by K E Osborn
“You sayin’ I can’t even be a part of the decisions?”
Nycto scrunches his face. “Have your decisions so far today been of good quality?”
I grunt. “What the fuck? Not so long ago, you were the one making a hell of a lot of bad decisions around this club.”
“Yeah… exactly! Look what the fuck happened to me because of it. Maybe it worked out in the end, but we all had to go through a fucking truckload of shit to get there. Good people died, Void. If your process is compromised, I need to step in and stop you before you end up hurting yourself or those around you.”
I scoff loudly, stand, then start pacing. I feel Ivy’s eyes on me, but fuck if Nycto isn’t making some version of sense right now even though I don’t want it to. I get it. Crow and Deep died because of all the shit that went down when Nycto did everything he could for Eva. If I start throwing my weight around for Ivy and shit gets out of control, then we could be facing the same damn situation all over again.
My focus is compromised.
Nycto needs to handle this.
“Fine. I’ll step back. But if anything, and I mean anything, comes to light, Nycto—”
“You’ll be the first to know, Void.”
“Right.” Exhaling, I nod.
“Good. Ivy…” she looks at Nycto, “… go tell Eva about lockdown. Void, grab Voltage, tell him I need him in here,” Nycto barks out orders one after the other. “And, Void… go have a fucking drink. Take a minute, yeah?”
My mouth goes dry as an ache forms at the base of my skull. I breathe in through my nose loudly, trying to calm the nerves filtering through me as Nycto’s cell begins to buzz on the table.
“Take a minute, Void,” Nycto reiterates, then gestures for the door with one hand while picking up his cell with the other.
Grabbing Ivy’s hand, we walk for the door.
“Mammoth, how the fuck are you, brother?”
Upon hearing Mammoth’s name, I turn back. The Enforcer from Baltimore doesn’t call this way often, so if he’s on the line, it’s for a reason.
“I’ll find you in a bit, okay?” I whisper to Ivy.
She glances over at Nycto, then heads out into the clubroom as I close the door behind her.
“Sure, I don’t see why not. You know we’ll always have plenty of room for you guys here. Just the one night?” Nycto asks.
I raise my brow. Mammoth’s crashing for the night, obviously.
What the fuck’s he doing over our side of town?
“Yeah, right, we’ll see you soon.” Nycto ends the call, picks another cigarette out of his pack, then lights it up.
I raise my brow, waiting for him to enlighten me, but the fucker doesn’t. He simply puffs out a ring of smoke. So, I throw my hands out to the side in frustration. “What’s going on?”
Nycto chuckles. “You’re too fucking tense.”
I grunt. “I think I have every right to be at this point, Prez. I’ve just had some asshole taking pictures of Ivy and me, and you’re keeping shit back.”
His hard eyes meet mine. “Maybe that’s because your judgment is impaired.” He grins, but when my demeanor doesn’t change, he adds, “Void, it’s nothing. Just a brother from another chapter stopping in on his way through.”
“Mammoth?” I question.
Nycto puffs out another perfect smoke ring. “Yeah. He went to Puerto Rico to grab some ass for his porn ventures, and he’s taking them back to Baltimore. Needs a place to crash on the way. We’re on the way. We have the room. So…”
“Great, porno bitches. We all know what they’re like.”
Nycto chuckles. “It’s one night. It’s not like you can go anywhere or do anything. You’re on lockdown, remember?”
I groan. “Yeah… yeah, I remember. Fine! I’ll tell Pepper to get their rooms ready. But, Prez…” I take a deep centering breath, “… we gotta look into this other shit.”
“And we will. But tonight, we have a guest… three, in fact. So, we will multitask.”
“Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. Something’s coming… I feel it.”
Nycto sits back in his chair and lifts a foot onto the table. “Well, let’s fucking hope it’s not tonight.”
Yeah, let’s just hope…
Chapter Four
VOID
Gripping Mammoth’s hand and giving it a shake, I then pull him in for an all-man back slap. “Good to see you, brother,” I tell him.
His long hair appears a little messy obviously from days of traveling as the two bitches beside him seem completely uninterested in being here. The shorter redhead smacks on a piece of gum like a cow, her mouth wide open as she chews. The taller one, with jet black hair, is a little more attuned to her surroundings as she looks over at Trixie sizing her up, maybe with a flash of awe in her eyes.
“Thanks for taking us in, brother. I need a break from these two. I mean, goddamn, I love pussy, but when it’s constantly open and yelling at me like these two, fuck, my cock’s never been so damn limp.”
“You’re an asshole!” Redhead spits out.
He turns to her. “And you’re still a whiney little bitch. Now, shut the hell up!”
The one with black hair starts laughing, and the redhead seems to take offense, so she slaps the other across the face. The black-haired girl stands taller about to scream at her when Pepper steps forward, jumping in between the two.
“Stop! That’s not how ladies behave. I know you’re both here to work porn, but you don’t have to behave like that toward each other. While you’re in our house, you will control yourselves. Fuck!”
I raise my brow at Pepper. Normally, it would be Trixie coming out as our head club girl, not the lowest position holder coming in to save the situation.
I can’t help but notice Mammoth eyeing her up and down.
His eyes swoop over her tiny frame. “What’s your name?” Mammoth asks.
Pepper turns to him, her eyes light as a slight smirk crossing her lips. “Pepper.”
He hums under his breath. “Good to know.”
A flush instantly rushes across Pepper’s face, and I roll my eyes as she glances toward the hall. “I’ve made up your room for you. The girls have one room to share. Yours is at the end… last door on the left.”
Mammoth waggles his brows at Pepper. “Well, seeing as you know my room so well, I guess it won’t hurt if you… help me break it in later?”
I cringe, but Pepper nods, probably a little too enthusiastically. “I’m here for whatever you need, Mammoth.”
I internally gag.
They need to go, fuck, and get this display over with.
“Right, well, make yourself at home, Mammoth. Our house is your house. You want something to eat, talk to Trixie, drinks, Stacey, anything else? Yeah, I think we’ve established you can go to Pepper for that. Enjoy!” I slap his back as he wraps his arm around Pepper.
Letting out a low chuckle, he says, “Oh, I plan to.”
I turn to look for Ivy, needing to ensure she’s okay after the events of today. Having our picture taken isn’t something that sits well with me. I have no clue who it was or what they were after, all I know is that it wasn’t for anything good. That thought unsettles me, so tonight while Mammoth is having a party, and Nycto is investigating, I’ll be making sure Ivy’s taken care of because I don’t want any kind of shitstorm to rain down on us.
The Next Day
Mammoth’s porno bitches are so fucking noisy. I swear I heard their racket all night, along with their stupid nonstop arguing from down the hall. Mammoth has his hands full with those two.
Ivy seems okay after I spent most of the night with her. I don’t think what happened yesterday has affected her in the same way it has me. Ivy doesn’t know this world like I do, so she doesn’t know what it could mean. Sure, we have explained it to her, but the depths it could go and the sinister bullshit behind it, could mean so much more.
However, in the light of a new day, everyone appears to be
in a good mood, especially Mammoth and Pepper. Pepper has a spring in her step as she prances about the clubrooms. Mammoth seems extra hungry today, polishing off the biggest serving of bacon I have ever seen on a man’s plate.
While I sit here with my own concerns, Ivy’s down with Dash helping with the crops.
Standing, I make my way over to Nycto. “Prez, can we chat… in the chapel.”
Nycto removes his lips from Eva’s neck, turns his head, and his eyes bore into me like glaciers. “Now?”
“Now!”
Prez groans, shifting Eva from his lap onto the seat next to him. “Sorry, Chiquita, duty calls.”
Eva pecks him on the cheek, and he stands and walks with me to the chapel. As we walk inside, he grunts out his discontent. “This better be damn good, VP.”
“It’s been hours for fuck’s sake, surely something’s come up from yesterday?”
Nycto groans, flopping onto his seat, and I can tell by the lines on his face he’s not happy. “Seriously? That’s what you called me in here for? Fuck! If I knew something, don’t you think I would have already talked to you?”
Letting out a frustrated groan, I run my fingers through my hair as Nycto’s cell begins to buzz. I turn to face him as he glances at the number on the screen, then he swipes the call. “Yeah?” Nycto grunts down the line. “Didn’t quite catch that… who the fuck did you say you are?” Frown lines etch deep into Nycto’s forehead as he listens intently to whoever’s on the other end of the line.
Invested in this conversation, I roll my shoulders.
Nycto sits straighter in his chair, listening to every word with steely focus. “Ah-huh. And why would the head of the DeLucas, the biggest mafia family in Jacksonville, be wanting to meet with me?”
My head jerks back in confusion. The club has known about the DeLucas for years. But with them being almost four hours away from us, we’ve never crossed into their territory, and they’ve never ventured into ours. We have nothing to do with each other, so hearing Antonio DeLuca—the Don or more commonly known as Titanium Tony because of the number of times he’s been shot and lived to tell the tale—wants a meeting with Nycto is something for us to be wary of.
Nycto continues his conversation as I make my way back over and take a seat at the table.
“I hear what you’re saying, Tony, but I need a reason to allow you to come down here. It’s not every day a mafia kingpin calls asking to drop by my clubhouse to fucking talk. Is this some kind of business transaction?”
Not being able to hear what’s being said, I wait for the next piece of the puzzle.
“All right, Tony, I’ll allow it… this time. But don’t bring a whole brigade of your men. I’m allowing you and a couple of your capos. You want a meeting, we’ll have one, but this is to be nothing other than mutual talking. You got me?”
I scrunch my brows in confusion.
I don’t understand why a man like Titanium Tony would need to discuss anything with us.
“Yeah, right! See you in a few.” Nycto ends the call, sliding the cell across the table like it’s covered in acid, and he’s being burned. He lets out an unsatisfied grunt as he turns to me.
I raise my brow, waiting for him to speak, but he says nothing. “Well?” I urge.
Nycto runs his fingers through his hair, letting out a huff. “I couldn’t get a read on it. Tony’s coming here now to have a chat. Wouldn’t tell me what about. Said he wouldn’t discuss it over the phone in case people were listening. Have to admit it’s piqued my interest.”
“You believe it’s a good idea to let the DeLucas on our home turf?” I ask with more than a little concern laced in my voice.
Nycto shrugs. “At least here we have the home advantage. I don’t know what Titanium Tony wants, but I am interested in finding out.”
***
I’ve heard many stories of Titanium Tony, the most notorious mafia don in Florida. He’s sneaky, cunning, and a big believer in famiglia. You come after anyone in his house, your body is never found. Fuck knows how they handle disposal, but what-the-hell ever because we’ve never crossed paths. Basically, we stay out of his way, and he stays the fuck out of ours. We’re far enough away for our territories not to be an issue, so for him to make a special trip down here to see us, it must be for a good reason.
He needs something.
Or one of us has done something.
There’s always a reason for another crime syndicate to cross our path, and I’m anxious to hear Tony’s reasoning.
Voltage signals that the convoy’s approaching, so we head outside to the gate as a club united. We can’t be sure how many men Tony’s bringing with him, but we need to show him we’re not sending out any sort of welcoming committee.
We’re being cautious, as we should.
West pulls open the gates as we stand in a long line. Nycto and me in the center, arms folded across our chests in a show of impatience. Mammoth and our other brothers are fanned out at our sides as we barricade the entry to the clubhouse. The four black Audis pull up, their doors opening in perfect synchronicity, so much so, I have to hold back my laughter.
How many times have they practiced that shit?
“Man, it’s like they’re trying too hard to be supervillains,” Mammoth mutters under his breath, which causes me to smirk.
In the lead car, the driver steps out along with the front passenger. They’re wearing perfectly tailored suits. Their five o’clock shadowed chins are well-manicured. They appear more like Italian princes than mafia as they arrogantly shift to the rear of the car.
After opening the door, they stand back while Tony steps out. His graying beard is trimmed neatly on his face. He’s exactly how I would imagine what the ladies call a ‘silver fox.’ His hair is dark gray with a few strands of silver running through it, giving him an edge as he shoves his hands into the pockets of his impeccably tailored black pants. His crisp white shirt so fresh, I’m sure it’s as new as his ridiculously shiny shoes, which reflect his face.
The man screams wealth.
Actually, no, more like dirty money, which I’m assuming he has in spades.
Tony’s eyes drift to the other side of the car, where a younger man steps out dressed much the same in an impeccable dark blue suit. His dusty blond hair sweeps over his head is a styled wave. He too has a well-maintained beard, though his is a darker blond, and is in total contrast to Tony. Both men are broad in the chest, strong in stature, and oozing confidence as they turn heading toward us, flanked by their men.
Ten guards surround them—so much for coming with a couple of capos. Instead, the asshole’s here with a small arsenal of men.
I glance at Nycto, who appears to stiffen his posture. He’s angry—furious actually—I can tell by the fists he’s tightly holding to his sides. So he should be. This gratuitous show of force from Tony is totally uncalled for.
“Tony, this is not what we agreed,” Nycto yells as they approach.
“And your little welcoming party doesn’t exactly incite confidence either. I surmise we both came into this without trust, didn’t we, Nycto?”
“I guess so,” Nycto sneers. “This, however, is my territory… my clubhouse.”
I roll my shoulders, hearing footsteps behind me. I peek over my shoulder and watch Eva chasing Ivy out of the clubhouse door. Eva tries to pull her back inside, but Ivy is having none of it as they both rush up the ramp toward us.
Fucking insolent damn woman!
Swinging back to Tony, I try not to bring any attention to the girls, but it’s too late. Tony’s eyes shift straight past me directly to them. His lip turns up crookedly. “Shall we get down to business, then?”
Nycto narrows his eyes. “Thing is, Tony, I have no idea what the hell kind of business you’re bringing to my club. I’m not even sure I want to do business with the likes of you.”
Tony signals his men. They begin to fan out, moving in front of us. I tense, not liking how this is going. Nycto grabs for his gun. I r
each for mine at the same time, causing a chain reaction from all our brothers. We lift our weapons high, pointing directly at the Mafiosos. They halt their approach, each with their empty hands raised.
We have the upper hand.
They have to remember this is our turf, and what they don’t know is Ominous and Brass are hidden with sniper rifles aimed directly at these fuckers.
One false move, and it’s hunting season.
“What the hell do you want, Tony?” Nycto grunts, turning his gun to the side menacingly at the don.
Tony’s eyes drift past us toward the two women at the back, who are currently holding each other for comfort. “I want something of yours.”
“You couldn’t ask nicely first, asshole?” I scoff.
The blond capo steps forward, into my space, as if to test my patience. “You want to call him an asshole again, and see what I do to yours, you—”
“You think you can come into this clubhouse and throw your weight around? This is our place. These are our men, and you’re nothing but a damn menace!” Ivy yells, rushing to my side.
“Menace? You think I’m a menace, you little whor—”
“Matteo, enough!” Tony spits while placing his hand on his second in command.
“Call her a whore again, let’s see what happens,” I jab at the arrogant prick.
Blondie huffs, straightening out his ridiculously expensive suit. “I apologize. I let my anger get the better of me,” he mutters unconvincingly, then turns thrusting his hand into his hair.
Ivy shouldn’t even be out here, let alone trying to start a fight with a capo.
But I can’t say that I’m surprised.
She’s a damn firecracker.
“You think you can come in here demanding shit after that display of arrogance?” I scoff out a laugh while Ivy wraps her arms around my waist.
Tony’s eyes linger on Ivy a little longer than I like, then he turns to Nycto. “I wanna make a deal, Presidente.”
