Code of Silence

by Tessier, Shantel

  His eyes narrow on mine, but he says nothing. I release the magazine and pull my last one free of my holster. “Come on, I’m ready to get this shit over with.”

  I enter the room again with all the bodies to find a man standing with his back to us. He’s shoving a pack of drugs into the dead body. I come up behind him and press the gun to the back of his head.

  He whimpers and throws his hands up.

  “I’ll take this.” My brother speaks, yanking the gun from his hip, and points it along with his own at him.

  “Is this all of it?” I demand.

  He says nothing.

  “I’ll give you one more chance to answer me.”

  “I’m not telling you shit.” He spins around to face me.

  And to my surprise, I know the guy. He’s the son of my father’s right-hand man. “Anthony.” I smile. “What are the odds of running into you here?”

  “Fuck you, Luca!” he screams in my face.

  “I’ll fuck your mouth.” My brother wiggles his eyebrows. “It’s all the same to me, baby.”

  Anthony’s jaw sharpens, and he turns to jump my brother, but he slams the butt of the gun into his head, knocking him out. Anthony falls to the floor, and my brother and I both listen for any other noises.

  “I think they left.”

  “They’ll be back,” I say.

  Rossi thought he had a foolproof operation because no one has ever dared to attack on his territory. It made him vulnerable. Weak. He had less men than usual. We’ve never made such a bold move. My father has always been the one behind the operations, but tonight was my doing. I called the shots, and we needed to make ourselves very clear. My marriage to Haven is gonna solidify that. Her father is gonna make us untouchable. More than we already are.

  “Get him up,” I order.

  “What are we doing with him?” he asks.

  “I saw a crematory at the end of the hall.” I nod to the door. “Let’s go drop him in there and turn it on. We’ll leave his ashes for them to find when they return.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  LUCA

  I NOTICE THE clock on my dash shows a little after three a.m. We pull up to the back of Kingdom—the most prestigious hotel and casino here in Las Vegas. It gives them all a run for their money.

  After getting out of the car, we walk up the fifteen stairs to the black double doors with a suitcase rolling behind me. I push one open while my brother chooses to use the revolving door. Entering the hotel, my shoes clap on the white marble floor. A big gold K sits in the middle of a black circle. The inside looks just as exquisite as the outside. A gold chandelier hangs from the high, mirrored ceiling. Black and gold accents are hung on the walls, and it smells like every person’s dream. Money. Instant gratification. Most enter a hotel on the Strip to win big. To catch that high that only a casino can give them. Where days feel like hours and hope smells like cigarettes. But this is a private entrance. No one is allowed back here unless cleared. There are no slot machines. No blackjack tables.

  “Luca.” A man by the name of Nigel greets me, giving me a nod when he spots me from behind the black marble desk. “How is your morning going, sir?” His brown eyes look over my bloodstained jeans. I had an extra shirt in the car but didn’t have a chance to change my pants. But he’s not surprised. He sees all kinds of shit here. His bosses don’t mind getting their hands dirty either.

  “Rather good. Yours?” My brother snorts at my choice of words.

  “Excellent, sir. Mine as well.” He walks over to a private elevator that has the same black circle with the gold K in the middle. He scans a key card for access. The door slides open, and the three of us enter the mirrored box. The floor is black marble with gold specs that look like confetti.

  He scans his key card yet again, and the doors close.

  This elevator only stops on a few select floors. One of them is the thirteenth. Most buildings choose to leave this floor unused due to superstitions, but the Kings don’t believe in bullshit such as old wives’ tale. They do their most exclusive work on that floor.

  The door slides open, and Nigel gestures for us to exit. “After you, sir.”

  We step off the elevator, walk through another set of double doors, and immediately enter the conference room. Four men sit at a custom black stone table that could easily fit twenty. It has a large skull carved out of the middle with Kingdom written in gold letters at each end. The thick black curtains are pulled closed, covering up the opposite wall of windows to hide us from the world even though it’s the middle of the night. You can never be too careful.

  My brother plops down in one of the black leather chairs and leans back in it, chewing away on a toothpick. I toss the suitcase onto the surface and sit down.

  “Thank you, Nigel,” Bones says from the head of the table, dismissing him.

  “My pleasure, sir.” He folds his arms behind his back and nods before backing out of the room, closing the black double doors behind him.

  I pull my cell out of my front pocket and set it on the table in front of me, making sure it’s in sight, even though I know the moment we stepped off the elevator the jammers took away any signal. These guys don’t fuck around. That’s why we do business with them.

  The Dark Kings are known for many things—and tolerance is not one of them. You betray them; they kill your ass. No questions asked. Just like us.

  I remember one time, as a child, sitting in church and the preacher discussing the satanic bible and the four satanic crown princes of hell; Lucifer, Leviathan, Satan and Belial.

  Belial is the closest to Bones as I can see. See, in the satanic bible, Belial was associated with independence, the earth, and the north, the direction of darkness. He was also frequently associated with sex, lust, confusion, and darkness. All things that Bones lives for.

  Leviathan, who I associate with Titan, is the great sea monster, sexual desire from the unknown and feared depths. He’s an unstoppable force from within man. And associated with water and west.

  Lucifer would be Grave; bringer of light, enlightenment. He is a person’s inner light that society attempts to drag into the darkness of conformity.

  Then there’s Satan. AKA Cross. The adversary of mundanity, mediocrity, right-hand path, stupidity. Self-destruction, religion, and Gods. He is associated with the element of fire and south. And his father was also the preacher. But believe me when I say, Cross was just like his father.

  Our arrangement was solidified long before the six of us were born. The Dark Kings didn’t start the alliance. No, their fathers did—the Three Wisemen made a deal with my father back in the late eighties. That was also when the Three Wisemen started Kingdom. Now at twenty-six, their sons run it like a well-oiled machine. They were all raised like me and my brothers—were getting our hands dirty before we knew any different. So, we continued that alliance and struck a new deal. We cover the streets, and they cover the sheets. They have eyes and ears everywhere. They thrive off other people’s addictions. Drugs, gambling, and alcohol to name just a few. And sex—it can be very powerful when used properly.

  Titan sits next to me with his inked arms crossed over his chest. The guy thinks he’s God’s gift to women. Hence the nickname Titan. He rules over the queens—the ladies of the night—and is also head of security here at Kingdom.

  Grave sits across from me. The guy has a death wish. Has since he was a kid. I’ll never forget the time he skipped class his freshman year in high school, stole a motorcycle off a showroom floor, and crashed it into a lake. Word on the street was that his father was the one who put him in a weeklong coma, not the accident itself.

  Cross sits to my left, his Zippo in his hand. He keeps flipping the lid open and then closed. It’s not a tic, just something he has done since grade school. The guy is obsessed with fire. He lights things up just to watch them burn and gets a sick pleasure from it. I remember our senior year. Things took a turn when …

  “I’m guessing it went well,” Bones interrupts
my thoughts.

  I look over at him sitting at the head of the table. His tatted forearms, covering up part of Kingdom written in gold. Bones got his name in middle school. An older kid picked on his younger brother, Grave. Bones beat the shit out of him right then and there in the hallway. Broke twenty bones with his hands. I’ve liked him ever since.

  “It did,” I answer, reaching forward and unzipping the suitcase. Pushing the top open, it slaps the conference table. I grab a brick of hundred-dollar bills.

  Titan arches a brow. “That better be half.”

  I grab another and toss it beside the other. “Two bricks,” I inform them. A brick of hundred-dollar bills is one hundred thousand dollars, and I just gave them two. Leaving them with fifty grand each. “Thanks for the tip.”

  Then I reach into the suitcase and grab two dime bags and toss them over to Grave. He catches them midair. “A little extra.”

  He gives me a smile before placing his treat in the pocket of his holey jeans. I take care of Grave, and he takes care of me.

  Bones clears his throat, letting me know he disapproves that I just gave his younger brother some drugs, but I don’t give a fuck. We’re all adults here, and we all have our vices.

  He places his palms flat on the smooth surface and stands. “We’re done here.”

  I nod and zip up the suitcase. “As always, it was a pleasure doing business with you Kings.”

  Grave smiles, and my brother laughs.

  I nod and turn to Titan. “Tell your queen I said thanks for the information.”

  He nods. “Anytime.”

  I pick up the suitcase when Grave speaks. “How is the wedding coming along?”

  I smile at him. They know my plan. Have known for a few months. I filled them in because they can benefit from it too. “As well as predicted.”

  “Ah, come on, man, she can’t hate you that much,” he jokes, but I don’t laugh because the truth is my soon-to-be wife hates me with a passion, and if I cared at all I’d call it off.

  Just to clear things up, I don’t care, and the wedding is still very on.

  “Aren’t all weddings like that?” Cross asks.

  Titan snorts. “Fuck that shit.”

  “Not like she had a choice,” my brother chimes in, still chewing on that damn toothpick.

  The Kings know our life and how things work. Theirs aren’t run much differently. But where marriage gives us power, they all see it as a disadvantage. Being tied to one woman all their life would be horror. To me, it means millions in my pocket. And I don’t pass up money. Ever.

  “I look forward to the engagement party.” Grave laughs.

  _______________

  I pull my car into my garage and turn it off, then grab the flowers out of my passenger seat that I picked up on the way home. Thankfully, my favorite place was open.

  I exit my car and walk into the house. It’s quiet, and I know she’s not here. She’s on her morning run. The sun is just starting to rise. She likes to start her day off early with a run to free her mind. At least she used to. She didn’t ask me for permission, but this house isn’t a prison. She can come and go all she wants. I have guards all over it. Cameras at every corner. If she decides to leave me, she won’t get far. I don’t think she’d chance her freedom. If she did, she wouldn’t like the consequences that would follow.

  Walking into one of the many kitchens, I grab a vase from underneath the sink and fill it with water before placing the flowers in it. It’s been a long time since I’ve used it. The last time was before I left her. When she used to stay here, she always made the house feel like a home. It’s been silent and empty ever since.

  Making my way up to our master suite, I close the door after entering. The bed is freshly made, and the smell of her perfume hits me. I used to smell her on me for days. The way her shampoo would rub off on my shirt when she cuddled up against me. Or the way my hoodie would smell like her body wash. It always made me hard. Desperate.

  She doesn’t know it, but I forced her father to hand her over to me. I’m not the kind of guy who shows weakness. My father taught my brothers and me that nothing is more important than money. And although I agree, I also feel that having a woman by your side can be beneficial to a man. Men respect a man who knows how to control a bitch. I needed her, and I needed a reason to make that happen. My father didn’t agree, but he’ll come around. He’ll see what I see in the end. And if not, well, then that’s his problem.

  The moment I stepped on that plane to leave her for Italy, I started forming a plan. It was the first thing I did three months ago when I arrived back in the States. Her father owns a chain of banks here in Las Vegas, and I could use his facilities to launder money. All I had to do was make him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

  He sits behind his desk in his home office, his hands clenched together as he glares at me. “What you’re asking of me is illegal.”

  “And what you’re doing is illegal.”

  His face whitens, and sweat beads across his forehead. “I don’t know …”

  “You’re running fake money through your bank. Marking it with serial numbers from real currency. Making it look like it’s being placed in the vault, but instead you’re using it to hold your head above water.”

  His jaw sharpens. “You have no idea—”

  “I do,” I interrupt him. “You have rats everywhere.” I smile at him. “Especially when they’re paid well.” Lie. I got this information for free. But I promised not to snitch on my source. And the Bianchis are no rats.

  He slams his hand down on the desk and stands.

  I stay seated because I’m about to cut him off at the knees. “I’ll make you one offer. And it will only be on the table for twenty-four hours.”

  His jaw clenches, but he doesn’t shoot me down immediately. “The board will never allow it.”

  “Let me worry about the board.” Standing, I button my suit jacket. “You will allow me full rein of all fifteen locations in exchange for twenty percent of my incoming finances. And in the meantime, I won’t rat you out to the feds.”

  He falls into his chair and lets out a sigh. He’s thinking about it. Good. It’s a fair offer. I’m not gonna railroad him because I want something else of his as well.

  He concedes, releasing a long breath. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “And I want Haven.”

  “What?” he snaps, jumping back to his feet. “Absolutely not!”

  I snap my fingers. “Nite.” He walks over and drops the black bag on top of the desk. “Open it,” I order Jimmy.

  He arches a brow, staring down at it, but eventually, his curiosity gets the better of him, and he unzips it. He pulls out stacks of hundreds. “What …?”

  “In exchange for her hand in marriage, I will give you five million dollars.”

  “Marriage?” he whispers softly as if he can’t say it out loud, but the way his eyes light up at the cash he grips in his hands tells me I’ve already won. He’s in deep debt. So, what if he sells his only child? His adopted child? She doesn’t mean anything to him. Not like she does me.

  “I’ll let you think about it.” I turn, letting him keep what little money is in there right now while he thinks about it. As I place my hand on the doorknob, he speaks.

  “Wait.”

  I bite back a smile, turning to face him.

  He stands there, both hands gripping a stack of money, and his chest heaves in his tight button-down. But his eyes tell me all I need to know. She’s mine.

  That was three months ago. I needed things to be set in place because I couldn’t just go and grab her. Papers needed to be signed, and I needed access to all the locations before I stepped in and removed her from her home. I needed my ducks in a row. She was the last one ’cause I knew she would be the only one to fight me.

  But in the end, she would lose.

  And it didn’t take more than a few days for him to come around. He was practically drooling when I handed him the money and c
ouldn’t get her to sign fast enough.

  I turn off the shower and step out. Wrapping the towel around my hips, I walk back into the bedroom just as I hear commotion downstairs.

  Making my way to the first level, I walk into the spare bedroom, listening to the shower turn on in the adjoining bathroom. I enter and see her removing her sports bra and then shoving the sweaty yoga pants down her thin legs. And I have to fight the urge to shove her to her knees and fuck her mouth. She always gave great head. The woman knew how to use that mouth. Even if at times I wanted to duct tape the damn thing shut.

  I’m not sure why she’s being such a bitch now. I paid for her. Her father was the one who tossed her to the side. I want to make her my queen and give her anything she wants. All she has to do is ask, but I’m starting to lose my patience. And that is not a good thing for her. She’s gonna push me to the point I’ll no longer give a fuck, and then she’ll hate me even more.

  She stiffens when her eyes meet mine in the large bathroom mirror.

  I push off the wall and walk up behind her. Placing my hands on her narrow hips, I lean down and kiss her bare shoulder. She glares at me in the mirror.

  “Good morning, Haven,” I whisper, and I feel her body shiver.

  She wants me. She always has. I’ve been able to push her in ways that no other guy could. Ever since I saw her in grade school, I wanted her. She wasn’t like all the other girls who wanted to be seen with me. She didn’t care one bit.

  “I bought you flowers.” I gather up her mess of a hair into my fist. I run my lips across the top of her back to her other shoulder, softly kissing her damp skin.

  “Flowers die,” she growls.

  I smile against her skin. “Would you prefer diamonds?”

  “Diamonds were just once coal,” she bites out.

  “How about orgasms?” I ask, tightening my fist in her hair and pulling her head back. My free hand slides around her skinny waist and dips between her legs.

  She pushes me off her and spins around to face me. “Luca …”

  I slam my lips to hers, cutting her off, and grind my hips into hers. The movement has the knot holding my towel on loosening and falling to the floor at our feet.