Tempted By The Mafia Boss

Nick

She left me again…

I’m not sure what I expected.

The women I’m with know to leave before morning. The same as her.

Except it’s different with her and it shouldn’t be.

She left and I woke up with that emptiness I felt all of yesterday, but fuck, I’ve had a good sleep.

This must be what it feels like to be normal.

Sleep and wake up every day, instead of staying up all night watching my back and getting lost in my thoughts.

The sleep was good but it didn’t detract from the woman I was with.

I’m at the accountancy office now with my brothers and the computer hacker we hired.

A fucking hacker. That’s what it’s come to.

Yesterday was a crock of shit. It started out with our tech guy not being able to decrypt the files on Tommy’s computer.

It started out like that and I lost my shit when I realized we actually had to take things up a notch and get a hacker.

It fanned the flames of suspicion like hell, but jarred me at the same time.

The guy we got was referred to us from the underground. His name’s Jo. He does small time stuff but used to work in military intelligence.

Salvatore is with him in Tommy’s office now. I just stepped out with Gabe to get coffee at the little coffee shop outside the office. They make good coffee there, comparable to Starbucks which is down the road. If I was feeling up to it I might venture down there but I can’t be bothered. I don’t want to go too far in case I’m needed or the hacker hacks and he finds something. We’ve only been here for an hour so it’s not like I’ve been here that long. I’m just anxious.

I knew when Gabe followed me outside that he was going to ask about Mia.

It was his reason for following. It’s because of last night. I could tell both he and Salvatore think I was acting weird.

I nearly killed someone last night, when Salvatore told me he thought he was being followed. So far we haven’t been able to locate the shooter or anyone we could even be suspicious over for shooting Billy a few days ago.

It’s all suspicious as fuck. Salvatore was trying to tell me to be ready to go to Vincent.

That option is a big no for me because I know straight up that Vincent would lose his shit.

That was the cherry on top of yesterday. So much happened through the whole day. From start to finish.

The part that got me the most though was the call I got from Sherine.

I could hear the baby in the background and I didn’t know who was crying more. Her or the baby. She called me to thank me for taking care of her bills.

She went to pay them and found everything was paid for. I simply asked if there was anything else she needed and she burst into tears. I wanted to tell her everything would be okay, that Tommy would be okay, I couldn’t though. No one could.

The best I could do was go see them. It’s all I could do, and that was worse. She looked distressed and beside herself with worry.

Gabe and I get our coffee and he looks at me when I move to sit down on one of the little benches.

I just need five minutes of fresh air. That’s all I need then I’ll switch back to business mode.

“Talk, you look like you’re sitting on ready. Ready to pop a bullet in anybody who looks at you,” Gabe chuckles.

“I am. I absolutely fucking am, Gabe.”

“Talk to me bro.” He gives me an encouraging look.

“It shouldn’t be this hard. Vincent’s not getting anywhere and neither are we.”

“Nick, cool it, we’ve only just started to really try. We’ve only just gotten a lead we can work with.”

“It’s taking too long Gabe. It’s taking too long.” The problem with things taking shit long was that the motherfuckers responsible had a head start. A jumpstart with the speed we were going. The longer it takes, the colder the trail.

“I know man. I know and that’s why we’re here. You have to keep it together.”

“It’s fucking shit. I’m losing my mind. Losing my fucking mind and trying to keep myself distracted.”

He sighs then he straightens. “Is that why you’re so into this girl?”

There it is, the question he’s been dying to ask me.

He’s curious, more than Salvatore. He’s very curious and I wish he wasn’t because I prefer to keep her to myself and away from everyone.

My brothers are like damn hawks, ready to steal from the nest when you aren’t looking.

“Leave her alone Gabe,” I warn.

“Prick. You think I would take something that clearly belongs to you?”

“Yes, you fucking asshole, yes you would.”

“Shit Nick, you’re still upset over the little Russian girl.” He chuckles.

I shake my head. I don’t even remember who he’s talking about but that must have been one more girl I’d been interested in that he got to.

He’s telling the truth though, he wouldn’t go there with someone I’m serious about. The thing about that though is he would have gotten to a woman I’m interested in before I got serious with her.

“Like I keep saying. Gabe, be grateful you’re my brother.”

“You think I’m scared of you Nick? Don’t fucking push me.” He points at me like he’s reminding me to watch myself. The problem we all have is that we’re all alphas and if it came to it, we’d all fight like animals and kill each other. “I’m just saying I won’t go there with her but look at you, all worked up on big brother when I was just being nice,” he laughs.

Okay, maybe I was a little harsh. I can’t help it. I’m testy.

“Sorry,” I huff.

He raises his brows and smirks. “Okay so back to the question. The girl?” Now he’s looking on in anticipation and I know he wants me to elaborate.

“What do you want me to say? It’s flowers and candy? I like sleeping with her.” That’s a damn lie.

It’s not just that. It isn’t and I actually feel like a piece of shit for saying that. For once I’m glad he can see straight through me.

“Prick… you know it’s not that. You have her checked out and offer her this ridiculous job that practically doesn’t exist the way you dished it.”

It doesn’t. We do it sometimes, get a personal waitress, but it’s only short term. I handed her a contract of employment and she can leave when she wants to, which I’m guessing is when her debt is paid. I know I haven’t thought this through but I’m still fucking doing it.

“What happens when you get bored?” Gabe asks. “It’s in our blood to get bored easy. I get what you see in her and I’ll say you’re lucky you saw her first, I would have had her for myself. That aside, be careful Nick. Remember we keep women out of business for a variety of reasons. Don’t get in too deep or over your head, we don’t know where shit could lead us and people tend to end up dead if they mix with us and our enemies see they’re important to us.”

I know that all too well. Not from personal experience but what I know is enough. It happened to Salvatore. There was a girl he was sweet on and she was killed to send a message to him.

His mistake was an accountancy deal that went wrong. The motherfuckers who hired him sent him her head in a box.

That was the shit we dealt with in our world so I know to heed Gabe’s warning.

“I hear you.”

“I don’t mean to burst your bubble, but looks like we’re entering dangerous territory again. It rubs me the wrong way that the Fontaines are involved with this Tommy thing. I don’t like it. Things are testy enough as it is with them. It just feels like shit’s about to hit the fan. When it does bro, you don’t want a doll you care about getting mixed up.”

It felt like shit was gonna hit the fan to me too. “I’ll just…” my voice trails off. I’m not sure what to contemplate on doing when it comes to Mia.

I don’t want to let her go. He’s right though. All that he’s saying is truth I need to be aware of.

“Be careful… that’s all I’m saying,” he leans forward. “Word of advice, if you’re trying to act like she’s just a good fuck, try harder. Your eyes give you away. Anyone who looks at you can tell she’s important to you.”

Am I that transparent?

How can I be after only a few days?

Clearly it doesn’t matter. The same as it doesn’t matter that I want her for myself.

He stands up and downs his coffee. I get up too and sip on mine as we go back upstairs.

We get back in and Salvatore and Jo look like they’ve made progress.

“Good, you guys are back,” Salvatore says and raises his thick brows when he sees me with my coffee. “Couldn’t you have gotten me one?” He points at the cup.

“Sorry bro, wasn’t thinking,” I reply. Gabe laughs.

“I think I found something,” Jo announces. “I’ve decrypted everything so I’m just going through files and emails.”

Finally, something good.

“What have you found?” I ask and move over to him.

He’s tapping wildly at the keyboard and searching through emails.

“Here,” he stops tapping and points to an email that states it’s from an undisclosed recipient. “That comes up a lot from what we call a ghost IP address in the tech world.”

“What the fuck does that mean?” I’m not technical and have no time for fucking jargon.

“Means whoever sent it is untraceable. It’s like putting a no caller ID on your phone. The standard guy can’t track it but someone like me can,” he nods his blond head.

“Go for it,” I smirk.

Jo taps at the keyboard again and filters all the messages from the undisclosed recipient. The first one catches my fucking eye.

“Pull that up,” I order.

He does and I actually feel the tension ripple around us.

The email states:

Tommy,

We’ve just thought of the very best way you can pay the debt you owe. We need you to arrange a time for us to use the shipping company for the drugs. If you don’t we’ll take your pretty little wife and kill your baby.

Message back so we know you understand.

Your good friend

Fuckkkkk.

Tommy.

Fucking hell.

A debt?

And, the shipping company. Jesus Christ that’s what this is about.

Tommy owed a debt so he was being blackmailed into using the shipping company.

For a fucking debt. Why the fuck didn’t he come to me if he needed money?

I could have helped him. I would have helped him if I’d known he was in trouble. Why didn’t he come to me?

“Let’s see the next ones,” I order again.

Jo brings them up and fury flies through me. We look through and shit, it’s clear after we’ve read the tenth email that Tommy was in deep shit.

He tried to get out of using the shipping company but they, whoever they were, forced him. All the emails are about making arrangements. The date they were planning happened a little over two weeks ago. The fifteenth of August. He was gunned down on the seventeenth.

Jo clicks on the next email in the chain. It comes after the arrangements were being made to handle a shipment, which I’m guessing was the drugs. I see a name in the last paragraph that makes this so much worse.

Snade.

As in Snade, one of the leaders in The Triad.

Fucking hell, what the fuck was Tommy involved in.

It says in the email that Snade would hand over the instructions.

That’s it.

It’s enough. I’ve seen enough to get the picture of what happened.

I’m guessing whatever was supposed to happen on the fifteenth didn’t happen so he was gunned down on the seventeenth. That is my assessment.

And still the question of who did it hangs heavy in the air.

Tommy wasn’t dealing drugs. The hook up was the shipping company. He handled the arrangements for the exports and imports. He would have been very useful to a person who needed to smuggle drugs like Chrysanthemum out of the fucking country.

I look at my brothers and it’s the first time I want them to tell me what to do.

Salvatore’s face has ‘talk to Vincent’ written all over it and so does Gabe’s.

I can’t go to Vincent and pussyfoot the way he’s been doing. Sherine and that baby feel like mine and I have to do what I can.

Fuck.

This is so much bigger than what I thought it was.

“We should tell Pa, Nick.” Gabe says it first. “Or Vincent.”

Salvatore nods. “Nick, we can’t just go in for the kill on this. No fucking pun intended. This is the kind of thing Pa should know about. Doesn’t take a fool to guess this undisclosed person must be from the Fontaines. We can assume that from what Billy said.”

“Or it could be Perez.” Gabe fills in. “That’s why we need to go to Pa, Nick. We don’t know, can’t be sure, and this isn’t our territory. We’re low level in comparison to Pa and Vincent.”

My blood boils and my temperature rises.

“Man, fuck you!” I balk. “Do I look fucking low level to you? Help me if you want, I don’t fucking care. I’m checking this out whether I have you or not.” I scowl.

Their problem is they rely too much on Pa and Vincent. I had the balls of la cosa nostra. Not some schmuck with shit for brains.

How the fucking hell was I supposed to allow whoever to walk the streets and even reform their plans if need be, while we pass info down the production line?

Nah, couldn’t do that.

Fucking fuck that.

“Snade. I need to find him,” I declare.

“Triad, Nick?” Salvatore frowns.

“Whoa,” Jo winces, holding up his hands. “That’s deep shit. Triad?”

“Just get me an address for Snade,” I balk.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

He’s the link to connect everything. It’s simple. Get to him and fill in the blanks. Find out what happened. Find out who gunned down Tommy.

“Okay, I’ll get you an address.”

While I look on at Jo with eagerness, Gabe and Salvatore exchange worried glances.

I knew this could go south but this was me and I’d do what I had to, whether they help me or not.