springs into existence, the Vitali Empire will become yours. But, don’t get comfortable with the idea yet. The future holds new certainties and with luck I will have a legitimate child that I’m proud to claim as my own. If it doesn’t happen, I have no other choice but to accept you, sadly.” He wagged a finger at him. “My legacy shall endure forever. Do it justice.” Standing up, he staggered sideways and righted himself. Blinking fast, he pinched his nose. “I’m more fucked up than I thought.” Glancing at his watch, he dropped his voice down low. “Listen. I need a favor.”
“A favor?” he quipped fast, showing his impatience. “What now?”
“I need you to keep an eye on Isabella.”
A light bulb came on in his head.
If his mind had been blurred before, it wasn’t now.
It was startlingly crystal clear.
“Keep an eye on her?” He tensed. “Why?”
“I’m going out,” Vitali spat with mounting impatience. “That’s why. My car will be pulling around out front in 10 minutes or so, and I’ll be gone until tomorrow afternoon some time.” He gave a sly grin. “Let’s just say that Jocelyn and I have some interesting business to take care of. Suite 25 at the Gallant Regency Hotel.”
“You’re running around on her?” he asked with a hint of anger.
Despite everything, didn’t she deserve better?
“Why not?” Vitali shrugged nonchalantly. “This is the dawn of the millennial generation. Anything and everything goes. Monogamy is a distant memory of the past.”
“So, that’s your justification for cheating on her.”
“Not that it’s any of your fuckin’ business, but Isabella and I have an understanding. Our relationship is an open-closed one of sorts.”
“Open-closed relationship…what the hell does that even mean?”
“It means that I can fuck whoever I want and whenever I want,” Vitali boasted proudly, rotating his hips, and then chortled. Then, his eyes glinted with a dangerous warning. “But, if she so much as even thinks about another man…” Taking his finger to his nape like a blade, he made a slitting motion. “I’ll shank him and her. No regrets. Luckily, Isabella understands my position on the matter. But, enough about her; unfortunately, my big pecker wants to stab someone else, namely the buxom blond that I’m about to meet up with here soon.” He flexed his hands about like he was squeezing something. “You know what? Jocelyn has the biggest sweetest ass tits---they’re like two fat, ripe, and juicy melons---”
“Nobody wants to hear that shit.” Eyes burning, he swallowed the remainder of the alcohol and grasped the neck of the bottle tighter. “Spare me the details.”
“Alright, alright, alright, sourpuss---you’re definitely no fun tonight or ever.” Then, Vitali shook his head to clear it. “It’s past 11 now, and I don’t have that much time to give detail instructions---”
“I haven’t agreed to anything yet.”
“You have or you wouldn’t still be sitting here. Now on to what I need you to do. Isabella generally sleeps throughout the night. There are rare times, however, when she likes to go the library and read after midnight.”
“Oh, don’t tell me,” he cracked wisely, giving a lazy grin. “You want me to read her a bedtime story?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m just pointing out some things.” The disapproval showed on his father’s face. “I know how you like to roam about like a ghost. But, stay out of her way. Unlike most women, Isabella relishes quiet, peace, and solitude. If she’s in the study, just leave her be.” His frown worsened. “Seeing as she had a therapy session today, I don’t anticipate her rising tonight.”
“Therapy session?” he asked, interest piqued. “Is something going on with her?”
Instantly, his mind flashed back to their emotional encounter months ago. Back then, it’d been obvious that something pained her. Yet, she’d made no mention of exactly what.
“Trust me,” Vitali muttered with open disgust. “You don’t want to hear the details about the situation any more than I do. Anyway, I need you to stand in for me. Take her out to lunch and discuss her position at Jameson’s---”
“Is this your not so subtle way of strong-arming me into taking her on as my protégé?” Mulling it over now, it might not be such a bad idea, he decided, staring across the room. By keeping her closer, he’d learn even more secrets. Sighing, he looked at his estranged father. “Alright, you win. I’ll do what you want---under one condition.”
“Condition?” Vitali’s brows pinched together. “Namely what?”
“You stay the hell out of the way.”
“Meaning that you don’t want me anywhere near the company?”
“Damn straight.” Looking at him, he offered no apologies. “That also means that I don’t need Akumu or any of your other goons hounding me or hanging around the place. Agreed?”
Eyeing him steadily, Vitali stalled for a moment. “Where Isabella is concerned, I can trust you, can’t I?”
Suddenly, the air tightened in his throat. “Meaning what?”
“Come on, you know what! Your reputation precedes you. Everyone knows that you love women and then spit them out. A woman will never get anything long-lasting from a billionaire playboy gigolo like you,” Vitali spat quickly. “But, I have no worries about Isabella’s behavior. She respects me and has morals although they can be a bit loose at times. Don’t put her in an awkward position and make unwanted advances.”
“So, in not so many words, it’s me that you’re concerned with?”
“Of course. Like me, you lack morals. It’d be in you to take advantage of her just to put the screws in me. Don’t you think that it’s time for you to desist with such pettiness and become my son wholly?” Vitali pursed his lips prudently. “Isabella wouldn’t pick up on such a manipulation on your part and would solely take you at face value. While she likes to think that she’s cosmopolitan, she’s not. The world of stripping has sadly convinced her that she is. Realizing that she’s nothing more than a fragile woman would hurt her deeply. So, getting her to admit it is fruitless.”
Raising a brow, he stared down into the neck of the empty bottle.
They were talking about the same woman, right?
Hardly not…
The woman that he knew was a fiery, spirited, and fiercely independent.
But, wasn’t he dismissing a vital point?
He really didn’t know her.
That thought was too troubling.
His thoughts attuned to Vitali’s words again.
“Titan, I’ll only say this once. Therefore, heed these words well,” Vitali said as if chastising a child. “The idea is here is to build a professional rather than personal relationship with her. Therefore, keep your personal distance. Outside of work, you are to have nothing to do with her.”
“Come on, you’re being unrealistic. Better than anyone, you realize how some things run after hours. The way that I understand it---you either want her to learn the ropes or you don’t. I’ve agreed to help you with the woman. But, I won’t be li
mited by your insecurities.”
“Swear to me that you won’t make any advances towards her!”
What’s that old adage?
Don’t make promises that you can’t keep.
Well, he was going to definitely follow it.
“Sounds to me like you’re selling your girl short,” he quipped tightly. “It’s obvious that she’s committed to you. So, why would she hold any interest towards me? Hell, you’ve seen her tonight. She’s barely paid me any attention.”
“Yeah, you’re right about that,” Vitali agreed, brightening somewhat. “And you’ve already pissed her off with that loose tongue of yours, not to mention your closed ideas.”
“Don’t worry, Vitali.” He offered a tight smile before offering the lie. “Your girl is safe with me. Stilettos and all.”
They were interrupted by the opening of the door.
Turning, they found Mauricio standing within the doorway.
“Excuse me for interrupting, Mr. Vitali,” the attendant offered quietly. “But, your ride is here. I’ve already taken the liberty of having your luggage sent down.”
“Excellent.” Vitali’s smile was broad. “Mauricio, make sure to take good care of my son, here. He’ll be our guest for a short period of time. It pleases me to say that he’ll be here for the remainder of tonight and part of the hour tomorrow.”
Mauricio bowed. “It will certainly be my pleasure to serve you, Mr. Jameson.”
“That will be all Mauricio.” Vitali waved a dismissive hand. “You may go.” When the door closed after the attendant, he faced him again. “Well, I suppose that I’ll take my leave.”
“Don’t let me hold you up,” he said, standing up. “Hope you don’t mind if I hang out here for a bit.”
“Make yourself at home. Mi casa es tu casa, as they say. Feel free to do what you want, and if you’re in need of anything, Mauricio will be here to assist you.” His father sailed towards the door. “We’ll talk later tomorrow.”
Moments later, alone, he still wallowed in self-pity.
Sighing hard, he wandered to the wet bar.
This time, he moved behind the counter.
“What in the hell is going on with you, Bella?” he muttered quietly and eyed the score of liquor bottles. Slowly, he selected a full bottle of white whiskey from the shelf.
Rise of the Titan Page 35
