Mob Lawyer 6: A Legal Thriller

by Dave Daren

  “You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” I said and pulled the sticker covered memory drive out of my pocket. “Andrew Stevenson was very generous when he left. He gave me all of the information on his car theft ring, including the buyers, and all of his friends with airports that are willing to ship things under the radar.”

  “What about the Enzo?” my client asked.

  “It arrives in China tomorrow morning,” I said. “It’ll be given a new VIN and then flown to London and the new owner there. It’ll be in their possession by Sunday afternoon.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me!” the mafioso snarled and threw one of the empty beer bottles against the nearby red brick wall. “I want my car back, Hunter.”

  “And you’ll get it,” I said and tapped the top of the memory drive. “I have the buyer’s name and address. And the information on the company who flew the car over in the first place.”

  “You think that he’s just going to give you my car?” Anthony asked. “You’re persuasive, Hunter. But that’s a two and a half million dollar car. There’s no way that he’ll let it go. Maybe I should just let Jovanni take care of Dian. We can’t afford to look weak in front of the other families right now.”

  The furious mafioso paced back and forth across his apartment, while he muttered about saving face and how he needed to make a good impression on the other families if he was going to take over after his father retired.

  I watched and waited in silence while he wore himself out and then stood when he huffed and ran his hands through his hair.

  “I have an idea,” I said and stuck my hands in my pockets. “Why don’t I go to London myself? I can say that I’m going on vacation to visit Liz. It won’t raise any suspicions if anyone looks closer, and then I can talk to the buyer in person.”

  “And then what?” my client asked. “You’ll threaten to throw him in jail for buying a car on the black market? I don’t think even you have that kind of pull.”

  “I don’t,” I laughed. “Although, I might be able to make some calls. No, I think a little creative persuasion will help here. All legal, of course, but I think that I can change the buyer’s mind.”

  Anthony walked over to the wall of windows and stared out into the city. The streets below teemed with people on their way to the bars down the block, most of them already a few drinks in from pre-gaming, and their loud laughter reached us all the way in the apartment. My client sighed, ran his hands through his hair, and then nodded.

  “Alright, Hunter,” he said and turned to look at me. “Handle it the legal way. You’ve gotten us this far, but if you can’t get the Enzo back, then I’ll need to do something so that the other families won’t think we’re weak.”

  “I will,” I said. “And when I come back with your car, you’ll have a brand-new business, and everyone will know that stealing from you is a terrible idea.”

  “I still think you should break Dian’s hand or something,” Big Tony said from his seat next to the door. “Just to let him know that he can’t get away without punishment.”

  “Oh, he’ll be punished,” I laughed. “He’s going to give us seventy-five percent of his profits for the car ring.”

  “He’ll never agree to that,” Anthony laughed from beside me.

  “Really?” I asked. “What’s the alternative? I have all of the information from his previous partner. We don’t even need him to make the car theft ring work, it’s just convenient to keep him on.”

  “Shit, Hunter,” my client said with an impressed shake of his head. “You’re ruthless.”

  “Thank you,” I said and flashed a bright smile. “It does come with being a lawyer. Besides, he’ll have the profits from his legal import business, and twenty-five percent from the car ring. All of his kids are grown, he doesn’t need that much money.”

  “I’m glad you’re on our side,” the mafioso said as he walked over to the fridge. “You want a beer to celebrate?”

  “Sure,” I said and strolled over.

  The rest of the night was spent laughing and playing cards with Big Tony. Gabriele came over closer to midnight and demanded to be filled in on what had happened, though he stopped paying attention when he was given the storage device. It was like I’d given him a Christmas present as he curled up on the couch with his computer in his lap and a Monster within reach.

  The next morning I woke up on the couch to the smell of bacon and eggs. I sat up with a groan, saw the bottle of water next to me, and downed it all in one go. The night had become a blur after the fourth bottle of beer, and my head swam from dehydration as I stumbled toward the bathroom.

  “Good morning, Sleeping Beauty,” Tommaso laughed when I came back out.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” I grumbled and retrieved another bottle of water.

  “Annie dragged me over last night to destroy all of you in a game of cards,” my paralegal said. “And I decided that I’d cook breakfast for you since I took all of your money.”

  A vague memory of the fiery Italian woman winning another hand floated back to the surface of my mind, and I groaned as I remembered how much she and her boyfriend had taken me for. I hadn’t drank or gambled like that since my last year of law school, and I was clearly out of practice.

  “Thanks for the food,” I said when the curly-haired man passed me a plate of freshly fried eggs and crisp bacon.

  “You’re awake!” Annie boomed as she returned with Anthony right behind her.

  They had a box from the bakery that made the delicious cruffins, and my mouth watered as I remembered the buttery treats. I took one that was filled with Nutella, added it to my plate, and then shuffled over to the table while Annie started the espresso machine.

  “Thanks,” I said when the youngest Febbo brought me a cup of steaming hot coffee.

  “You paid,” she teased and then walked over to give Tommaso a kiss on the cheek.

  I watched my client, but he seemed happy for the young couple, though he did tell them to cut it out because they were gross. The youngest Febbo stuck her tongue out and threatened to make out with her boyfriend right in front of us, and then laughed when she saw the mortified look on Tommaso’s face.

  “I need to leave after breakfast,” I said. “I have to go home and pack. And I still need to buy my plane ticket for London.”

  “That’s already been taken care of,” my paralegal said and pointed to my black to-go duffel. “I made sure your passport was inside. You have three days’ worth of clothes, including one nice suit so you can take Liz out somewhere respectable.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “Did you book a flight?”

  “I did,” the young man said. “It leaves in… three hours. You’ll need to leave for the airport as soon as you’re done with your breakfast. It’s a first-class ticket so you won’t have to go through as much security.”

  “Perfect,” I said and then looked over at Anthony. “Do you mind if I use your shower?”

  “I think we would all be grateful for that,” my friend and client chuckled before he shoveled an entire fried egg into his mouth.

  Breakfast passed in a blur of jokes and plans. Anthony didn’t share his father’s stigma about talking business in front of Annie, and I wondered if he would ever bring her into the office with him. She was brilliant, but I wasn’t sure how Sal or the other families would handle a female capo in their midst, though I was sure the charismatic young woman could win them over.

  I called Liz on the way to the airport to let her know that I’d be at London Heathrow by ten p.m. her time. The blonde bombshell had been ecstatic, and told me that she’d meet me with bells on. I thought that I saw one of the Serbian hitmen in line for tickets as I walked to my terminal, but he didn’t pay any attention to me, and I noticed that he was on his way to China.

  There was still a hit out on Andrew Stevenson, but the man was long gone. I had his phone number in case I needed him, and Anthony planned to contact the Chinese partners of the car ring while I
was gone. He’d convince them to work with us instead of Drew, and by the time I came back to New York, the tech genius would be in the clear.

  The flight over to London was seven hours, so I drank some coffee and watched a few in-flight movies. I was excited to see Liz, even if it was only for a day, and I went through a list of tourist attractions that she needed to take me to before my business meeting.

  The Enzo’s new owner was a man named James Williams. He was from old money and owned an estate somewhere in the English countryside. The picture that I’d found of him showed him on top of a horse in a polo uniform and a smug smile. He looked like a pompous ass, and as I realized that my instincts were right when I started to read through the information packet that Gabriele had sent me.

  The guy had a collection of luxury cars that he showcased at shows around Great Britain, and sometimes he even shipped them internationally. His lifestyle was sustained by the money he made from his family’s business, and from what I could tell, he was more the face of the company than the brains of it. I didn’t recognize the name, but a quick Google search told me that they made parts for car engines.

  I was ready for another cup of coffee by the time the plane landed and I filed out with all the others from my flight. I cruised through customs since I had a small bag and nothing to declare, but I had to stop and look around once I was in the terminal because the place was still crowded enough that it was hard to pick out anyone in the crowd.

  The sound of bells caught my attention, and I looked over to see Liz waving around a leather strap covered in huge golden bells. She bounced up and down in her red kitten heels, a giant smile on her face, and her blonde ponytail bouncing behind her.

  She had on a pair of blue jeans that could’ve been a second skin, a loose white cashmere sweater, and a thick matching headband wrapped around her head and ears. Her small purse bounced around her thigh as she moved, and I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face at the sight of her.

  “You’re here!” she exclaimed and threw her arms around me.

  “I am,” I laughed. “You look beautiful.”

  “So do you,” she said with a wink before she gave me an adorable pouty face. “Are you really only here for a day?”

  “Yes,” I said. “I have to leave tomorrow night. I’m just here for a business meeting tomorrow after dinner.”

  “For the Febbos?” she asked and started to lead me out to the line of taxis.

  “Yeah,” I said. “Oh, I have a bottle of wine for you from Annie. She said it pairs well with chocolate.”

  “I think I have some at the flat,” the beautiful blonde said and then slipped into the back seat of the cab.

  We chatted about her work until we reached her apartment, and then she asked me about what really brought me there.

  I told her about the Enzo and the buyer that we needed to meet after his dinner, and she said that she knew the restaurant that I’d mentioned and that she’d be more than happy to let me take her there, though it was hard to get reservations. I told her about the wonderful Gabriele and his gift with computers, and then we both went to bed.

  I spent the rest of the night and most of the morning tangled in her long legs and beautiful curves, but eventually we were both hungry enough that we climbed out of bed in search of food. She took me to Big Ben, the Globe Theater, and a tea shop that she said was to die for before we headed back to her apartment for another round of fun. I was so content that I almost suggested postponing dinner, but Anthony was eager to have his car back, and I had a flight to catch.

  The restaurant was almost as beautiful as my date, and the food was just as delicious. I almost forgot that I was there on business until Liz pointed out my target. The man was at the bar, surrounded by well-dressed businessmen, and I had to suppress a groan at the air of snobbery that wafted off of them.

  “I think I’ll powder my nose,” Liz said as she excused herself.

  “Don’t take too long,” I laughed. “I still need to get to the airport.”

  “Did you want me to take forever?” the gorgeous lawyer teased and winked at me before she sashayed past the group of men.

  “Mr. Williams,” I said with a warm smile as I strolled up to the men. “I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time. Alone.”

  The man gave me a long look up and down but then nodded to his buddies. They all walked a few feet away to give us some privacy, and the bartender brought over another whiskey on the rocks for the Englishman.

  “What can I do for you?” he asked with a grin that didn’t reach his eyes.

  “You can return my client’s car,” I said with a smile that matched his.

  “I’m sorry,” Williams said with a shake of his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “The Enzo that just came in,” I clarified. “Don’t bother denying that you own it. I have it on very good authority that you do. See, the problem with you having it, is that the proper owner, the one it was stolen from, doesn’t have it. And that’s my client.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the Englishman huffed, all pretense of politeness gone as he straightened his jacket. “Now, I think that you really ought to leave.”

  “I will,” I said and pulled the bottle of wine from my bag. “This is a gift. Or you can call it an exchange. That card there has the airport and flight plans of a cargo plane that will be leaving in the morning. I suggest you have the Enzo on it. I would hate to have this conversation again.”

  “I don’t own an Enzo Ferrari,” Williams said without taking the offered gift.

  “Sure,” I said and shrugged. “I suggest you look into this winery. My client’s family owns it, and I think that you’ll have a newfound appreciation for it once you understand the history behind the family.”

  “Are we ready to go?” Liz asked as she strolled up and put an arm around my waist.

  “We are,” I said and leaned down to give her a kiss on the cheek. “Remember to look into that winery, Mr. Williams. I think it might change your mind about making that flight.”

  The man huffed and put the bottle of wine on the counter while Liz and I walked out into the cold London night. I watched through the window as he talked to his friends, his hands waving in the air, and his face red. He calmed down when one of the businessmen read the label and paled, and by the time his friend was done talking, he’d lost all of the color in his face, too.

  I had no doubt that the Enzo would make its flight home.

  End of Book 6

  Author’s Notes

  Thank you for reading my novel! If you enjoyed it, and you’d like to read another story about Hunter, please leave a quick review by clicking on this link.

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2021 by Dave Daren