AllFreeNovel
Share Us
As Benny drove us back towards the loft, I found my mind racing. Maria was more than beautiful. I really would love to break her fire and see her at my mercy. She was one of the few women that didn’t fear me and could stand up to me. It was a new feeling—a refreshing one that I had not felt in a long time. I was used to getting my way, but this woman was a challenge that I was more than willing to undertake.
I wasn’t even sure if she wanted me, but I was sure as hell that I could make her. I had to see her again. I just had to. We drove back to the manor and Benny parked the car. He had been quiet the entire drive, and I knew he had something on his mind. I had known him since we were kids, so I could figure out what all his little ticks were. He would never speak out of turn because he respected my position, but he would tell me if I asked.
“You’ve been awfully quiet. What’s on your mind?”
Benny let out a sigh before he killed the engine and pulled the key out of the ignition. He leaned over from the driver's seat to face me. “I saw the way you looked at her. I watched you on the way here, and I know what you’re thinking.”
“Well, she is a pretty little thing. What can I say?” I replied, dropping my shoulders.
“Yeah, I get that she is, Angelo. I see that too, but… are you sure this is the best time for you to be looking at pretty ladies?”
“What are you saying, Benny?”
“I’m saying that we are dealing with a lot of things right now, and that having this...distractionisn’t really the best course of action for us to take now.”
“Distraction? It’s one woman,” I replied.
“Yeah, and I know how you get, Angelo. Look, I get that you are the boss, but I am your friend, and you should listen to me on this one, man. Everyone is going to be looking to you for strength and guidance, and we can’t have this right now. I know you are going to do what you think is right, but that’s my two cents.”
“I’m handling things. That's why I called the Commission.”
Benny sighed. “As long as you do the job, you know I have nothing but respect for you. I want to see this family grow and get to heights greater than what your old man ever did.”
I nodded, knowing that Benny was a good friend, and while sometimes he would nag, it was usually for my own good. We got out of the car and walked into the building. As we took the elevator up, I got a call from Leonardo, telling me that I had a visitor waiting. For a moment, my heart lurched as I wondered if Maria had changed her mind and decided to pay me a visit. I had made sure to write my address in the envelope with the money, but I shook the thought from my head. I had just left the hospital, there was no way she would have made it to the loft before I did.
I couldn't help but wonder though, what it would be like to have her there at the loft with me. All of the wonderful things we could do together, the things I could do to her. I smiled to myself as I realized that I could have any woman. I could charm them, either with my money or my own suave nature. But with Maria, I knew this was not the case. She was strong, and I wanted—no,neededthe challenge.
I shook the thoughts from my head as I stepped into the sitting room of my loft and found an old man sitting cross-legged on my sofa. In one hand was a glass of scotch, which I could only guess he had poured for himself, and in the other was a phone he scrolled through as he waited. Once he noticed me, he put both down and got to his feet, extending his arms.
Antonio Montez was the Commission member who served as the buffer for both families. The man was in his late seventies but seemed to be very agile, with sharp eyes that at the same time had a look of childlike glee them. He was the same man who had served during my father's reign, and he was still the one who would oversee mine. I had known him since I was a child, and this would be the first time that he and I would be meeting officially under my new title.
“Angelo, you look well,” he began, shaking my hand gingerly. The smell of alcohol and mint hit my nostrils.
“You don’t seem to have aged a day, Antonio,” I replied and took a seat opposite him. “I’m glad you could make it.”
“Well, considering that this is my one job, I have no other choice than to make it.” Antonio picked up his glass and took a long sip, “So, what is this I am hearing about Vasquez? I know that he has his issues, but something of this sort is unheard of, and honestly, I’m sure that he knows better.”
“He does know better, which is why he makes sure that nothing can be traced back to him. You’ve seen the hits that have happened in my region.”
“I have heard of them,” Antonio replied.
“Well, we have been unable to get a mark on any of the people who were behind it, and knowing Vasquez, he is the one person who stands to gain the most from my losses. I am damn sure it is him. There is no other logical conclusion.”
“I see the connections… But you understand that proof is what we need, yes?”
I nodded. “Yes, I know that. But he is just too careful. I sent some of my boys to take a look, but that did not end well. They ended up being threatened. I can’t spy on him either without violating the family code. There is no way for me to find out without doing something which would bring trouble to both families.”
“I understand. So, I believe you have something for me to pass on to them?” He said with an unreadable expression.
“It isn’t anything I can’t say to him myself: just the fact that I need him to stop. Just tell him to stop.”
Antonio averted his gaze from me and got to his feet, walking over to the window. He looked out at the skyline and then ran his finger against the glass pane. “Your father,” he began with his back turned to me, “Was a ruthless man. He was a little older than you when he had taken over the family, but he was a man who was feared by all. He made sure those who crossed him paid dearly. A lot of what you have today is built on that.”
“I am aware,” I replied, looking up at the older man.
“You also know that he became a pacifist as he got older.”
I nodded.
