by Anna Widzisz
Inéz shook her head, trying to calm down. Maybe the twin wouldn’t do anything too bad to her around Amanda. Nevertheless, she wouldn’t bet on it. "I’m fine," she assured her friend forcing a smile.
"Elio, you need something from Layla?" she finally turned towards the man, gazing at him, hope lacing her eyes. She probably thought that the girl had asked him for help at last. Which wasn’t the case at all.
He nodded. "Yes," he began. "I wanted to know why the fuck she was hiding in the dressing room, listening to my conversation with Fabro."
Amanda rolled her eyes, not buying his sudden bout of anger. She’d known him for some time already and wasn’t scared of him for some reason. Inéz wondered whether she was even aware of what the man actually did for a living. She might suspect it, but she really doubted any Made Man would openly confirm her suspicions. Omertà was taken very seriously.
"She wasn’t listening to you. Since she arrived at work, every once in awhile, she went to the bathroom, feeling unwell. It’s not a matter of just going once to freaking spy on you. Don’t be paranoid, Elio," she said.
Inéz’s eyes widened, waiting for the man to explode in anger at what the girl told him, and at the disrespectful manner of doing it. He was technically her boss alongside Gastone, Alberto and Fabro. All of which wouldn’t have hesitated in hitting her across the face for such behavior.
Elio didn’t.
What’s more, when he turned to Inéz once again, his expression softened. "Do you need a medic? Or to take a day off?"
To say that the girl felt overwhelmed because of the kind manner in which Elio was acting with her would be an understatement. Words of agreement with the second question played on her tongue. That way, she could avoid going to the VIP room to Gastone.
"I’ll be alright, but thank you," she said instead, reluctantly rejecting the offer.
And with that, she returned to the main club area, heading up the stairs as it was already a few minutes after midnight. The Capodecina was already going to be even angrier at her tardiness.
CHAPTER 34
Nicodemo was waiting on Noah who was in the middle of a meeting with one of the politicians the Las Vegas Famiglia was supporting. The elections were quickly approaching and, as a consequence, many meetings were necessary with the Capo dei capi. He gave money to the campaign, but also kept a firm hand on all the aspects of the voting process and the decisions the politicians made. Quid pro quo.
Just after midnight, the doors of a big mansion opened and the Falcone strode out, annoyance written all over his face. As much as he would love to pass this task to Flavio, he couldn’t. The Underboss had many responsibilities as it was, and couldn’t take on any more at this moment. Besides, Noah hated being perceived as disrespectful. He never acted that way openly towards others and wasn’t planning on starting any time soon. His business depended on his actions; his captains, soldiers, enforcers, assassins and associates. Nothing was handed to him, and earning almost a million dollars a week came with a certain amount of work that had to be done. Not just delegated.
He waved a hand in a dismissing manner, seeing as his Enforcer was on the verge of asking about the meeting. He wasn’t in the mood to discuss it just yet. Instead, they got into the car. It had been a long day as it was.
Noah looked at his soldier. "Have you made up your mind about going back?" he asked, suspecting that Nicodemo wouldn’t refuse his father.
The Enforcer sighed. "My brother is facing extortion charges. If he goes to jail, I won’t have any other choice."
"Your father wants you, doesn’t he?"
"Yes, but I’m not the oldest son, and most captains in Sicily would prefer to keep their customs intact. To be honest, I am praying that he manages to get out of this mess because I certainly wouldn’t wish to go back. But I am thinking of flying my sister here after my father’s death. She will have a hard time there all by herself. Especially since her husband has been killed," he said, turning his gaze briefly to his Capo.
One of Nicodemo’s sisters, Nicolina Accardi, was a twenty-two-year-old woman, who up until six months ago had been married to one of the captains in Palermo. However, by Noah’s order, he had been murdered because he’d been discovered hiding a big percentage of his earnings. He was the second in his family to suffer this fate, following in his father’s footsteps - he had been killed by Noah himself. His first act as a Famiglia initiate meant to turn him into a Made Man.
When Noah had been fifteen years old, he was already trying to somehow be more involved in the Famiglia’s business. And by pure coincidence, he had found out that the old man was engaged in pimping women without his Capo’s approval. And just as his son, later on, he was keeping way too much money for himself.
As it had been Noah’s discovery, he was the one supposed to kill the man. It turned into the job that he needed to do during his initiation process. And just like that, Noah Falcone became the youngest member of the Sicilian Mafia. By proving himself useful and loyal to the cause.
"Hasn’t she remarried?"
"She should, but it’s still early. Besides, father is nowhere near capable of looking for a husband for her. And she says she wants to choose for herself this time, seeing as we already wasted her first marriage by giving her to a man who wasn’t worthy."
Noah laughed. "So you are to take over finding someone for her?"
Nicodemo snorted. He was the last person who should be looking for a good match within the Famiglia for his sister. He didn’t believe in love at all. Rather affection, desire and pure lust. "She will choose. Just like she wanted. If I go back to Sicily, my first fucking order as Capodecina won’t be to bind my sister to a miserable life just because it suits the business. And if she comes here, I’m not high enough in the rankings to do it for her anyway."
What Noah admired in his Enforcer was his common sense and dedication to both the Famiglia and his family. He knew his strengths and weaknesses, and never intended to inflict any harm on those he admired and respected through them. The Capo wasn’t even sure he would act the same way if his sister was still alive. He would find her a good match, but probably one that was tightly linked to the business thriving. On the other hand, Nicodemo didn’t trust himself enough to choose well because he realized that he didn’t know what to look for in a man. How to find the one that would treat his sister right. And after being apart for so long, he probably didn’t even know her that well anyway.
"Well, I don’t really want you to leave. Nevertheless, right now, I could use your presence there, too. My grandmother has asked me to save the house she used to live in with my grandfather. My cousin apparently wants to bring it down. I called him today." He paused briefly. "It appears that he has financial problems. He invested in a shady deal without doing a proper background check on his associate. And now I need to fucking send money to them to settle the issue. Four fucking millions," he seethed.
Normally, he would get rid of his cousin as Capodecina because of such an idiotic business move, but he still trusted him in terms of character, and wouldn’t know who to appoint in his place.
"How are you planning on giving him the money?" Nicodemo asked.
They drove to the underground parking lot in the penthouse building. "I’ll leave that to Flavio. He’s going to find the best solution. A wire transfer can be way too risky because of that fucking prosecutor. He’s dead but his impeachment is still a pain in the ass, and the FBI is most likely trying to infiltrate our organization as we speak."
CHAPTER 35
The moment Inéz stepped into the VIP room, she inhaled deeply and coughed immediately, feeling the thick cigarette smoke fill up her lungs. The nasty habit of many Made Men wasn’t surprising for her anymore. After the time she’d spent working in the club, she could count on one hand the mobsters who hadn’t smoked once. And right now, there were three men inside the room, all indulging in the vice. Gastone was sitting on a long, white couch that spread on the other side of the room, overlooking the small bar area.
Next to him was as usual Alberto, and with a drink in his hand, there was another person, who the girl hadn’t seen before. He was tall and lean, with a bald head and small, beady green eyes that lingered on her way too long for her liking.
Inéz cleared her throat quietly, wondering whether it was a good thing that she wasn’t alone with her boss, or if she should be terrified because there were two more men who looked the furthest thing from nice. Alberto snorted, acknowledging the girl. He had been keeping a close eye on her since the very beginning. There was no doubt he didn’t like that she stood out from all the other dancers. Suspicion didn't once leave his eyes. If Inéz weren't so scared of him, she would applaud his instincts for being somewhat right. But with the way he always yelled at the dancers for the smallest of mistakes, he didn’t deserve anything but the cruelest treatment aimed at him, and him alone.
Gastone grinned as he saw her. Judging by his earlier attitude, he had been surprised. "Layla, come here." He tapped on the free space next to him. As usual, he wanted her close.
She approached them, suddenly feeling like she would prefer to be still interrogated by Elio, rather than there. "Hello," she stuttered out, taking the indicated place.
"Weren’t you supposed to start wearing more revealing clothes?" asked Alberto, finally addressing the issue Inéz had been expecting him to address.
She had a black one-piece on with long sleeves- the most modest suit she could find. Her legs were exposed, but at least she avoided showing off her stomach, chest and arms. Which the soldier didn’t like. Most men probably didn’t. And she had no idea what to answer.
"Now, Alberto, let her wear whatever she wants. Everyone is admiring her either way, aren’t they?" Gastone saved her from having to defend herself.
A sudden heatwave spread through her body, making her cheeks redden. She looked at the man she didn’t know. She very much doubted he was Sicilian. His facial features pointed more towards northern Europe.
Neither of her bosses introduced him, however. They dived right into business. The only reminder that she wasn't forgotten was Gastone’s slight touch on her thigh. He moved it up and down without realizing that it was causing goosebumps to spread all over her skin. Thankfully, she was only there as a side attraction and could listen to the conversation without fear of getting caught.
After fifteen minutes she could already tell that the third man was a Russian named Ivan. That alone rang alarm bells in Inéz’s head. The Famiglia had problems with the Bratva so it was strange for any of the Made Men to be in contact with any Russian. Was he a part of the Bratva? Or just a businessman who happened to come from Russia?
"Have you found a way to invest in the petrol market like we’ve talked about?" asked the Russian.
Gastone’s lips thinned, his eyes filling with anger. He nodded. "Falcone promised to give me the money for this expansion."
The way he said it made it seem like it wasn’t a reason to celebrate. Even though the Capodecina had been asking Noah to participate in this venture for a long time with no success. Inéz didn’t know much about it but had seen that the Capo wasn’t keen on getting involved. Probably because of his soldier’s betrayal.
"How much?" Alberto was truly surprised by the boss’ decision. "Five million dollars. Enough to get this show on the road."
Ivan furrowed his brows. "Then what’s the problem? It sounds like we got exactly what we wanted."
The Capodecina squeezed Inéz’s leg tighter, furiously. "Because he demanded my son’s loyalty to him in exchange," he said. "Elio is now under his command. So, you see, the deal didn’t come without a fucking loss on my behalf. I knew it wouldn’t be easy to persuade him into giving us money just because we found a possible new business venture, but taking one of my soldiers is far from what I expected and from a respectful action."
Alberto blinked, disbelievingly. "That’s why he came to you?" Gastone nodded.
"Your son just agreed without complaint?" the Russian didn’t seem to care much, but probably realized that it was a sign of good faith to ask.
"Falcone approached him earlier with the proposition. He didn’t even hesitate to take it. On one hand, it could be good, but we should have taught Elio more of our plans before something like this happened. I even tried to make Falcone take Fabro instead. He’s more involved and gets around better," Gastone mumbled.
"Well, our girl doesn’t want to cooperate either. She says she won’t get involved."
That got Inéz attention. If she were certain that the man was part of the Bratva, she could assume that they were talking about Lynette. But was that even possible? Were the Russians really holding her captive? A sudden flash of agony crossed her face at thinking of what her friend could be enduring, but she quickly covered it up, so that men wouldn’t catch it.
The Capodecina smirked. "No one can keep refusing forever. Something can always get through to them," he remarked and his attention turned fully towards Inéz.
The hunger in his eyes was almost palpable.
"Now leave us," he commanded the men. They stood up immediately, walking out to the main area.
A shiver went up the girl’s back, thinking of what was to come and how to get away from the Capodecina. Before she could react, the man curled his fingers under her legs and slid her towards him, making her body crash into his. He leaned in, brushing her cheek with his lips. The acrid taste of bile filled her mouth. She started swearing at Noah and his dedication to the Famiglia. Because of it, she had fallen under the Capodecina’s twisted will, and it could all end very badly for her.
His hand was sweaty and stank of cigarettes and the liquor he had been drinking before. As it travelled higher, Inéz fought against her need to push him away. But once he lifted her and put his palm on her butt, a squeak of clear displeasure escaped her lips. It didn’t escape Gastone’s attention. If she wasn’t feeling so sick, there would undoubtedly be tears in her eyes.
"Is something wrong?" he asked, but his voice didn’t hold any real worry. Just pure lust.
Without giving her any time, he pressed himself against her, his lips violently covering hers. The girl resisted and didn’t open hers, terrified that his tongue would slide in. She so badly wanted to be dutiful and suppress her feelings, so that Noah could get the needed information on the Capodecina. She was part of the Las Vegas Famiglia. It was the task she was supposed to complete. So why couldn’t she just do it?
"Stop it." He growled, grabbing her chin between his fingers and making her look at him. "You act so innocent, yet you have to be aware of what it was doing to me," he added.
"But I can’t do this," she whispered, hoping that he had at least one decent bone. It was hard to even think straight anymore, and she had to figure out a good lie that would get her out of this situation. There was a small voice at the back of her head that suggested telling the truth. But she wouldn’t get out alive in that case. And praying for someone to interrupt them again didn’t seem like something that would yield much success. Miracles didn’t repeat themselves.
Gastone’s expression tightened. Then came the realization, followed by even more eagerness. "You’re a virgin, aren’t you?"
And that conclusion could have been her salvation if not for the flash of excitement that had awakened in him. It seemed that would add to her overall appeal, so she had to deny it while she still could. She forcefully shook her head.
"Then what?"
"I prefer to get to know someone better before," she said.
That was the only idea that had come to her in that short time. And it wasn’t even a bad one if the man would understand her point and agree.
Maybe he would tell her more about himself. Finally, reveal what she desperately needed.
But the Capodecina looked at her and laughed loudly. "That’s such bullshit, sweetheart," he started. "Wasn’t it true that Noah Falcone was interested in you? Somehow, I doubt you said ’no’ to him. No one ever does."
Her heart sped up. "That’s ridicu
lous. We didn’t even talk to each other. Your sons just introduced me to him and that was it."
If Gastone linked her to Noah in any way, it could be the end for her. The piercing sound of the Capodecina’s phone ringing saved her. He groaned but answered as the Underboss’ name appeared on the screen.
Inéz made a mental note to thank Flavio for that. She still couldn’t move because the man was tightly holding her in his embrace.
"Yes?"
The tone of his voice changed immediately. While his face showed exasperation, he sounded polite and composed. If Inéz was braver, she would wipe that annoyance off his face. She wished she had more useful information for her Capo.
After a minute of intense conversation, Gastone rose from his seat and quickly walked out of the room, looking as if his house had caught on fire.
"Gracias a Dios," she breathed out and followed her boss, wanting to leave that place as soon as possible.
"Had fun?" she heard a male voice that made her jump.
Everyone was startling her today as if their ultimate goal was to give her a heart attack.
Nicodemo was leaning against the wall just outside the VIP room. His arms were crossed against his chest, and he was smirking. It was dangerous to talk to him in public. With many Made Men attending this club, someone could see them and jump to the wrong conclusions.
She looked around, checking whether anyone was watching.
"Don’t worry. Everybody is occupied for now. Come," he said, extending his hand.
Inéz took it and he started to lead her towards the back entrance. It looked like he wanted to get her out of the club, and although she would love nothing more, she still had a few hours of work left.
"Wait," she stopped. "I can’t leave. They will get suspicious."
The Enforcer studied her face, trying to figure out whether she was being serious. "Somehow, I think Noah will want you out of this place the second he hears about the VIP room," he assured her.
"No, he won’t. He knew from the start what this task could entail. Yes, I was terrified when those men left me alone with Gastone, but today I finally made some progress with this goddamn thing. I cannot surrender now when I am just a bit closer," she firmly stated.
