**Maximo**
“You piece of shit!” I slammed my fists into his face again. “Thieving pendejo!” Julio held the man’s arms behind his back as I beat the shit out of him. “Where is my fucking coke?” I waited for him to answer, but he took too long, so I slammed my fists in his face again.
Ever since Fallon had left, business has been rough. Money was coming up short and my drugs kept going missing. I was so focused on finding her that I let things slide, and I had to make up for lost time. I spent the last week out every night getting the answers I needed.
I had gone through my shipment crew, finding those who tried to fuck me over and stole from me. I took a swig of bourbon before putting on brass knuckles.
I didn’t stop beating the man until he stopped breathing. Julio dropped the man to the floor before a couple of my other men came in and dragged him out, to dispose of him.
Julio stopped at the club on the way back home. I walked to the office, pouring myself a glass of my favorite bourbon. I grabbed the glass and bottle and sat at the desk, overlooking the dance floor. I watched as the girls grinded on each other. Fuck. I need Fallon.
I got up when Marianna walked in. “Back again?” She hissed, seductively. Mari and I had….relations, often.
“Get out, Mari.” I said through gritted teeth. Mari was beautiful, but nothing compared to Fallon. Mari was tall with dark eyes and black hair. She was thin with small breasts and no curves. She was a good fuck, I taught her well, but she wasn’t, her.
“Get out, Mari, I’m not in the mood.” She continued to ignored me, walking over and sitting on my lap.
“That’s what you say every time, Max.” My lips rolled, I fucking hated that nickname.
I stood up, knocking her off of me. “Hey, watch it!” She yelled. “What is your problem tonight?” She tried touching my face but I grabbed her wrist and threw it away from me.
“I said get the fuck out.” I turned away from her, overlooking the club.
“Whatever, you will be back, you always come back when she doesn’t give you what you need.” She said through gritted teeth. I waved her out, not wanting to hear another word from her or smell her disgusting perfume.
I sent Julio and Monte a text that I was ready to leave. I went out the back so no one would see the blood covered me, but I took my bourbon with me.
I drank the entire bottle on the way home. When I opened the door, there she was. In a cotton tank top and silky shorts. Fuck me. I need her, now.
“What the fuck do you want?” I yelled at Julio. How dare they pull me from, her.
“Boss, it’s James.” Julio clasped his hands together. “He must have followed us from New Orleans. Intel found that he is the one that robbed the shipyard.”
I was fuming. “What do you fucking mean? He stole my coke?” I picked up my bourbon and poured a glass. “We also had intel on the others too, are you saying they weren’t the ones?”
“No, boss, we think James hired them. And….” Julio stopped, looking behind me.
“Maximo?” I saw her. “Is everything okay?” She actually looked concerned. Different from how she was looking at me in my room, like I was a monster.
“Go to bed, mi amore. Everything is fine.” She gave me a small smile before turning around and leaving. Fuck.
I looked back to Julio to continue. “We lost him, boss.” I threw my glass.
“What the fuck do you mean you lost him?! Find him!” I grabbed the bottle and started to head towards the patio. I needed some air.
The cool salty air slapped my face. I took a deep breath pulling out a cigarette.
“Boss! We have a lead!” Julio called out. I turned around and followed him to the garage.
I got in the back and started loading my gun. I’m going to kill that asshole. He is messing with my business and his lasting feelings for my wife pissed me off more than anything. With him out of the picture, Fallon will finally only be mine.
Monte drove fast through the streets towards the docks. The intel said James was meeting a couple of the dock workers to discuss fucking me over. We arrived at the docks and all the lights were out.
I got out and walked into the garage with Monte and Julio behind me.
“Well well well.” I heard in front of me in the dark of the room, to my surprise, it was a woman’s voice that I recognized. “Couldn’t leave it be, huh?” There was a laugh.
“Show yourself.” I hissed. “I will, when we can come to an agreement, Maximo.”
Then it hit me. *Juliette*.
“Juliette.” I hissed. “Come on out, let’s talk.” She laughed.
“Maximo, long time, no see. Since you dropped me and cut me out of the business.”
“You were interfering with my relationship with my wife, and that was business as well.” I was getting bored with her game. “Come on out, let’s talk. It’s been a long time.” Juliette used to be my business partner. I had actually had her ordered to be killed, but that ball obviously got dropped somewhere.
She walked in front of me. Her dark skin looked soft, her eyes were blacker than usual and her short black hair had gotten long. She wore it curled down her back with a black, skin tight dress. She looked good.
“You thought you could get rid of me?” She smiled, evilly. “We used to be inseparable, invincible.” Her lips formed a hard line on her face. “We could have become so powerful as a couple, Maximo.” She crossed her arms and was pacing back and forth in front of me slowly. “I still don’t see what you see in her, she’s so boring.”
“Don’t talk about my wife, Juliette. This has nothing to do with her. This has to do with you and me.” She smiled
“It has everything to do with her. You never looked at me the way you looked at her. Every time you fucked me, you left. You actually sleep in the same bed with her.”
“What is it you want, Juliette? Because we will not have the same relationship we had before and frankly, I don’t have time for this.”
“Do you know why business has been so bad lately? You are to caught up in Fallon. You need to drop her and throw yourself back into work. Someone is going to try and overthrow you if they see how weak you’ve become.”
“Shut the fuck up, Juliette!” I yelled, my voice echoed in the garage. “You don’t know anything about me or what has been going on.” I was still yelling.
She was smiling, she loved my rage. “I’m just saying, Maximo, you used to be great, now you’re weak.” I snarled. “But, I do have an idea on how we can make you powerful again.” She sounded so confident. I raised my eyebrows. “Put me back in charge or I will have her killed. Try to double cross me or kill me and my people will handle it for me.”