AllFreeNovel
Share Us
This house is one my father bought a few decades ago. Chicago is a big enough market, especially the business we do with the Levin Bratva and the Outfit, for us to keep a house here to avoid spending time in hotels.
My father prefers we not stay in hotels that aren’t our own in order to maintain a low profile. It’s why, when he first took over, he purchased a boutique hotel chain with hotels in our major cities. In the years since, he’s added and sold and made it a very profitable cover.
I don’t have a mistress in Chicago with the women available at the brothel. No one knows we have a house or two hotels here. We prefer to keep everything about ourselves and our business from public knowledge when possible. Everything we own is purchased behind a web of shell companies, most of them not tied to a person who actually exists.
The sigh comes out of me as I go upstairs. I need to shower off the scent of Nicolette from my body. If I don’t, my cock is going to turn black and fall off from how hard I am for her. “She wasn’t happy about it. I agreed to get rid of my mistresses for her.”
He needs to know as the properties we own the women live in will now be free. While I’m thinking about it, I send a mass text informing the women their time is up. They have fourteen days to get out. I’ll be sending them one month of expenses to make up for the short notice.
“Damn, that must be some prime pussy.” Felix whistles.
“Don’t refer to her as pussy. You don’t say a word to her that might upset her. She is not to be touched, or I’ll break your fucking face. And she is to be shown the same respect you show Mom. She’s young, in another five or ten years, she’ll be begging me to get a mistress. You still won’t be able to fuck her.” I shrug out of my shirt.
He’s quiet for a minute. “You are so fucked. She’s going to own your ass. Good, she might make you less miserable. And as far as fucking Blanca, I gave her the attention you wouldn’t. And I asked you before I touched her. If you had said no, I would never have done it.”
“Fuck you. You never should have asked,” I growl as I hang up on him. We’ve already had this argument. It hasn’t changed anything, just ended with blood and bruises each time until Father ordered us to either bury one of us or the issue. Blanca was dead, and this needed to die too.
My phone is blowing up from the texts I’m receiving from the women. I ignore them. Instead, I send a follow-up text to Thomas. Thomas is the business side of what Catherine does. Cleaning up of blood, bullets, and shipments. He is the only person who knows where me, my brother, or father are as well as each one of our shipments—including their cost, payment, and weight—at every moment of the day.
Thomas responds he’ll take care of it.
I’m turning on the shower almost ten minutes later when my phone rings. I expect it to be Felix, it’s not. I answer, waiting.
“Sir, I think you should know. The Fed you asked me to look into. She was recently married. Her death would make an enemy of a current ally.” Thomas’s voice is strained.
CHAPTER8
Manuel
I fight the instinct to clench my jaw. Anger flares through me, a hot knot burning in my stomach. “One hundred and fifty million dollars?”
The amount isn’t the issue. However much Richie thinks I’m worth, if he were to double it, he still wouldn’t be close. My anger is from how completely fucked he has to be to demand this much for Nicolette. It means the cleanup once he’s dead will take fucking forever. This much means his fuck up is so deep it could impact Nicolette.
“Are you saying she ain’t worth it? I kept her pure and humble. She’s a good girl. Nicolette is gonna be the perfect wife for a powerful man like you. She knows her place and her role. You trying to say she’s not worth what you make in a week?” Richie is skeptical.
If his knuckles weren’t showing white, I’d buy it. But the man is sweating through his five grand silk suit. My men have been following him since I left Nicolette yesterday. They told me he didn’t go home last night.
He thinks I make this much in a week? Try in a day. There is the Rodriguez cartel, then there’s everyone else.
Exhale. Hang my head, contrite. Nod slowly. I’m chastised. I do not want to skin him slowly while he’s alive, only allowing him to die after his voice has given out from pleading for mercy. “You’re right. I guess I’m surprised it’s a flat amount of cash rather than a percentage of the take in Chicago or a plot of field.”
I can’t keep from taunting him. The flat amount means he’s going to run. Richie cannot undo what he’s done. I doubt he’s going to Colombia, but he’s not staying in Chicago.
His eyes drop from my throat, where’s he’s kept them since he walked in the door. Because the fucking weasel wasn’t able to meet my eyes. “I don’t need it. The cash is enough. I want this all done, ya know?”
I nod understandingly. “Of course. Whatever is easiest.” Looking to Dominic, I don’t miss the lethal stare he’s giving Richie.
If I hadn’t declared I would be the one to kill Richie, Dominic would do it. Dominic reads Richie’s intent. As underboss of the Outfit, he’s likely trying to figure out how badly Richie’s actions could affect the Outfit’s position in the city. “I’m good to sign off on a flat cash transfer of one hundred and fifty million as the bride price for Nicolette.”
Dominic stands. “I’ll have it drawn up,” he says as he leaves his office.
We’re in his office at his club. It’s only noon, but Richie reeks of whiskey. I don’t miss the way his hand trembles as he sips deep on the glass Dominic gave him when we came in. Vinny is sweating enough he leaves streaks on his glass.
I wonder if Vinny is going to tip the hand he has in his boss’ downfall. Deciding to enjoy fucking with him because I can’t kill him, I give Richie a smile. “I’m looking forward to hosting your stay with us for the wedding ceremony your wife is already planning. While it is unfortunate Nicolette will not be able to have a large wedding here in Chicago, I trust your wife will make it quite an event in Medellin.”
Richie pales. His hand grasps the knot of his tie, easing it away from his neck. I blink to brush away the instinct to use the tie to choke him to death. “Yeah, sounds good. Gabby is good at that stuff. Women, they got that gift ya know?”
“Yes, I know. How is Nicolette doing with packing up everything and preparing to leave her life behind? Her mother mentioned Nicolette considered living with her in Colombia but hadn’t wanted to leave Chicago.”
