Chapter 31 A CLAUSE IN THE DEAL
“Pardon the manner my men had attended to you, Santiano," Morano DeLuca continued, lifting a fat cigar to his lips. “I believe you will overlook this.”
Rafael said nothing but chuckle, then his men began to offload what was in the crate, placing them on the table the men were seated by in a neat ans straight array like they had been practicing.
They were branded bottles— all bottles of whiskey.
“Ah, impatient, are we?” Morano DeLuca grimaced, puffing up an unholy smoke into the air.
“Our business needs not delay.” Rafael said, taking a seat for himself opposite the men.
Morano DeLuca paused, a little appalled by Rafael's audacity to seat without him offering one first.
He reclined into his seat, the look of surprise still etched on his face as he studied Rafael, then he smiled.
“This is Luca, my most trusted consigliere.” Morano DeLuca introduced the man in glasses and he gave Rafael a numb stare while Rafael turned back at Morano DeLuca, nudging towards the other man.
“Him?” Morano DeLuca asked, a small hint of doubt on his face, but Rafael replied with a swift nod. “Don't bother, he will be made know to you soon.”
Rafael wasn't most comfortable with the silence the man exuded and he barely had his face in the light for better visibility.
Rafael didn't want to have any risk factor in this business as it could cost the Devereaux family to lose a fortune if the business deal wasn't successful or they fall into the wrong hands.
“Gentlemen, shall we begin?” Morano DeLuca declared, clapping his hands twice. “Are these your valuable treasures?” He asked, his eyes scanning the array of whiskey bottles before him with delight.
“I believe you'll find my selection impressive.” Rafael replied, his brows rising as he spoke to match Morano DeLuca's expectations.
Morano DeLuca's eyes flicked to the bottles again, his expression becoming unreadable.
“I'm told you're offering a unique blend Santiano. Something exclusive… like our family is the first to get a glimpse at this new legal business of yours.”
Rafael nodded, a subtle smile playing on his lips.
“Our Devereaux Reserve is a special blend crafted with the finest grains and aged to perfection, so we've taken the liberty of preparing samples for your consideration both with the whiskey and the paperwork.”
Rafael nudged his head at Luca, granting him access to serve Morano DeLuca a glint of the Devereaux whiskey.
Luca leaned in, his eyes locking into Rafael's as he began to pour a glass of the amber liquid, and Morano DeLuca took a sip of the drink, his eyes narrowing as the flavors danced on his palate.
Then suddenly, his eyebrows raised, intrigue etched on his face. The room fell silent, the tension becoming palpable as Rafael anticipated Morano DeLuca's words.
Morano DeLuca turned to Luca and made a secret sign which they both understood. Luca shifted his gaze at Rafael again, his weak eyes finely hidden behind his boring glasses which he pushed back into his nose bridge continuously then, his voice finally cracked through the foreboding silence.
“I think we can work towards a deal, Santiano.” Luca said, his voice low and gravelly, but this only set Rafael's mind at peace with the success of the deal in mere sight.
Luca continued, pushing his glasses way up the bridge of his nose again.
“We will take ten thousand bottles of your Devereaux Reserve at $10,000 a bottle. That's $100 million, Santiano.” A small price to pay for the— best whiskey in the world.”
Rafael's face remained impassive, all though he was flattered by the compliment, he never showed this to them, but his eyes gleamed with interest as Luca spoke.
“However,” Morano DeLuca suddenly broke in, taking another long drag from his cigar as he reclined deeper into his seat again, crossing his leg over the other. “For the desk to be worth the whole, Santiano, we would like to make an addition to the terms that would precede this business deal.”
Rafael raised an eyebrow, the mention of an addition of a new clause to the deal taking him by surprise. This was not a variable he was anticipating, but he decided to listen.
“And what would that be?”
Morano DeLuca let out the smoke he had drawn from his cigar, letting it mix with thin air as it began to form a little cloud to Rafael's vision which dissipated after a few travels.
“My son, Sergei, has taken a liking to something of yours.” Morano DeLuca declared, his mouth full of grins.
Rafael squinted his eyes, his mind already calculating a thousand possibilities and his mind tugged at one thing.
One single person.
Vanessa.
“The woman— the one who isn't Italian… I think she would make a lovely addition to our family.”
As if perfectly timed, the other man who had been playing with the shredded finger turned into the light and Rafael knew him at once— with the stupid grin playing on his lips.
It was the same man from earlier, the one he had seen at the table with Vanessa.
Was it bad luck that this man Sergie has to be the son of Morano DeLuca?
Or was this a sign of fall out with the Martini DeLuca family as well as the business deal the Devereaux family craved to have with them.
Sergie DeLuca stood under the light, the look of a victor settled in his eyes as he looked down on Rafael like he had just won a battle against him.
Rafael balled his fist hard, adrenaline rushing in his veins as the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place with Vanessa being at the center of it, yet again.