Chapter 6
* * * *
They had searched for two hours before Rémy found what appeared to be a young Latino with a honey-blond modified Mohawk. He sat in a coffee shop on Forty-fourth and Seventh and nodded when Rémy held up the picture. “That’s Donal Berne,” he said as he sipped his coffee. “I’m Julio Reyes. Donal is a friend. Why do you need to know?”
“My employer found him this morning.”
“Is he dead?” the boy asked with a hitch in his voice as he counted change to pay for his meal.
“He was in bad shape, but he’s still breathing. My employer wants to help him. He discovered him in the park dying of an overdose.”
Julio’s eyes lit up when he heard the word help. To Rémy it seemed as if it broke the logjam in his brain. All of a sudden, there was additional information forthcoming.
“He runs for Vittorio Apuso, a really cruel bastard. He picked Donal up from the Port Authority bus station when he was fourteen. Donal’s a head case. He’s almost twenty-one and has been forced into doing this for too long. He’s heavy on the sauce. Apuso did that to him. He has it in for Donal because Donal never stops trying to run. Donal didn’t show up last night for work even though he left the stable with the others. I was worried about him. He won’t survive the next beating, and I don’t think Donal cares anymore. Please take care of him,” the boy pleaded.
Rémy nodded, paid him for his time, and then called Armand.
“Donal Berne, another Irish Celt. He runs for Vittorio Apuso. Apuso is a made-man. You’ll have to deal with Don Ferone. Donal is unstable. He’s been abused for too long my source says. Alexei may be able to relate.”
“You’re learning,” Armand told Rémy. “We’ll leave Alexei with his Mate. Meet me at Don Ferone’s in an hour. We need a show of force. Send out a call to Marc, Gabriel, all of our Betas, and eight of our Enforcers. Gather them together.”
“What about Alexei’s Betas?”
“Leave them and the rest of our Enforcers to guard the Mates, Artis, and Alexei. We go to Don Ferone.” Armand went upstairs to speak with Alexei. “Alpha Clavier, Alpha Thierry, and Alpha Martin, are going with me to negotiate.”
“I have two hundred fifty thousand dollars in the house, the rest I have in bearer bonds in my safe. I’ll get it for you. I hope it’s enough.”
“Don’t worry, the quarter million should be enough. If not, I’ll cover you and you can pay me back.”
* * * *
Armand and his party met Don Ferone at an Italian bakery in Little Italy. He sat in a back booth surrounded by his men. The air was redolent with the smell of cannoli and cheesecake.
Don Ferone sat back. “Mr. La Marche, we meet again. You came in force today. Curious. You said something on the phone about one of my men’s rent boys?” Don Ferone took a sip of his expresso.
“Yes, a Donal Berne, he’s in his twenties and an addict. I don’t think he’s worth much, but my associate wants to purchase him and is prepared to pay well.”
“As it happens, Mr. Apuso is here.” Don Ferone gestured to Apuso
“How much for Donal Berne?” Don Ferone asked.
“Donal isn’t for sale.” Apuso smirked.
“Mr. Apuso, my associate is willing and able to pay whatever it takes,” Armand said mildly.
“Surely you have a price in mind, Vittorio?” Don Ferone asked through tight lips with a note of irritation in his voice.
“Two hundred fifty thousand.”
It was evident Apuso named what he thought was an impossible sum. “I have the money in fifties.” Armand took out his briefcase. “You can count it and see that it’s all there.”
Apuso began to count, and Ferone slammed the briefcase down on his fingers. “I’m sure it is, Mr. La Marche. Donal is now yours.” Don Ferone turned to his associate. “Vittorio, you will do nothing to this boy or you will end up like my late nephew. Mr. La Marche heads Garou Industries with whom we have an agreement. We stay out of his business and he stays out of ours.”
“He’s in our business if he wants one of my boys. Donal is a top earner.”
“Really?” Armand picked up his phone and showed Donal’s naked picture to Ferone.