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LORENZO
Opening night was jam-packed from the moment the doors opened until an hour after last call. The entertainment was a success, and all that credit goes to my wife. She worked for hours with each one of the ladies, honing their individual talents. Sasha taught them techniques that took her years to master. None of the dancers are at her level, but I wouldn’t expect that out of any of the girls I hired. She’s a good teacher, and that surprised me. I wouldn’t have expected her to have that kind of patience. I was impressed.
The one thing I made sure every staff member understood was that I expect them to give their all and be loyal. I was blunt. I told each one the second they cannot do either of those things that it would be in their best interest to quit. No hard feelings, just walk away.
Sasha’s dancers delivered and then some. The waitstaff, bar team, and the kitchen were on point all night long. There was not one mishap, and no one walked out unsatisfied. We offer five-star quality food with two meal options. It wasn’t easy getting a top-rated chef to come work in an establishment that caters to carnal desires, but somehow my sister convinced him to do just that. If she wasn’t Sienna or engaged to Matteo, I might have questioned exactly what she promised him, but Si isn’t like that. She’d have kicked his ass into signing a contract before she’d stoop that low.
My eyes snap upward when the door opens when my sister pokes her head around it. I’ve been in my office since I arrived an hour ago preparing to open in two hours. It’s Saturday night. I suspect the crowd tonight will be heavy if word got out.
“Dom wants us to meet him in the club gym now,” Sienna informs me.
Sal, the former owner, had additional rooms that he used for storage of an illegal white powdery substance. To Krishna’s annoyance, the cocaine was destroyed instead of sold. Like hell do I want that shit on my conscience. What if an underaged kid got his or her hands on it and something fatal happened? Fuck that. I have enough shit weighing me down to add to it.
“Sure,” I say, logging out of my computer before rising to follow.
Since we had the space, Sasha thought it would be a great idea to turn it into a gym staff could use free of charge. It’s especially beneficial to the dancers if no one else. I agreed, and so did Dom. Si liked the idea too, even if she waved her hand with no other comment. If those two would realize how much they do have in common, my life would be so much better.
The gym is located at the opposite end of the hall from my office on the top level of the club. When we arrive, Sienna pulls the frosted glass door open and walks in, not holding it for me, but I catch the handle before it closes. When I step through, Dom is standing with his arms folded across his chest and his feet spread shoulder width apart. An older man stands to his right. Familiarity dawns on me, but I can’t place him. I’ve seen him before today; that much I know.
“Leo,” Sienna says, surprise in her tone. It’s then I realize he’s Leonardo Valente. He’s one of my father’s captains that oversees Philadelphia and all the Northeast region of the United States, even New York City and Long Island. He’s the captain that’s the closest to my father. “What brings you down here?”
“He wants the captain position that’s up for grabs,” Domenico answers for him.
“Why the hell would you want this shit? At your age,” I add. Leo isn’t old by any stretch of the word, but he’s done his fair share of grunt work. He’s wrangled and maintained damn good soldiers. He should be looking toward retirement, not building a family from the ground up.
“I know,” he states, attempting to assure me. “Not the natural progression at this stage in the life.”
“One could say that,” I follow up.
“My wife passed away three years ago and my four kids are grown. Philly is home, but I’m bored. Fuck retirement. Hell, I’m not that fuckin’ old yet either. I need something new. It really comes down to that. I know I can run a successful business no matter what it is. And I’m not talking just New Orleans. I can handle them all. Rebuild from the ground up if that’s what they need. Train good, loyal soldiers.”
“If you come here, then Dad has to replace you,” Sienna tells him. “Why would he agree to solve one problem only to create another that’s already a well-oiled machine?”
Leo flicks his eyes to Dom.
“I didn’t ask Dad’s permission. There’s no law against a captain turning the reins over to someone else in his crew and then relocating under a different boss,” my brother says.
“Where’s your fuckin’ loyalty, old man?” I spit out, suddenly angry.
“Tony knows I’m here. I’d never shit on his authority or the opportunity he didn’t have to bestow on me twenty-two years ago.” Leo’s back straightens, his eyes hardening.
My head rolls back to Domenico. “Why didn’t you say that in the first place?”
“You didn’t ask, brother.”
“What now? How do we know he’s the right man for the job?” I cross my arms as I half glare at Dom and wait for the order I know is coming. I can see it in his eyes and the smirk he’s trying hard to prevent from forming.
“And who would we promote in his place back home if he comes here?” Sienna asks.
“Rocco,” Leo declares. “He’s the guy you want. I trained him and there is no one I trust more. That’s saying a lot in my book. Authentic trust is damn near impossible to find these days. Guys aren’t as loyal as they once were.”
“Yeah, well, he can worry about that with the boss he has to prove that to and you worry about proving yourself to the three of us.” Dom snaps his gaze past my shoulder. “Just in fuckin’ time, new sister.”
“Jesus,” Sasha says at the same time I glance over my shoulder to see her and Krishna walk through the door. She’s dressed in a pink sports bra and black leggings with plain white Converse on her feet. Her brother is in workout attire too. My wife only wears Converse sneakers when she’s weight training. Otherwise, she doesn’t find them to be comfortable shoe attire like my sister does the few times I’ve seen her dressed down. “Will that shit get old already, Domenico? It’s annoying.”
“Good to know, new sister.” This time he allows the smirk to make an appearance, and I know it’s for her benefit alone. “Now for the fun part.”
“Who’s this joker?” Sasha asks as she rolls her eyes, giving Dom more satisfaction, knowing he can easily get under her skin.
