AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Epilogue
Cole
“What about Dusable? Are the Irish still trying to edge into our territory over there?”
Alexander, my captain in charge of that sector, snorted. “The Irish are always trying something, boss, you know that. But nothing new or out of the ordinary.”
“All right. Keep an ear out for any unusual rumblings and let’s nip that newcomer over in Lincoln Park in the bud. The last thing we need are rumors that we’re getting soft on enforcing our territory. What about the Romanos? Are we any closer to sealing the deal with them?”
To my right, Mikey snorted. “Carlos is being as bullheaded as ever. He’s angling for something, but he won’t tell us exactly what it is. Twenty says he waits to spring it on you in person so it’s harder for you to say no.”
“That’s a sucker’s bet, and you know it.” Carlos Romano controlled almost the entirety of the northern half of the city. With our business expanding, we needed him on our side to safely move our products in and out of the city. An alliance with him would be good for both our families, but he was well known for being a cagey bastard when he wanted something.
The question was, what did he want? And how much was it going to cost me?
“Set a meet for next month. And in the meantime, we’ll see if we can’t dig up some information on what he might be holding out for.”
Tapping a note into his phone, Mikey grunted. “Got it.”
From across the table, Luca flashed a boyish grin. It always amused me how different he was from Mikey, at least in personality. Side by side there was no denying they were brothers. But when it came to temperament, they couldn’t have been less alike if they tried. “Any chance we could talk Romano into including his daughter in the deal?”
“Leonora? She’s a child, Luca.”
“Not anymore, cuz. She’s at my club pretty much every weekend and believe me when I tell you she is all grown up.”
“And do you see women as little more than bargaining chips?” Seated on the other side of me, Adele pinned him with a cold stare that had Luca glancing back to me.
As if I was going to save him from her. Poor, naïve boy.
When it was obvious no help was to be found, he shifted uncomfortably in his chair and dialed up the charm on his smile. “Of course not, Dell. It was just a joke.”
“I do not understand the joke, then. Perhaps you could explain it to me.”
A ripple of laughter went around the table as Luca’s face reddened. “Never mind.”
Laying my hand on Adele’s thigh to settle her, I sent Luca a pointed look. “We do not include human beings in our business transactions. That is not how the DeCostas do business. Is that perfectly clear?”
“Crystal, boss.”
“Good. You all have your assignments. Dismissed.”
One by one, my crew filed out of the room, until I was left with only one straggler. Now that we were alone, she began to fidget in her chair, her anxiety obviously growing with each passing moment.
Pushing away from the table, I tugged at her hand and she all but dove onto my lap, her head resting on my shoulder.
“Are you ready for your final punishment?”
Once her injuries from her encounter with Giorgio had healed, we had begun the task of addressing all of the lies she had told me during our time in Paris. Starting with her name and occupation, we worked our way through one a week, no matter how small or large the lie.
Last week had been particularly difficult. Her punishment for not telling me she knew who I was so early on, and actively working with Pierce to trap me was by far the harshest punishment I had handed down to her or possibly any of my previous submissives. A dozen with the rattan cane, and then I’d fucked her beautifully striped ass until she’d come, begging for my forgiveness.
I might have regretted being so harsh with her, except I could see the difference in her week by week. As if each punishment lifted some of the weight from her shoulders until she was a completely different person. Happier, more carefree. I’d even suggested forgiving some of her lies at one point, under the consideration that I myself hadn’t been fully honest with her, but she had insisted on following through.
Today’s punishment wouldn’t be quite as harsh, but it still would not be an easy one. Because not only had she lied, she had put herself in danger in the process. And as far as I was concerned, that was a lesson she would learn as often as it took for it to sink in.
Her nose wrinkled in response to my question, making her look younger than her years. “My bottom is still sore from this morning.”
The memory made me grin. A certain naughty little girl had wanted to argue with me over taking her guard with her on her shopping trip. In the end, she’d not only taken the guard, I was fairly certain he had overheard me taking my belt to her bare bottom before she was allowed to leave. “Well, then, perhaps you shouldn’t have been naughty when you knew you already had a spanking coming this afternoon.”
