Don’t you want me…
I woke with those words in my mind. Ava’s words.
I fell asleep with them in my mind too.
It was definitely the least of my worries, however, when the sun came up.
The first shit of the day was my meeting with the cops who’d called last Friday alerting me to the situation at hand.
Friday was when it all went down. The cops called first thing that morning. That was about the drugs and the prostitution ring Mark was helping fund as a valued patron. At that point, I still didn’t know about the money. I found that part out at lunchtime when I started checking things out.
Mark wasn’t at work Friday. Most likely in the height of gambling away my cash.
By nightfall, the feds called, and that was when I found out about everything else.
It unfolded like a fucking map pointing the way to the truth.
How Mark stole, how Mark was linked to a ring of drug dealers who were already on the feds’ radar for lacing the real stuff with a synthetic compound.
How Mark gambled away my money at a high-stakes poker game run by Omar Al Sheikh, one of the wealthiest businessmen in Dubai. Then how Mark not only stole money from Giordanos Inc. using my passwords but also tried to set up a pump and dump scheme for securities fraud linking us in the shit.
I foolishly believed Mark wouldn’t dare screw with me because of who I am. He knew it would mean death if I found out, yet me and death were the last things on his mind.
That fucking dog. He completely abused his position as one of my senior account managers and screwed me over all six ways from Sunday.
Bad enough that I didn’t get to end him last night, but the meeting with the cops and feds made me want to breathe hellfire. From the minute they called, I knew they thought I was tied up in it. They thought they finally had a way to get me good and lock me up in the big house.
Not just me… Pa and the boys too. The whole famiglia if they could.
In my world, all you need to cause serious trouble is a couple of hot shot cops who want to be feds thinking they have a thing or two to pin on one of the biggest crime families in Chicago. What’s fucking worse than that is the federal agents who try to twist the shit of everything to catch you out.
Cops and feds alike tried to catch me out, but I served them both the same answer that I hope like hell calls off the hounds.
With all the work my men and I did last night and over the last few days to clean up, I told them with semi confidence to make contact when they had real evidence to pin on me. Basically, find something to come for me, or fuck the hell off.
Usually, I play nice to keep things as cool as they can be. Today was different, but I think got the message across even though both meetings were a shit show where neither party got answers. While it made them piss off, it left it all vague. I hate vague.
As I make my way up the path to the family home, tension grips me.
We have a family meeting, and Pa will want answers. He’ll want to know what happened with the cops and feds, and he’ll want to know what I’m going to do about the situation with Mark.
He usually allows me to dole out certain decisions in situations where he doesn’t need to get involved, but since this involved Giordanos Inc. and our investigation into what Mark got up to is still going on, I’m not sure Pa’s gonna think it’s acceptable for me to accept pussy as payment. A payment I haven’t decided on… yet.
Fuck. I don’t know how this is all going to play out. All because Mark was reckless. It’s like leaving a box of important documents out in the street for all to see but you forgot where you left it. When the feds and cops start poking around other things we actually want to keep secret, shit will start to stir.
It’s just pissed me off. It’s barely eleven, and this morning has been a bitch, and I’m mad as all hell. I hardly got two minutes with my kid before I had to leave the house, and I knew even before I opened my eyes from the little sleep I got last night that this was going to be one drawn-out day with all kinds of shit happening.
Things I can’t control, and things I can.
Like Mark.
He deserves to be taught a lesson, and I’m not teaching it to him because of his daughter and her offer looming over my head.
The same way it hasn’t escaped me that she’s more worried about her father than herself, it hasn’t escaped me either that Ava is the only thing stopping me from killing Mark. It’s a fact that’s irritating the fuck out of me.
I won’t be a prick and lie that I’m not attracted to her. The woman has a body that would make any man ache with need. My answer to her last night was truth, so I won’t act like I’m some kind of saint and pretend I didn’t think of all the wild, wicked, daring things I could do with my pretty little house guest when she threw her offer my way.
At the same fucking time, I have to remember who and what I am.
I push the door to the house open and am greeted by Philippe, our butler.
Pa hasn’t said what this meeting will be about. It’s strange for him to keep the subject of the meeting so hushed. If Pa hadn’t scheduled it in before the shit with Mark, I’d be inclined to think it would be about that. I’m sure though that it will be mentioned, and sights will be turned to me.
I enter the meeting room, and it looks like I’m the last to arrive.
Everyone is already here.
My parents head the table, my father as boss of the family with my mother on his right hand as his consigliere.
There’s a space on his left for me. My brothers Salvatore, Gabe, and Nick take up the seats to the left of Ma in order of their rank of authority. Whom I never expected to be here though are my uncles, and cousins; Christian and Georgiou. It’s literally all the people who are important to the business.
I nod at Pa, acknowledging him in our habitual way, then take my seat next to him.
“Wonderful,” Pa says. “Now that Vincent’s here, we can begin. Vincent, what is the situation?” Pa asks, face stern.
Needless to say, he was furious as fuck about Mark and ordered his killing straightaway. That question right there is him asking me if he’s still alive.
We have no secrets amongst us. That’s the first code of honor. Salvatore would have filled him in on what happened last night. He knows too that Ava offered herself in exchange for Mark’s repayment. We have no secrets, but I hope he didn’t mention that part.
“I have it under control,” I answer. My gaze flicks to Salvatore, who tenses his jaw, and Gabe, who looks off about the whole thing.
I know what’s grating Gabe. He and Salvatore are like two peas in a fucking pod. Salvatore might not have told Pa about Ava’s offer, but I’m sure as shit he told Gabe. Not Nick though. If Nick knew, he would have called me by now. The bottom line is, they’d all think it was wrong.
“Do you?” Pa asks, drawing my attention back to him.
“Yes, Boss,” I reply. “The cops and the feds can’t pin anything on us. Right now, it all looks like speculation aimed our way.”
He gives me an uneasy look. He’s my father, but I’ve worked with him long enough to know that wasn’t the answer he was looking for, and not with the way I’ve been dealing out punishment lately to those who deserve it.
He tenses and bites down hard on his back teeth. “Vinny, we’ll talk after in private.”
Shit….
I groan inwardly. The last thing I need now is Pa on my ass. He’s a lot harder on me than everybody else. He always has been, even when Frankie was alive. It was a clear demarcation of authority. Frankie and I were always going to be the muscle while the other guys would fall in line to run the business in the run-of-the-mill aspects of it.
Two years ago things changed, and everyone had to step up when our enemies tried to eradicate us.
Pa looks away from me and focuses ahead, looking at everyone. From one to the next. My uncles are silent. It’s unusual. I get the feeling they know more about what this meeting is about than the rest of us.
Pa finishes looking around, and then he does something he rarely ever does in public. He reaches for my mother’s hand, and she gives it to him. He then looks at her, and she gives him a coy smile.
My mother is anything but coy—she’s like the Spartan queen who’s as much an authority figure as the king.
It’s curious.
“I have called this meeting today for very important reasons,” Pa says. “Of course, the situation with Mark Knight has not been good for us, and I’m inclined to push plans aside until it is all resolved. However, I feel I must continue as planned. Everyone here is capable of their specific jobs. This meeting is about a restructure of our hierarchy.”
He has my fucking attention now. He really does.
“What?” I know not to interrupt when he’s talking. I was the hothead twenty-five-year-old when he first gave me the back of his hand in public and told me to shut the fuck up and never interrupt him ever again.
He doesn’t do that now. When he looks at me again, it’s with respect.
“The hierarchy of leadership in our family is being restructured because I wish to retire with my wife and go back to Italy.”
There is a noticeable silence that spreads across the room.
My brothers and cousins look as shocked as I feel, but I was right that my five uncles look unfazed. They knew. They knew about this. Of course, they would. Our grandfather left specific instructions for things to be done a certain way. Everything in regard to the structure of leadership and ownership is to be handled by the six brothers. Pa is in charge and can overrule any of them, but he’s not like that.
The question now though is, what next?
Pa straightens up and looks at me. “Your uncles and I have agreed that you will be boss of the family, Vincent. You take over the empire, with your brothers as your new leaders. That means that Georgiou and Christian will step up on the business side of things at the shipping company, where Georgiou as my eldest nephew will take care of your job as it is now, and you will have mine. Christian will share the duties Salvatore, Gabriel, and Nick have so everything across our business ventures can run smoothly.”
Jesus…. All I can do is stare. This is something I definitely never saw coming at all.
Pa looks away from me. I noticed how there was no question about it. Nothing for me to think about and get back to him because I trained my whole life for this moment.
“Angela and I will be leaving for Italy in three months. That is when I propose the official handover. I will remain in charge until then, and everything will be as it has been in regard to our leadership. Everything will, however, start to take effect immediately with an easing-in process so you aren’t thrown into the deep end. I don’t really think there will be a problem,” Pa adds, and everyone shakes their heads.
He’s right. We all do our parts, and we all tend to work together as a unit. However, if there’s anybody who’s going to be affected by his departure, it’s me.
“Are there any questions?” Pa asks, and again, everyone shakes their heads. “Well, if there are no questions, then we’ll adjourn this meeting and call back in a few weeks once I’ve ironed out my exit plan.”
On his word, chairs shuffle as everyone gets up and starts making their way out. Salvatore glances back at me, as do Christian and Georgiou. It’s funny, everyone does what they do, but I’m probably going to need those three the most. My brother more.
I stay behind.
Ma is the last to leave, which leaves just Pa and me in the room.
I look to him, and his face softens. “Which should we talk about first? The part where you well and truly want to chew my ass out for the fact that Mark’s still alive? Or the bomb you just dropped on us?”
He chuckles. “Vinny,” he begins. They all have their nicknames for me. Except Gabe and Nick. They’re the only ones who full-name me. “I’m not gonna lie. I’m not happy about that fucker Mark. So, let’s deal with that first. What the fuck happened? This wise guy shits on us, and he’s still alive? Do I have to go take care of him myself?”
He’s actually serious. One of the things I’ve always liked about my father is that he’s a hands-on leader. He gets his hands as dirty as the guy he’s giving orders to. That’s how he’s always been.
“No.”
“Listen, boy,” he says, and I can’t help but laugh.
“Pa, when the hell you gonna stop calling me a boy? I haven’t been that in years.” I lower my brows.
“Like fuck. You’re my boy, no matter how old you get, so never Vincent. Salvatore filled me in, and I’m not happy about it. I’ll tell you now that he never really wanted to tell me about the girl, but he had to. Vinny, I don’t like it. It’s not enough. I don’t care that the fucker was high and lost his shit. Just imagine the worst things that could have happened. Those calls from the feds and cops could have been something else or started some shit we don’t need.”
“I know…” He doesn’t have to tell me. I do know, and I can’t argue because he’s right.
“So, if you know, dole out the punishment… dole out the punishment and take care of the girl.”
Oh fuck… fucking hell. My eyes snap open, but I don’t know why I’m surprised. “Pa—”
“Vinny, you better make sure the next words that come out of your mouth are words I want to hear.”
I ball my fists and growl. “Pa, you might not want to hear this, but how are you supposed to leave me in charge when you already try to test my judgment and decisions?”
That silences him. Honestly, I don’t know how I feel about this news of his departure.
I’m not ready.
Deep down I know emotionally, I’m just managing. I’m not ready to take on the empire, as he put it, and maybe this is me acting out to try and deal with a situation I don’t know how to deal with myself.
He wants me to kill Mark and Ava. I don’t want blood on my hands like that. Not her. That’s a different kind of killing.
My soul might have been taken from me, but that same conscience that makes me feel guilt is there telling me I couldn’t do such a thing.
Pa studies my face, and it’s clear he doesn’t like my comment. “Can it be fixed? The shit. Can it be fixed?”
“For the most part. But I’m not sure what else we’ll find.”
“Right, well, hear this… as I’m easing out and you’re taking over, I’m gonna leave this to you. But if I find out there’s anything more to tie us in with feds, that’s it, Vinny. I’ll take them out myself, father and daughter.”
I don’t answer. Instead, I bite the inside of my lip trying not to seethe.
“Well, on to the next order of business, the business,” he goes on. “Do you have questions? You must have questions.”
I have a million. None of them will be anything he’ll like.
“I wish I’d had a heads up… I know things have to be done a certain way, and I appreciate that. It’s just… It would have been…” My voice trails off when I realize I’m showing more emotion than I should.
“Would have been nice?” he finishes with mock sarcasm. “Vinny, you aren’t some fucker who pussyfoots around shit. You know what you’re doing. That’s why you’ll be boss of the famiglia. Here in Chicago and the Giordanos in Italia. I didn’t pick you just because it was a given. We all picked you because you’re the best for the job.” He gets a real uneasy look on his face, and I know what he’s going to talk about next. I practically landed myself in it with my comments. “Vincent…” There too, he never full-names me unless he wants to make a point. “This is always hard for me to tell you, but as your father and the boss of the family, I have to. You need a wife.”
The muscles twitch in my jaw, and I can already feel the vein starting to throb at my temple.
“I don’t need a wife,” I protest.
“Like fuck, you do. You need a wife to take care of the baby and take care of you. Take care of your house. You need a woman in your life who will do all the shit you’re trying to do. You can’t have that baggage on your plate when you’re Boss.”
“You think Timothy is baggage?”
“Vincent, don’t do this. You know that’s not what I mean. I’m speaking truth to you. You’ve been without a wife for two years now, and the effect on you is noticeable. I haven’t allowed tradition to dictate to me and find you a wife because I know your loss of Sorcha runs deep.”
Hearing her name and in this context stirs the rage. I have to brace myself to cool off.
“You got lucky with her,” he adds. “You had the real deal, and no one can knock that, but business is business. We have to do what we have to do. Same as me.”
I narrow my eyes, curiously. “What do you mean?”
“It’s time for me to retire. I’m sixty-five, and I’ve enjoyed being boss. It’s definitely time to pass the torch to you, but… I had to make the decision when I thought I was going to lose your mother.”
I bite the inside of my lip. Ma may be his right-hand woman, but she’s had to put up with a lot of shit from him. He cheats. He and all my uncles do. It’s a known thing amongst them. They cheat and share women.
It’s something that skipped the next gen because my brothers would never do that, and that was a word I would never even contemplate when Sorcha was alive.
Georgiou is married, but he shares his doll with his best friend, and it works. Christian is the last Giordano bachelor and is as wild as the rest of us, but I don’t think even he would cheat.
So, what Pa is talking about is that.
“What happened?” I would never ask him that when I was younger. I probably shouldn’t ask it now.
“She had enough of my unsavory habits. She’s always wanted to go back to Sicily, so I decided I wanted that. I wanted her.” He dips his head in a reverent way. It shows he loves Ma, but I’ll never understand why she couldn’t have been enough for him in every way. I guess maybe this is his way of showing her she is.
“I’ll take care of everything, I promise. I will.” I’m talking and telling him what I should say, but deep down I don’t feel it.
I’m really not ready.
I’m still too broken from what happened to Sorcha. It’s not something that you just heal from. Yes, it’s been two years, and some people would have moved on and remarried as tradition dictates, but those people aren’t me.
How the fuck am I supposed to be boss of the whole family when I couldn’t even take care of the one person who mattered most to me?
“I know you will.” Pa nods his confirmation. His belief in me makes me feel guilty. “There’s also something more in the works that will change everything. It’s the other reason I did this today.”
“What is it?”
“The Bratva, the Ivanezh Brotherhood, want to form an alliance with us.”
“Do they now?” I ask, on the edge of a breath.
“Yes, we own the seas, that means we own the world. It’s something they don’t have but want a piece of. That means money for us.”
Fucking hell. Fuck, that’s a whole other territory of alliance we’ve never crossed. There’s a good reason for that. The last people in the circles we travelled who had any dealings with the Bratva ended up getting wiped out, as in their whole family killed. Nobody was ever given details of what actually happened, so all we were left to do was guess. It didn’t take any real guessing to know that something happened to piss off the brotherhood. Then again, the way I hear it is that it doesn’t take much to piss them off.
No one we know has revealed doing business, much less wanting to form any kind of alliance with them since.
So, why are we even considering it?
Pa temples his fingers. “Vincent you’re like an open book. I can tell from the look in your eyes that you’re thinking of past mishaps with the Romanos.”
That was the family who got obliterated.
“Aren’t you?”
He sighs. “Of course, but that happened well over fifteen years ago, Vinny. I don’t see the need to hold on to something that never involved us and miss out on opportunity.” He gives me a pointed stare like I’m being difficult.
I guess maybe I am, but I don’t know about this. It could be good financially, but it could be bad too.
Back in the day, we might have needed them, we made our money mostly from smuggling cash and criminals from one country to the next. As we got wealthier, we didn’t have to do that shit anymore. Now, we actually do legit business, and we’re widely used by thousands of companies worldwide. So, we don’t need to agree to this alliance with the Bratva.
“I want you to meet with them,” Pa says. “Meet and think about the offer. We’ve had no end of trouble over the last few years with people wanting to usurp our control of the company. This is the first time anyone has wanted to have a sit-down-and-talk meeting to discuss an alliance.”
I quirk a brow, but I’m listening. “You sound like you really want this.”
“I’m interested in the opportunity for the family. So, set something up, meet and decide if you want to accept when you get all the facts.”
“Alright, I can do that.”
“Good. Deal quickly with Mark. I don’t want to keep our Bratva friends waiting,” he orders, and I nod.
Deal with Mark? I’ll be paying that fucker a visit later.
To deal with him properly though, I have to deal with Ava.
I glance at the clock behind Pa. It’s just gone eleven thirty. I gave Ava until lunchtime.
There are a lot of loose ends to tie up in regard to Mark. It is by no means anywhere near fixed. But I know what to do in the meantime if that offer of Ava’s is still on the table.
She’ll be an escape, stress relief, and some form of compensation for the shit her father served me.
I hear her words echo in my mind again.
Don’t you want me?
My answer is till the same.
Yes.