by Soraya Naomi
“Okay, let’s go.”
***
Within twenty minutes, I’m parking my sedan in front of the high-rise where Mary lives. My burner phone chimes – all Syndicate members have several burner phones, which we switch up and destroy often to avoid leaving any evidence about our drug business – and I read a message from my boss.
Adriano: Where’s Mary? I called her, but she didn’t answer. And I need to talk to you. Come to Club 7.
“Adriano called you,” I inform her.
“Yeah, I saw. Please tell him I’m sleeping and that I’m fine. I’ll talk to him tomorrow,” she says, so I text him a response.
Henry: She’s asleep already and doing fine. Send a soldier to stand guard at the entrance of her apartment.
Adriano: A guard is on the way.
Henry: As soon as he gets here, I’ll come to the club.
I place my hand on the handle to step out, but Mary comments, “You don’t have to go up with me. I’m okay.”
I frown yet let her go because this night has been a whirlwind of emotions and activity.
Before closing the door, she hesitantly inquires, “I’ll call you later, okay? After I’ve talked to Keano?”
“Yes. No matter the time, call me, Mary,” I command in a firm tone, and she nods before walking away.
I wait until she’s inside the building and disappears into the elevator. Then I head to Club 7, understanding full well that we’ve crossed a line. Everything that’s happened tonight has only tripled my hunger for Mary, and now I fucking ache to be inside her.
***
All the men are waiting for me when I enter Adriano’s office. He’s seated behind his desk with Luca and Carmine on either side of him and Logan in the chair across from them.
Sinking down next to Logan, I tilt my head in question. “What happened at Cocktails & Heels after I left?”
Adriano gets right to the point because it’s already nearing midnight, “We ended them. Logan erased the security tapes, and I had a few soldiers confiscate the heroin and ordered them to investigate which soldier on this team has been selling to Cocktails & Heels without my permission. When we find out who it is, he’ll be handled accordingly. All of us went this time because Mary was there, but of course, we won’t go on such an unplanned mission ever again. Though I’m quite pleased with how you’re evolving. You understand when violence is needed to settle scores.”
I realize I’ve plunged into the darkness of a place where brutality rules. Where enforcing power the old-fashioned way ensures the regime stays put.
I look at Logan, not understanding where Adriano’s going with this.
“There’s another reason why Luca and I made you fifth in rank, which is a covetous position. All four of us believe you can take this over one day. Not in the near future, but this team won’t change any more, and after tonight, you’ve shown us that you’re one of us now.”
“Why are you telling me this?” I say.
“I want you to work more closely with Luca and me. We trust you and will allow you insight into all Syndicate business. We’ll teach you everything we know and show you how to manage the men. And one day, you can take over Club 7. I’m not planning to be boss forever.”
“What about Luca, Logan, or Carmine?”
“They don’t want to be boss. Luca has a wife outside this mafia who’ll never be completely comfortable with this life. Logan can’t because he’s still also with the CIA. And Carmine”—he sends him an amused glare—“is too busy with his ladies.”
Carmine smirks, casually leaning one shoulder against the windowsill. “I prefer female company over the company of you and the soldiers.”
Warily, I probe. “Why me? Why not one of the captains?”
“The captains aren’t intelligent or tech savvy enough,” Adriano explains. “They’re perfect to execute the street work but not what we do on this level. Furthermore, I think the Syndicate will need a hacker to be in command in this ever-growing digital world. I rely on you a great deal.”
I did notice they kept me apprised of a lot of business but never anticipated this opportunity would present itself. He’s offering me a future I could’ve only dreamed about. One full of lifelong wealth and power yet also more murder and mayhem. Regardless, the wealth and power trump anything else, especially after living with an obstacle I’ve been unable to dispose of for years: Tara. But this also means she’s become an even bigger goddamn liability to me. Adriano will kick me out of this organization, without a doubt, if they ever discover I lied in the beginning. No. Correction – he will kill me. And I need to handle Mary very carefully because of my issue with Tara and my expanding relationship with Adriano.
Fuck! Couldn’t he have said this before I crossed the line with Mary? The contours of her body are now imprinted in my brain and we’re no longer just friends.
Despite the problems this could bring, I still want to reap the benefits of establishing a prosperous relationship with the boss. “Then I accept. But what will change for me?”
Adriano leans forward with both elbows on the desk. “You’ll work directly with us more often from now on and not as much with the lesser ranks. Just like Luca and me, you’ll be more behind the scenes on the top-level issues. We’ll start with figuring out who planted that virus.”
I want to handle that assignment alone so I can ensure that if Tara’s involved, no one finds out. “I can dig around among the black hat hackers. Maybe one of them has heard or noticed something. This is definitely not some ordinary tech guy. Only a black hat could get past my firewall.”
Adriano consents, “Fine. It’s your main assignment to catch the hacker. Use any resource necessary.”
He gave me carte blanche. Now I don’t need permission to kill anyone important. This bodes well and having it as my primary task means that I won’t have to lie about anything and can deal with this hacker all by myself. The hacker who could be Tara.
“You need to remember your rank and exercise your power commensurate to it. I heard from Logan that you’re quite good with that already. We’ll train you to control your anger in challenging situations so that you always keep the upper hand. I’ll increase your pay from four thousand to ten thousand a month. Also, apart from your regular salary, most payments, like a bonus for a mission, will be deposited into an offshore account. Carmine will finalize the financial details with you.”
I look up and he seems perfectly fine with spewing these numbers. They’re buying my loyalty. Logan previously informed me that this organization divides the wealth and once I was completely in, I’d be a rich man. The way they bring it – confident, content men in their designer suits – I want that life as well. When it comes down to it, money does make the world go round. Money makes everything possible.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Adriano grins slowly as he stands. “So am I. Go home and start thinking about new living arrangements because that apartment of yours is a shithole.”
I chuckle. “Fine. But I can’t just leave it. I’ll need to find an apartment where I can easily connect my servers.”
“Our secretary, Janey, can arrange anything for you,” Luca advises. “She works for all five of us. Whatever you need, contact her.”
“Okay.”
“Kind of like a PA. Just call her,” Carmine adds with a smile and dips his chin, leaving the office first.
“I’ll get in touch with her this week,” I inform, rising. “I’m going home now. It’s been a long fucking night.”
“I’m going too.” Logan follows me out, and while we walk down the hall, he says, “You’re a full-on member, getting carte blanche from the boss.”
“Yeah,” I reply absentmindedly. That’s just what I was thinking. Although someone is even more of a problem for me now.
Outside, Logan goes in the opposite direction, and I get my phone from my pocket, irritated that it’s been over an hour since I left Mary and I haven’t heard from her, so I call h
er.
“Hey,” she answers.
“Hey. Have you spoken to Keano yet?”
“Yes. He just left, but I’m really tired. Can we talk tomorrow?”
First, I need to know one thing. “Did you end it?”
“Yes.”
Fucking finally. Even though I’m not liking not being able to see her right away, I need to come up with a definite plan of action regarding Tara and the unknown hacker situation; therefore, I concede, “Okay.” And before I know it, I ask a woman for the first time, “Do you feel all right?”
“Yeah. I’m not high anymore. I’m crawling into bed now.”
“Okay. Night, Mary.”
“Night, Henry,” she utters in a tone that’s different from her usual vital one.
An unsettling shudder surges through me, but it’s late and she said that she was fine, so I blow it off for now and drive home through the dim streets with the scent of her still on me.
***
Inside my one-bedroom apartment, I go to the long walnut desk that holds two computers and two laptops, powering on one computer to tackle two problems: Tara and whoever planted that virus in Club 7’s system.
First, I check a hacker forum where black hat hackers from all over the world communicate with each other. Via a foreign proxy server – so that I can log in from another country and it’ll be more difficult to trace it back to me in the U.S. – I enter the chat room with my code name, Spade, to see if any new black hats have become members. No one has.
Out of nowhere, my entire screen turns black.
“What the fuck?” I mutter.
Then a chat screen opens.
Anonymous: Good evening, Mr. Pierce.
Henry: Who are you?
Anonymous: That’s of no importance. What is of importance is that I managed to leave a virus at Club 7.
Meanwhile, I switch on my second computer that runs on a different server.
Anonymous: I know who you are.
Henry: That’s very cryptic. So?
Hurriedly, I attempt to locate the IP address of the sender while typing on both keyboards to keep him talking.
Anonymous: Beware and be ready because I’ll need you soon.
Henry: I don’t obey orders.
Anonymous: You will.
Henry: You know I’ll find you. Eventually.
The second computer is localizing the address in Illinois. And then Chicago, narrowing it down to the Loop, the West Loop.
Anonymous: Don’t bother. You’re not the best hacker in town anymore. I’ll contact you soon, Mr. Pierce.
Right before I can pinpoint an exact location, Anonymous logs off, and I have an area of the entire fucking West Loop. I proceed to search for a trace of Anonymous in my computer without any luck. Entirely absorbed, I stay at my desk and change settings in the backend to make it even more impossible for Anonymous to contact me again.
“Fuck!” I grip my hair, messing it up.
Then I roll my chair to the side to face the second computer, pull out my cell phone from my pocket, and since I have her number, I check to see where Tara is at this moment. According to the location settings on her phone – which are switched on – she’s currently downtown, and I bet she rents a shitty apartment there.
This doesn’t make any sense, although it appears that the timing of these two occurrences – Tara showing up and someone hacking into Club 7’s computer system – could be coincidental.
However, as long as I’m in the dark about whom I’m up against, I need to protect myself. I can’t completely rule out Tara yet, and she still has something to hold over my head until I can decide how to get her out of my life indefinitely. Instead of waiting until our appointment at noon tomorrow, I decide to pay her a surprise visit in an attempt to keep the upper hand in this fucking situation.
***
When I arrive at the address, it’s a worn-out three-story block building in the cheapest part of downtown. As luck would have it, a resident is exiting the front entrance, so I slip inside right before the doors close, going up to the second floor and knocking on the third door on the right.
It opens a crack and Tara grumbles, “What are you doing here at fucking two a.m. And how did you find me?”
I barge past her into what appears to be a one-bedroom apartment that has a kitchenette in the far corner and is sparsely furnished.
“If you come to the club unannounced, then I’ll show up unannounced as well – at times when you least expect it.” I face her just as she ties the belt of her white robe. “And don’t pretend you didn’t want me to find you,” I point out, and her eyes round. “You would never leave your location settings on unless you had an ulterior motive. But let’s get to the point. What’s your offer?”
She fiddles with her belt for a second and then straightens. “I want to hack into Club 7’s computer system.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to steal a large amount of money and live a normal life. There’s a shitload of it flowing around in that club. And if you help me, I’ll give you what you’ve wanted from me for years. And then we can part ways.”
“You don’t have a computer here?” I state after perusing the room, realizing she’s most likely not Anonymous.
“What?” she retorts, puzzled.
“You want to work together and hack into Club 7’s system, but you don’t even have a computer.”
“I’m broke, and you know I’m not a black hat anymore. The new generation of hackers’ knowledge has surpassed what I’ve been privy to these last few years. That’s why I need you. You work there and can speed up this process. Because I know you want your files unlocked at City Hall, and I’m the only one who can do it for you. We now need each other.”
Fuck! I don’t want anything to do with her or her goddamn deal, yet I need to keep my enemies close right now. “If we do this, you have to listen to me because it’ll take some investigation on my part,” I lie, and in order to buy myself time without her interference, I continue, “Stay away from the club. If I see you there again, all bets are off.” No one can learn who she is and possibly connect her with me. But more importantly, I need her to steer clear of Mary.
Tara frowns as she edges closer, but when I fake a grin, she thinks she’s got me right where she wants me, doing her dirty work. She stands before me, dusting an imaginary piece of lint off my shoulder to give herself a reason to touch me.
Her gaze is fixed on mine as she whispers, “Fine. But we can also have a little fun while we work together again. Like old times. When we first met...”
She licks her lips as her palm moves up the side of my neck, and I’m bombarded with memories I had long forgotten – when I was infatuated with her. When her mouth almost touches mine, I seize her wrist and forcefully shove her backward before letting her go.
“No mixing business with pleasure. I’ll call you in a couple of days after I’ve dug around.” And I step past her to leave.
I need to buy myself time to think of a strategy to get her to unlock my files at City Hall and then get her out of the Loop without anyone finding out how she’s linked to me or that she even exists.
“What am I supposed to do in the meantime?” she inquires.
That’s a loaded question, but I bite my tongue. “I don’t fucking care what you do, Tara. Just wait for my call and don’t come near Club 7,” I order and walk out, shaking off the uneasy sensation I often get when I’m around Tara. Tonight, I allowed her to come too close.
I consider going to Mary’s because there was something in her tone earlier that still bothers me. However, it’s been a long night and she’s probably already in bed, so instead, I drive home and conk out the second my head hits the pillow.
Unfortunately, I should’ve listened to my instincts.
CHAPTER 9
Mary
“Yes. No matter the time, call me, Mary,” Henry tells me before I close the door to his metallic silver sedan and enter my apartment building, re
veling in how protective he’s been ever since we finally opened up to each other about our feelings at Lincoln Park.
My rendezvous with Henry ignited something inside me I’ve never felt before; however, by this time, my high has gone down significantly, and now the reality of what I did is kicking in. I do feel bad about it, but I believe that being with Henry before I was unattached will always be my favorite mistake. Still, I need to handle Keano before Henry and I take it any further.
Once I’m inside my apartment, I go into my living room, shrieking when I discover a shadow on the couch, and as I switch on my lights in panic, Keano surges up.
“Jesus Christ! What are you doing here?” I blow out a sigh and glance at Strawberry sleeping peacefully in her basket next to the sofa as Keano puffs like a bull. Immediately, I blurt out, “You can’t just show up here unannounced. I’d like my key back. I’ve been trying to talk to you, but I can’t do this anymore. It’s just over between us.” Lifting its strap over my head, I let my purse drop to the floor.
Keano’s chest is heaving as he blasts back with, “Were you with him?”
“Does it matter?”
He scans me from head to toe, noticing the state of my wrinkled dress and my tousled curls.
“I can fucking smell him on you,” he snarls, advancing toward me.
“This isn’t about him. I don’t want to be with you. I’m sorry.”
Pure rage blisters across his face. “You fucked him, didn’t you?” Like a predator, he approaches me.
Yet I stand my ground, even though he towers over my small frame. “I think it’s best you leave.”
“No, I think it’s best you understand your role in this situation. You don’t allow me in, but Henry, a guy who’s the biggest manwhore in the Loop, is who you leave me for?” And he hisses, “You’re such a slut.” Before I realize what’s happening, he raises his hand and slaps my cheek with the force of his fury.
At first, I’m frozen in shock as my hand flies to my cheek to soothe the sting. Then I scream at him, “I’ve been trying to make it clear to you for weeks that I wanted to break up. And you didn’t truly make an effort either. If you ever come near me again, I’ll shoot you! And trust me, you have no idea what you’ve just done. Get the fuck out of my apartment!”
