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Angelo
As much as I knew I had other responsibilities, I couldn’t bring myself to leave Maria alone. Just being in her presence had given me more pleasure than I had ever felt. But, both literally and mentally, she was a fighter, someone who would not give up, not even if she knew she had lost the battle. She reminded me of my mother, in that way, of a woman who would not be broken by a man, regardless of who the man was and how powerful he could be. My mother had been the one who pulled my father back, grounded him in times when he wanted to lash out. After her death, my father had continued to honor her by keeping up her balanced ways.
I watched her eat in silence, admiring her body for as long as I could. But I knew my men were waiting for me downstairs. Something had happened, something that needed my attention. Once I was done eating, I got to my feet and washed my hands in a nearby sink before changing into a different shirt. I turned to see Maria look away from me after scanning over my body. I looked down to meet her gaze, and saw the same few scars she stared at, driven across my upper chest, and I could not help but wonder what she thought about them.
“I have some business to attend to. However, I promise I will be back as soon as I’m able. You call directly to Benny or me from the phone there. Whatever you need will be delivered to you right here. You have free roam of this floor, and when I am certain that you will not be trying to escape the building, then maybe I will let you walk through other parts of it as well.” I walked over to her and grabbed her jaw, kissing her passionately. She hesitated for a moment and then melted into it.
I winked, drawing a scowl from her. She was still fighting with her own emotions. I walked over to the elevator and hit the code, ensuring that she could not see me from where I sat. I got in and reached the lobby, where I found Benny pacing. He threw a skeptical look at me, one that on any other day would have offended me. Benny was starting to push his limits of allegiance to me, and I was going to do something about it if he didn’t stop himself soon.
“You spend too much time on things that don’t matter, Angelo,” Benny began, his voice drawing the attention of other members in the room.
“You want to do this here? You’re really going to publicly insult me?” I asked, growing furious.
Benny shook his head, “I’m doing nothing. Nothing compared to what’s been done to Fisher and his people. They were attacked again last night, and they called us for help. By the time you realized and gave the order, it was over. Fisher had called you directly, and you were busy having dinner.”
I pushed past him and grabbed the phone on the desk, calling Fisher. “What’s the word on him?”
“It's bad,” Leonardo spoke up. “Some of the boys were beaten really badly and have been taken to the hospital already. But Fisher himself… We have no idea where he is. We think that Vasquez’s men have taken him.”
“They’re gonna kill him, Angelo,” said Benny.
“They’re not,” I replied.
“How can you know that? Vasquez is a madman. If he is doing things like this, he no longer cares about law and rules. What he wants to do is make a statement.”
“That’s fine, but we are going to get him back. Leonardo, get a car ready. Take out all the details, scrub it clean. Hire one, I don’t care. Benny, get our best men together. Get the balaclavas.” I stopped, “Get the guns, too.”
Benny and Leonardo exchanged a glance, “Sir, I don’t think we should go that far. Not yet.”
I looked back at Benny, surprise in my expression. “You are the one who wanted me to make a move. You are the one who has been trying to get me to assert my dominance, and I am about to do just that. So, what in the world are you talking about?”
Leonardo put a hand on my shoulder, “We aren’t like the Vasquez family. We aren’t monsters like them, at least not until we are provoked enough to be. Right now, I just think we avoid going in guns blazing. I know you don’t want that either. I think it’s best to try a different approach to this. We should talk to them. Do you have anyone who would know anything about Vasquez’s men?”
I always appreciated Leonardo’s ability to help me stay focused. Though I was made for this, the role was hard to fill after my father. I knew the other men noticed that, and I knew I needed to get things back into my control, regardless of my emotions.
“I have Vasquez himself,” I replied. “I’m going to ask for a parley with his men.”
“What if he says no?” Benny asked.
“He won’t.”
The phone rang a few times before he picked up. Immediately, I could tell that Vasquez was more than happy to talk to me. But it wasn’t the happiness from hearing from a longtime friend, no. He was giddy because he knew exactly what he and his men were doing and how I was trying to do things by the book.
“Angelo Preston, what brings you to my phone today? I don’t believe we have gotten a chance to have coffee together. How about you come down to my place?”
“Some other time. I would like to get a meet with some of your men. Preferably anyone who oversees making hits for you,” I replied in a stern tone.
“Why? Do you need help from my men? Is there something you are looking to pull off? A heist, perhaps?”
I gritted my teeth, knowing that he was doing his best to offend me. He knew what I was trying to do, but playing games was his move. “I just need to talk to them. Whoever you have on hand, I need to see them today.”
“Well, I can’t just send my best men out like that. I have no idea what it is you have planned. What if this plan of yours turns sour? I’m afraid I’ll have to decline. You’ve given me nothing to work with.”
Then it hit me. I would beat him using his own methods, “Well, last I checked, we were one cohesive unit. So why would I want to hurt members of your family? We are one big family, and your men are mine as well. I’ll treat them with respect, as it should be. Just a little chat, nothing too long. I won’t harm a hair on their heads.”
I heard Vasquez pause for a while as he considered it. I had caught him in my trap. “I believe it’s up to you, then, to take responsibility for anything that happens to them?”
“What could happen to them? It is a simple talk, sharing some intel... Unless you no longer trust us. Perhaps you have some reason to think I would want to hurt members of your family? How about we talk to the Commission instead, and drop this?”
