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“I promise you; it won’t happen again.” Lopez pushed back from the table. “We have a full house booking for this weekend’s party in Malibu.” He grimaced. “I had to decline three of our top customers due to The Commission leaders insisting to be included at the last minute.”
“Drop the attitude. You were told to keep five spots open for every party. If they don’t attend, you have more than enough time to find customers.” Luca dished up a generous portion of marble strawberry cheesecake. “Don’t forget, it’s their influence that brought scores of high-level government officials to the parties. We have both benefited from having them in our pockets because of that.”
“You’re right but a little consideration from them isn’t too much to ask for. We’ve been running a professional operation. Cancelling a client at the last minute—”
“I don’t have patience for your bullshit, Lopez. Make it happen. Comp them a couple of whores on the house for a night. Be sure they’re pre-booked for the next party. Next time, don’t bore me with this crap again.” Luca finished his dessert in silence. He was only forty-three but he had more business acumen than men twenty years his senior. He thought out of the box and had the best ideas when he hit the ground running. Factor in an insatiable determination to succeed and there was no limit to his conquests.
“Fill me in on the new members. There were a couple of names on the list I didn’t recognize.” Luca pushed back his plate.
“We did the necessary background checks. They fit in perfectly. Frank Messer is the owner of the global clothing range, Fashion Link. He has a score of celebrities who wear the ranges specifically designed for marketing purposes. Bastian has met him before,” Lopez responded in a sour tone.
“Yeah, he loves whores. The kinkier the better.” Bastian mumbled with a mouthful of cheesecake.
“William Simms is an investment banker. He has his own company here in San Francisco with branches all over the States,” Lopez continued. “He travels extensively and is a regular and very popular visitor at high class brothels everywhere— very deep pockets.” Lopez smiled wryly. “He’ll be a favorite with the whores. He’s in his forties and has that muscular bad boy look about him.”
“Good. We need some younger bodies at the parties.” Luca’s eyes turned speculative. “It’s time to replenish our pool of whores.”
“Any type you’re specifically interested in?”
“We have a shortage of women in their thirties and early forties. I found a couple who would fit the bill perfectly.” Luca handed a folder to Lopez. “They’re going to need a certain level of coercion.”
“Money?” Lopez paged through the file. “These women aren’t in the business, are they?” He looked at Luca. “I’m assuming they pissed you off?”
“Let’s just say they stuck their noses in where they shouldn’t have.”
“Wouldn’t the disappearance of the entire Red Reign PI Agency team spark some suspicion?” Lopez asked as he read the intel and stared at the picture of an auburn-haired woman. “I wouldn’t mind fucking this one myself.”
“You can fuck her at your heart’s content once you have her under lockup.”
“This address... I’ve seen it before,” Lopez mused out loud.
“It’s an FBI safehouse. I put the word out to my informants across the federal agencies. It seems someone knows the Boneiro family well enough to know the Red Reign team could potentially become targets. Unfortunately for them, my contacts are top level agents. They confirmed the four women are in residence as we speak.”
“Are they under FBI protection?” Bastian asked.
“No. Unfortunately it’s the one thing they couldn’t supply— who their protectors are.”
“It doesn’t matter. We know how to pluck women off the streets.” Lopez closed the file.
“As long as it’s done without drawing attention. Make it happen soon. I want to test them at this weekend’s party.” Luca’s eyes gleamed with greed. “They’ll be in demand, so make sure they stay fit and healthy.” He snickered. “Once you have them, I might forget your fuckup with the other two.”
“Consider it done.” Lopez closed the file and drained his glass. “Anything else?”
“Don’t forget to Skype me for the execution.”
Lopez didn’t respond. He kicked Bastian’s chair which spurred him to get up and follow outside.
Luca smirked as he watched them walk around the front of the beach house. Conti was an idiot but Lopez carried weight in the crime world. He needed to keep the bit in Lopez’s mouth as a reminder of who held the power in their relationship.
His thoughts drifted to his brothers. It wasn’t the first time he had to step in to assuage Marco’s anger at his younger sons. He’d treated them like idiots their entire lives so it wasn’t any wonder they acted the part so well. Luca happened to know that it was exactly that—an act. Behind the clownish facade lay two very sharp minds. It was time to rein them in to use them to his advantage. They could play an integral role when the time came to step into Marco’s shoes.
The first thing he had to work on was their impulsive behavior. They needed more responsibility to make them feel important... and beholden to their older brother.
His informant in the FBI had supplied him with the name of the PI company Senator Wilson had used to trace his daughter. It was because of their involvement that Rocco and Stefano had been caught. Marco wanted a message sent to the senators and government officials never to oppose a member of the Boneiro family. He wanted to use the women of The Red Reign PI Agency to get it across.
Their disappearance would lead directly to Senator Wilson’s front door for ignoring an instruction from one of the Boneiro family members. His conscience would become so burdensome that he’d be more than willing to accept Marco’s bribe to vote to scrap S-52, the rough diamond importation bill in exchange for their release.
Except, Luca had no intention of letting them go. It would be the first crack in Marco Boneiro’s formidable hold over the leaders of The Commission.
