Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Camilla

I dash up the stairs to my apartment and open the door as quickly as possible. Natalia is sitting at the table with a cup of coffee and her books out studying. She looks up, "Hey how did it go?" she asks me.

I look at her and wonder if I should tell her who I ran in to. I decided maybe she should know, she is the one who told me that he was dangerous. I set my bag on the table by the door and walked over to her with my book and notepad. I pull the card out of the book and toss it on the table in front of her. "That's how." I say.

Natalia gasps, "Oh my God, how did you get this? Wait," she looks up at me. "Did you see him? At the coffee shop?"

I nod as I sit down. "More than that. He sat down and spoke to me; it was very uncomfortable. Judging by the looks I was getting from his men and Carlos; I wasn't being as respectful as I should be. I assume he figured I didn't know who he was. He gave me his card and said when I finish law school that I should give him a call for a job."

"You can't be serious? You are not going to call him, are you?" Natalia looks genuinely concerned.

I shrug. "I doubt it. I mean he's the mafia, right? Why would I want to be involved in that mess?"

"You definitely don't," Natalia replies. "You want some coffee?" She gets up and pours me a cup as I open my sandwich I never got to eat. "Oh, you are so sharing that," Natalia says as she grabs two plates and a knife to divide it.

Carlos makes the best sandwiches, but I will always share with my best friend. She would do the same for me. "So, what happened to your visitor," I ask. Daniel had been with her when I left.

"You know, it was so weird. After you left, he asked me where you were going. Then he got up and said he had to make a phone call. He stepped out to hallway for a minute, then came back in. He apologized and said he needed to leave. Before that, he told me he had nowhere to be and that he'd like to spend the day getting to know me." As she relays this to me, I recall that I heard him asking where I was going. Something about that doesn't sit right with me.

"Hm. Well just be careful Nat. You don't know that guy. I was honestly surprised to see him in our living room."

"He knocked on the door; it's not like I invited him up. Once he was here, though, I didn't want to be rude. Besides, did you see how hot he is?" She fans her face. "He's an accountant too, so super smart. I didn't know men could be that hot and intelligent at the same time."

I start laughing. "You sound like how men talk about pretty women being smart, they don't think it's possible."

Natalia giggles, "Well, we know that beautiful women are smart, I mean, look at us." She gestures to herself and then to me. I just shake my head and laugh. She has the most self-confidence of anyone I have ever met. I can't blame her, though; she is gorgeous. She is also brilliant. She's the total package. She'd make some man very lucky one day.

I finish my sandwich and my coffee. It's a nice day out, and it's Saturday. I feel like we shouldn't be cooped up all day in our apartment. It's nearly five o'clock, maybe we could catch a movie. I mention it to Natalia, and she agrees. We agree to a movie, get changed and head out to the number four train. It doesn't take us long to get to the train, and as I look around, I don't notice anyone following me. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Natalia touches my arm. "Are you okay?"

I am startled that she noticed my unease, but I don't think I'm ready to tell her that I believe I have been followed several times. "Oh yes, I am fine. I can't wait to see this movie," I change the subject and loop her arm through mine. "Here's our train!" We jump on as soon as the doors close.

Nicholas POV

"What do you mean you lost them?" I'm snarling at my man on the other end of the line. "I don't care how busy the train is, you find them. Keep a tail on them. I want to know what she is doing. I need to know who she talks to and where she goes. Is that clear?" I know it's probably not his fault, but he's one of my soldiers, and he is still trying to prove himself. Losing someone he's tailing is no way to prove it. They are on foot after all.

I hang up the phone and walk to my liquor cabinet and pour myself two fingers of bourbon. I don't typically drink much when I'm not out or at dinner, but today I feel a bit more on edge. Camilla Patron, that is the name of the woman I am supposed to be taking back to Vince Cain. After my brief interaction with her today, I am not so sure he is being honest. She seemed not to understand at all who I was. If she had been part of a mafia family, she would know exactly who I am. Forget that she was from Chicago; they all know who I am. I had met her father once, when I was about twenty-one and still under my father's thumb. I'd guess it was right before he was killed. I never recall him speaking of a daughter, nor did I see her when I was at his home. His son Michael, I met him twice. He was going to be taking over from his father someday. That day came sooner than they had expected. Vince Cain was a ruthless asshole when he didn't get his way. I'm convinced he had the Patron's killed. I'm shocked he stooped as low as to kill his wife, too. Typically, we leave the spouses alone. Vince did not seem to care.

I pick up my phone and dial Chicago. "Vince here."

"Vince, it's Nicholas Carmine in New York."

"I know who the fuck this is, I have caller I.D. Did you find the girl? Give me some good news." He is a surly and rude man, no finesse. He's also a terrible businessman, so he chooses to traffic women in the sex industry instead. I can't stand the guy, but my father did some business with him and so I'm stuck working with him now.

"I'm not sure. I have a lead, but I wanted to ask you a question or two." I wait for him to curse me out, he doesn't like to be questioned. One day his mouth is going to get him shot, and I might be the one to do it. I hate to be disrespected.

"What's your question?" I hear him take a drink, the ice rattling in the glass.

"How do you know this woman was involved in Patron's business? I haven't been able to find anything that connects her to his business. She all but disappeared to a small town after her parents were killed."

"What did you say? What small town?" This has piqued his interest for some reason.

I am a little suspicious about why he's so curious about a small town. I decide to be vague. "I don't know, somewhere in Iowa. Her grandmother took her in from what we've found so far. The brother is missing in action. My sources say she hasn't spoken to him since right after he graduated high school and fled Chicago."

"Her grandmother huh? Did you go speak to the grandmother?" he's digging into this, and I plan to find out why.

"Why would I speak to the grandmother? What am I going to bother some lonely old lady in the middle of nowhere for?"

"If that's Patron's mother, she has connections to Italy you dumb ass." Now he's pissed me off.

"You know what Vince, fuck you. We will talk another time." I hang up before he can say a word. My phone rings immediately and its him. I don't bother to answer. I am done speaking to Vince Cain for now. He needs to realize that he can't disrespect me and think I will bow to him.

I walk to my desk and pick up the landline phone. I call my guard captain. "Sir?" he answers on the first ring. He should be at his desk working on schedules for rotating the men in and out of our security details.

"Vince Cain. Do some more digging on this asshole. His son too. I want to know everything you can find. Oh, and one more thing," I pause to make sure he hears exactly what I want. "Look into the accident that Joseph and Sadie Patron were in. The one that got them killed. Get me details. Dig in whatever way you need to." This was me permitting him to break kneecaps if needed.

"You got it, boss."