Page 13 of Lucian

“It doesn’t. Will wants to humiliate me and see how far he can push before I break.”

“At least you know what’s coming,” Ron replied dully. “Listen, my son cared a lot about you, kiddo. I know he did, and that’s why I’ve done all that I could for you up until this point. I convinced him I’d get you dancing, so you’d be bringing in more cash. That’s all I can do. I have to take a step back now, Jord. I’m sorry.”

“What can I do?” she asked.

“Aside from finding another member to claim you as his old lady and marking your skin up like Gabe did, nada.”

By marking her skin up, Ron meant the script tattoo along her hip bone of Gabe’s name with Sons of Hell written underneath. She’d only been sixteen, but that tattoo saved her life and body on more than one occasion. No one was allowed to touch what was someone else’s.

That someone else didn’t exist anymore.

“Give me a week,” Jordyn pleaded.

“That’s just about all I can afford, maybe a little more, seeing as how he’s in hiding because of that casino mess right now. You got a week.”

Jordyn walked out of the office without thanking him. There wasn’t a thing to be thankful for.

Chapter Four

“Get out of your head, would you?”

Lucian’s head popped up at his father’s frustrated tone. “Sorry?”

The driver took a left, giving Lucian a break from his father’s scrutiny as he checked out the window to see where they were and how close to their destination the place was. Usually Dante would accompany Antony in his car while Gio and Lucian followed behind, but not today.

Lately, too much of his parents’ attention was focused on him. He couldn’t even have a day alone at his apartment without his mother or father showing up. Sure, being Italian meant their family was closer than the norm, and everyone was in everyone else’s business, but lately it was just more frustrating than ever.

“Ever since church last week, you’ve been out of it,” his father continued, turning back to stare at his son. “I need you here, Lucian, especially tonight. Dante is always focused on learning from me instead of watching his own back. Gio is too busy trying to figure out what he’s doing, or what he isn’t doing, for that matter. But, you? You’re the one with your head on straight. Your eyes are watching everything. You know when something is going to go down before anyone else does. I need that from you with this. If you can’t do it, I need to know right now.”

Lucian sighed. “I’m here. I’m fine.”

“You’re acting like a cafone,” Antony replied tiredly. “Whatever it is, get it out before we arrive at this dump tonight.”

The dump in question was a strip club owned and operated by one of The Sons of Hell’s higher ranking members. All requests for a meeting between the Marcello crime family and the motorcycle club went unanswered. Antony and his sons weren’t ones to accept a dismissal. Clearly the bikers didn’t understand how real organized crime worked. If your neighbors weren’t happy, you weren’t happy.

The Marcellos were not happy.

The best time to show up to a strip club was when it was open and business was live. That was their plan, anyway. Antony wanted to cause a stir of his own making and his sons were more than happy to oblige.

“It’s nothing,” Lucian finally said.

“I hate it when you lie to me, Lucian. You’re awful at it.”

“How many of our guys are inside the joint?” he asked, attempting to distract his father.

“Six. Dante got word most of the patrons are club members, but there are a few regular customers. I better not go home smelling like a strip club or your mother will be in a right fit.”

Lucian smirked. “I didn’t realize you could smell like a stripper.”

“Sure you didn’t,” Antony muttered half-heartedly. “Stop deflecting.”

“Christo, Papà. I’m not deflecting, there’s just nothing to say.”

“Did you work at all this week, besides looking out for your crew?”

No, he hadn’t. Lucian owned a half of a dozen restaurants across New York and a few office buildings businesses rented from him for their own purposes. Sure, he had a great deal of people working under him to take care of all his commerce, but he had to do his part, too.

His father and brothers both had their hands in real-estate development, both residential as well as business, and in the casinos. Sometimes Lucian dabbled in something with them as a partnership, but he preferred working alone more often than not.