by Anna Widzisz
To say that Drew was angry would be too obvious. He didn’t want to fight with his friends, but as far as he was concerned, he was defending a girl who wasn’t there to defend herself. With this, he stood up and left the room to cool down. He needed a minute before going back in there and trying to stop the next argument over Lynette from starting.
It wasn’t long before Inéz came after him, onto the patio, where he’d been able to enjoy some kind of peace, at least for a little bit. That’s how much she differed from her brother. While he was narrow-minded, she didn’t judge, valued her own opinion above others’ prejudices and always tried to understand. And when it came to Isaac, no one really knew what he was thinking. He wasn’t all the way down with the rumors, but he didn’t deny them being true all the same. So maybe he was torn, kind of in-between.
Inéz sat down at the wooden table giving her friend some space.
“I am not trying to be rude or anything, so please don’t be mad at me for asking,” she started, looking at Drew with curiosity in her eyes. “Are you sure you’re not going after her just because she’s full of mystery?”
“I know I am. But who says it’s the wrong thing to do? Does it really matter why I became interested in her? The truth is that I want to know her. For the first time, the girl is not playing hard to get. She's hard to earn. Guarded and careful. There’s a huge difference.”
“How so?”
“When a girl plays hard to get, she’s actually doing it to get a guy. For him to see her as more than just a chase. While Lynette is guarded because she was made this way. Maybe something happened that changed her, or maybe she was raised to be like this. She’s not trying to attract a boy. It happens in spite of her pulling away.”
Those were the words he hadn’t known he’d needed to say out loud. Until now, he hadn’t been able to put a finger on what drew him to Lynette. The girl was different and he had every intention of finding out just how different.
“Why are you out here? It’s freezing,” said Francisco when he opened the door. Isaac was right beside him. “I really do hope you’re not hitting on my sister. There’s no way you’re getting my approval.”
It was clear that the boy was trying to defuse the tension by joking around. However, Drew didn’t find it even half as funny as Francisco did.
“I’m sorry, mate. I realize I can come across as a jerk sometimes but I’m just looking out for you. However, this is your life and I can simply choose to support you instead. No matter what. Just be careful.”
That was all that Drew needed to hear for the anger to disappear. He didn’t want any fancy apologies. Acceptance was all he was looking for.
“Anyway, we figured that since it’s Friday we can go to the club. What do you say?” said Isaac as soon as all of them went back inside.
Of course, Inéz refused to go, but little did she know they wouldn’t be leaving her all alone at home.
§ § §
The party wasn’t that great. The club was full of students and other people no older than thirty years old. The most fun the group had was trying to get inside with their fake IDs. As far as they were concerned, the boys could get away with being twenty-one because of their six feet heights, but that wasn’t the case with Inéz. She was short and refused to put on more make-up than usual. That’s why the bouncer was unsure about letting her go in. She asked her all types of questions about her birthdate, name and other things. At this moment it wasn’t that funny because one wrong answer and they would call the cops on her. And Inéz was really terrible at lying. So, they all felt relieved when the woman was called away by someone and another guard stepped in her place. This time it was a guy and all Inéz had to do was smile nicely to him and she was allowed through.
“That was the last time I used this stupid ID,” she said to the boys who couldn’t stop laughing at the girl’s irritation.
They went to the bar to get drinks and, after half an hour, Drew lost sight of all of his friends. He was looking for them everywhere. Even in the girl’s bathroom, which appeared to be a bad idea when it was made perfectly clear, and very loudly too, that he was not welcome in there.
Obviously.
Taking into account that it was a huge club with six different dance halls, he had a hard time discerning where he was. That’s why he went up to the first floor, where a balcony was. It overlooked the biggest dance floor so maybe he would be able to recognize one of his friends from up here.
Unfortunately, there was no one he knew. They weren’t picking up their phones either and that left him with the option of going to the smoking-room, hoping that they were sitting there. But that was a long shot since the only one who smoked was Isaac, and it was only from time to time. Rarely.
He went through the door which he remembered led to the top floor, where the smoking area was supposed to be. Well, it happened to be a VIP room. And not just any VIP room, but a huge one with five black leather couches and a bar full of different, top-shelf quality liquor. Not to mention a mini dance floor where three women were moving to the beat of the music which only barely rasped through to them. The walls must have been made of some kind of soundproof material.
“Boy, can you take those glasses and bring us the same? The whiskey here has run out,” he heard a low and hoarse voice, with a clear southern accent.
The man was wearing a black suit, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, making him look younger than he probably was. Perfectly combed black hair and dark complexion sharply contrasted with his white shirt. He appeared to be in his late thirties, but Drew wouldn’t bet his money on it. As far as he knew, he could be older, but age really slowly on the outside. Just like his father.
The man was sitting on one of the couches with four different men around him. They all looked more or less the same, dressed in refined, obsidian suits. The only person standing out was a tall woman in a short red dress, sitting on the armrest near one of them, playing with her blonde her. However, she wasn’t listening to the men, but rather looking at her friends dancing. Probably thinking of joining them, if only one of the men hadn’t put his large hand on her thigh, stroking it lightly.
It looked like some kind of business meeting blended with the reunion of some old friends who wanted to play poker. The cards were already dealt and in the center of a low table was a pile of money already. So much that Drew would probably never make that kind of money all his life, working as an honest person.
Who are they?
“Have you heard what I said, boy?” asked the man again exhaling a puff of smoke from his cigar.
Drew was sure now that they must think he was a bartender and his first instinct was to set them straight, but then he saw that one of them had a holster with a gun below his left hand, hidden under the jacket. It was clear then that he shouldn’t have been in here in the first place, let alone tell them that he’s not working in the club. Who knew what kind of men they were? But they were definitely not policemen. That much he was sure of.
He went up to the table and took the empty glasses, putting them on the tray which was settled under. Biting his lower lip, he backed out of the room, disappearing behind a long red curtain. Still, he wasn’t out of the door so he could hear their conversation.
“Emilio, I’m going to be honest with you. I wanted to talk to your Capo. He’s the one I’m doing business with and,” he was cut off.
“And you’re going to finish them with me.”
So the man who’d talked to Drew was called Emilio. Not an American name. That was certain.
“We warned you about breaking the rules. Poor Anderson was the one who had suffered the consequences. For now.” There was a moment of silence. “Where’s the money?”
“I will give it back. I promise. I just need a little bit more time,” one of the men answered, clearly scared.
“Our enforcer didn’t make himself clear enough? We are running out of patience.”
Ryder knew he shouldn’t be there. And that he must lea
ve the place before one of the men catches him listening. That was his cue to go. When he heard the full blast of music after stepping out of the VIP room, a sigh of relief escaped his lips. There was something about those men that made him uneasy. However, he preferred to forget it all. He walked up to the bar, setting the tray with the glasses on it and told the barman to fill them up and take them to the room so that they wouldn’t go looking for him. After all, right now, they would certainly recognize him.
It was time to find his friends and leave the club. His fun had ended the minute he’d set foot into that room.
CHAPTER 9
Lynette
Ever since Severo had come back from South Dakota, he’d been in an awful mood. He was showing it in his own way. He was sitting in his office and hadn’t even come out to greet his daughter or to eat dinner. Clearly stating he wanted to be alone.
His wish wasn’t granted because every fifteen minutes one of his soldiers wanted something from him or was to give a report on his current job. But it didn’t turn out well for either of them. Most requests met with his refusal, others he laughed off and those who came to get new tasks heard that they could find something useful to do themselves, and for once not get on his nerves with such stupid, trivial things.
Lynette didn’t even have to eavesdrop to know all this. An angry Severo wasn’t the quietest man on Earth. Far from it actually. So, as she was sitting in the living room, she could still hear every single word. However, not the most crucial ones – what had made her father so furious during his travels.
“Emilio, I have already told you that you have to supervise the shipment. I will not have anyone else do it. Jason has gone to negotiate to New York so he’s not here to do it in your place. This stock is important and I won’t have any famiglia intercepting it. Ever again.”
“Are you sure that it was a responsible move to send Carnovale to the meeting? The New York Famiglia cannot be trusted.”
“He is going to be alright. Jason knows how to take care of himself. Besides, he knows the risks. It is a long shot to cooperate with that famiglia, but they need protection from the Triad even more now as their entire structure needed to change with the death of their Capo. Perhaps Filippo Bazzoli will be more reasonable than his father was.”
“I still believe he should concentrate on Falcone fully, rather than taking on a new task. You still have a lot of unresolved issues and since Lynette is to get married to his son it should all be settled beforehand.”
“Jason won’t come near this matter. I won’t risk more problems with Marco. As you said yourself, the previous ones are not settled yet and others are bound to emerge if Falcone finds out about Jason’s relationship with my daughter.”
“You could always order him not to spend time with Lynette. Carnovale won’t challenge you on that.”
“I would if he didn’t have such an impact on Lynette. If this wedding is to happen, he can keep her on the right track. God only knows that I wouldn’t be able to do anything. No matter how well Lynette can act as the dutiful daughter on the outside, she has her mother’s temper. Marco needs to remain in the dark when it comes to the depth of their relationship.”
“It will be hard, Severo. People talk. All Falcone has to do is ask one of the soldiers or captains and everything will go down the drain.”
“Not if I can help it. As far as I’m concerned, I’m still the Capo and there’s nothing that can change that. My people will keep their mouths shut.”
What she heard from her father didn’t come as a surprise. Not at all. She was more than aware of the displeasure that he felt. She also knew that there was a thin line between him accepting the relationship and ordering Jason not to be around her.
The doors slammed open and the two men walked out, still talking. They made the necessary arrangements for the shipment and decided to meet at the club once everything was finalized. Then they left, leaving Lynette and Rosalia alone.
Normally, the girl would spend the evening reading a book, but not this time. She went to her bedroom, which was in the back of the house, boasting a view of the lake. No soldier was to be seen anywhere within eyeshot as she looked out of the window. It pushed her to take a risk. She decided to go for a walk by the water.
Quickly, she got dressed and opened the window, feeling the cold air invade the room. Curtains were drawn to prevent anyone from seeing that she wasn’t in the bedroom. She stood up on the windowsill, trying to figure out the best way to leave without being spotted. Carefully, Lynette jumped to the other side, stepping on the concrete and pushed the window shut, leaving it ajar just enough to be able to come back inside. She heard steps. Looking around, there was a bush nearby so she hid behind it, praying that no one would see her.
One of the guards strolled through the area. Surprisingly, he didn’t see her. Just as he disappeared, Lynette walked down a small hill getting further away from the property.
As her house was just by the lake, there was no fence at the back. No possibility for a rival crew to cause any real damage by setting a sniper. The constant patrol was the only requirement. Thankfully, because at the front the gate was strongly guarded and there would be no way for her to leave.
She was walking along the lake, trying to skip stones, but failing miserably every time. They all went down almost immediately. Another thing she wasn’t made to do, unfortunately. Unless it had something to do with books and studying, she would probably fail no matter what.
That was something she wanted to change. For her, the possibility of learning a new skill was extremely limited because of the golden cage she was living in. And it seemed that even if she were to marry Noah - a monster at his best - he wouldn’t allow her to do many things. After all, she was supposed to become a trophy wife, which didn’t sit well with her. She was more than that and it made her angry that even her own father doesn't see it.
Hell, even Jason couldn’t see it. He might be nice to her, but she wasn’t delusional to forget how cruel he could be behind closed doors. The position he had as a Consigliere wasn’t easy and it took no pity. For a person to become a Capo’s right hand meant that he couldn’t allow himself to be vulnerable or weak. And she knew Jason wasn’t. What’s more, she was almost sure he didn’t treat women with a lot of respect either. They were good to him for one thing, and one thing only. He didn’t try to hide it. Even from her. He respected those who were connected with gangsters by marriage or blood. But it was a cold kind of respect. Lynette was just extremely lucky to be an exception. But it still didn’t make it okay. When they’d talked in the car and Jason had told her all those things about Noah, she could distinguish some sort of weird fascination in his eyes. As if he actually admired Falcone for what he was able to do. For who he was. But he wouldn’t admit it to Lynette, and she didn’t want to know what was going through Jason’s head. She didn’t want to find out what her only friend was capable of doing to others. Even women.
She threw another stone. Like all the previous ones, it didn’t skip.
”That was terrible.” She heard a man’s voice, turning around at the speed of light.
A couple of feet away, a man was standing. He was looking directly at her, which let her know, that he was actually talking to her. He was tall. Something around six foot two, she believed. His hair was short, blond, some of it a little slicked up. Broad shoulders and muscular hands gave him a scary look. Especially with those bright eyes still fixed on her figure. He was checking her out without qualm. And if she hadn’t been so far from her home, she would’ve probably cried, running there, screaming her heart out, hoping the man wouldn’t come after her.
It would be his funeral if he did. But still.
Standing there, in complete silence for a few minutes, was enough for her to slowly get accustomed to the stranger. He still scared her to no end, but she was not going to show weakness. After all, she had learned something from her father. People preyed on the weak and she was anything but.
Her ey
es traveled from his face to his clothes. He was wearing a white dress shirt, a little wrinkled but still looked good on him, with his muscles filling it perfectly. His black jeans were a little too low, so Lynette was almost certain that if there hadn’t been a shirt covering their top, she would see his v-line without any problem. He was handsome, she had to admit. But the fear he awakened in her canceled out all the attraction.
A smirk appeared on his face. Probably because of Lynette’s lingering, curious eyes on his body. He seemed really arrogant, which was something she didn’t like. At all. That was where her temper would start to show through. In the company of such people.
“I believe that if we aren’t good at something, we shouldn’t be doing it,” he added, getting closer to her. That made her step back in order to maintain a safe distance between them.
She didn’t know him and she wouldn’t ever want to because of his cocky attitude. She might just pray that he wasn’t one of her neighbors. However, with the expensive watch he carried on his wrist, he would fit right in with the neighborhood. Too many rich people for her taste.
“Sorry, the beauty pageant for snobs is on the other side of town.”
That was something she probably shouldn’t have said. But the words made it past her lips without her actually thinking them through. Thankfully, he didn’t seem offended.
Thank God.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have any problem with snapping her neck with those hands.
She needed professional help. She was always seeing mobsters everywhere and in everyone. And he didn’t even have the tattoos to suggest that he was in the mafia. That, and she didn’t recognize him. Besides, another mafia family member wouldn’t be stupid enough to come to their territory without permission.
For God’s sake, get a grip.
He chuckled. “That was a weird attempt at flirting with me. You need to work on your skills, love.”
