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“What does our amico want this time?” I asked carefully. Dimitri was a respected and influential political figure in our country by the Italian citizens, but we knew him better as a greedy, corrupt and unforgiving man. He swore a vow of silence, what we call an omerta, which is punishable by death if not upheld to become a friend to our family. He gives us important political information on the stock markets and government enquiries and, in return, we give him what he requires to keep his squeaky-clean appearance sparkling brightly. He was the kind of man I would never respect.
Toni opened a file and slid a picture of a middle-aged man across the table to me. I picked it up lazily to study it.
“Massimo Novalli. Businessman, husband and father of two. Gambled away a hefty amount against Dimitri in an underground poker night. 750k euros to be exact. Hasn’t paid a cent,” Salvatore, my zio, turned and walked towards the table, picking up a cigar and lighting it.
“So, he wants us to shake him up? Make him pay?” I threw the picture of the man back down on the table.
Salvatore shook his head while he blew out clouds of smoke, momentarily masking him from my view. “He wants our little friend to walk the bridge.”
My dark eyebrows tensed and I clenched my jaw. That seemed extreme. To murder a man without at least threatening him into paying first. He had a fucking family for fucksake.
“Why don’t we give him a wake-up call first? Break a few bones? Hospitalise him? I am sure he will quickly right his wrongs,” I folded my arms across my chest. My uncle glared at me with his notorious death stare. It was the only look that could make a full-grown man piss himself in public. Even though it did have some effect on me. I knew it was an empty threat. He may punish me in certain ways, but he would never kill me. I was far too valuable to him.
“You sound just like your papi, Giovanni. The weak, sensitive Vincenzo Buccini. Always trying to do what was best. Where is he now?” His voice was calm but hard. It was his eyes that warned me. Anger bubbled under the surface of my skin at his insult towards my father and I held his stern gaze. I would not look away even if he called his henchmen in to fight me.
His face slowly opened up into a sadistic grin as he realised I was not going to submit to him. “Good. Not as like your papi as I thought,” he smirked, turning his back to me again. “But what Dimitri wants, Dimitri gets. As much as I would love to cut his tongue from his vulgar mouth, we need him. So, I don’t care who you get to do it, but do it well.”
His tone was sharp and authoritative, leaving no room for retaliation. I was already on thin ice, so I stood abruptly and merely gave him a blunt nod before leaving the room.
I felt drained as I left his estate, climbed into the back of my Rolls Royce Phantom and nodded at Lori, my driver. I unbuttoned my cuffs and rolled my sleeves as well as a few more buttons down my chest. Leaning my head back against the leather headrest, I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply. The meeting went well, all things considered, and clearly, business is good in all areas right now, legal and illegal, but I wasn’t happy with the contract killing. Dimitri was an important political figure in our country, and we needed him on our side, so as much as I did not enjoy killing a man for no good reason, if he needed someone dead…it was my job to fulfil the order. It’s the way our hierarchy worked. My uncle (or zio in my native language) was the boss. The Don if you will. He dealt with the main threats to our empire and his word was final in all matters. Toni was his consigliere. His advisor in all things financial and political. It was his job to keep our heads above water and our accounts clean. And then there was me. The underboss. Next in line to take over the empire. I oversee all the Capo’s who work beneath me in different regimes, keeping the legal and illegal businesses running smoothly, while also delegating deals to the Capos. Under them were the soldiers or bodyguards. The lowest ranking in the hierarchy devoted their lives to protecting the elite and did most of our dirty work for us. We mainly dabbled in drugs, gun running, contract killing, protection and loan sharking. Our hotels, clubs and restaurants were what we call racketeers. Laundered businesses where we could tie all our money and assets into as a cover up for all the dodgy shit we deal with behind the scenes. We also paid many influential people for their silence and to keep us out of the spotlight. Police, government officials, business owners. They were all corrupt, which kept us untouchable to a certain extent. It was only rival families who posed a threat. The Leone family, to be precise. They were our biggest competitors and the people also responsible for my father’s death. We had no real proof that would stand up to the commission, but we knew it to be true. And one day they will pay at my hand.
As the car pulled up to the gates of my home, I ran my fingers through my thick, black hair. I sat up a little straighter as we approached the house and I knew what was putting me on edge.OliviaJones. I wonder if she is still here. Or if, in fact, she had already called it quits. A strange prickly feeling quickly passed through my chest as I thought I might not see her. This was fucking stupid. I didn’t even know the woman. She was nothing to me. She was my sibling's nanny and someone I needed to stay the hell away from for her own sake.
Perhaps though, if she quits, then there would be no reason not to sleep with her. I could get it out of my system. Because that’s what it was. A need to have something that was off limits. It was the only way to explain why this woman was affecting me so much. I wasn’t used to not getting what I wanted, and I didn’t like the feeling.
Stepping out of the car and marching up the gravel driveway, I nodded to the two soldiers who opened the front door for me. I stopped at the bottom of the staircase and weighed up my options. Go check on mamma. Go see if Olivia was still there with the kids or the sensible thing, go to my floor until I knew for sure she had gone home. Checking my Rolex, I tapped it when I saw it was 7.30pm. She is probably putting them to bed. I should just go to my office. Climbing the stairs two at a time with large strides, I stopped on the first floor. I could hear screaming coming from the bathroom. That is Raya alright. Curiosity and protectiveness got the better of me as I headed towards the shrill hysterics of my little sister. Pushing open the bathroom door, Soraya was standing naked in the bath, screaming at the top of her lungs as Sani ran circles around a stressed and dishevelled looking Olivia, wrapping her in toilet roll. My lips thinned into a straight line to try to stop myself from laughing at the chaotic scene before me.
“Gio!” Sani dropped the toilet roll and ran towards me, barrelling into my legs. Raya immediately stopped screaming and looked up at me through tear-stained eyes, reaching her arms out for me.
“What is going on here?” I raised one eyebrow as I ruffled Sani’s hair and walked towards Raya, taking the towel from a stunned Olivia’s hands. Wrapping it around her little body and lifting her into my arms, she nestled her head on my shoulder.
“Raya didn’t want to get out of the bath, and I was turning Olivia into a zombie walking dead enemy that I could shoot with my nerf gun,” Sani spoke quickly in Italian, and I stifled a chuckle. I made him repeat it in English for Olivia to hear. She stood up, tearing the toilet roll off her and glared at me.
“He plays too many inappropriate video games,” she said so seriously that I was now really struggling to suppress my laughter. I looked at Sani, who gave me an innocent shrug and we both burst out laughing. Her cheeks turned red and her nostrils flared as she looked between us both before an embarrassed giggle escaped her as well. My chest tightened at how beautiful and carefree she looked when she laughed.
“Right. Bedtime you two! And no more tears,” I pulled Raya back to give her a pointed glance and she nodded slowly.
Sani ran out of the bathroom towards his own room as I handed Raya over to Olivia. Our hands innocently brushed as we exchanged her, and my eyes flickered to her lips instinctively. They were so full and plump. So kissable. She lowered her head, stroking Raya’s hair out of her face as she walked past me into the corridor. She quickly turned and I locked eyes with those magnificent green irises with specks of gold.
“Thank you, Giovanni,” she muttered quietly before turning and walking briskly into Soraya’s room. Something fluttered inside me at her submissiveness and hearing my name for the first time leave her lips. I felt my dick harden. I stood rooted to the spot. Fuck sake. I should have gone to my office.
∞∞∞
Olivia
Once Soraya was tucked into bed and I had checked in on Sani, who was already passed out on top of his racing car duvet covers, I closed their doors and rested my forehead against the cold wall.
“Was it really that bad?” A low, husky voice echoed down the corridor, and I turned to see Giovanni leaning against the bannister with a cold beer in his hand. I slowly tiptoed towards him as I put my finger to my lips. I don’t think I could take it if they woke up and demanded an ounce more of my energy again. Even though he shook his head, there was laughter in his eyes as he gestured to the bottom step of the staircase that led up to his floor. We both sat down, only a fraction apart from each other, and my nerves grew. He seemed so arrogant, cold and intimidating yesterday, but after seeing him with his siblings tonight, I realised I might have read him wrong. I could smell his masculine cologne mixed with whiskey and cigars and I fought the urge to breathe in deeply.
“I thought you might need a drink after your day?” he held the beer out to me and I took it gratefully, taking a swig of the icy liquid that felt oh so good as it slid easily down my throat. I suddenly froze. Shit. Was this a trick? I was still technically working.
“Sorry,” I said quickly, handing it back to him and his handsome features creased with confusion. “I’m still working so I shouldn’t be drinking on the job.”
His face lit up and amusement flickered across his smouldering eyes.
“I am your boss and I offered. And your shift has finished now. They are asleep.”
We sat in silence as I took the beer from him again and gulped down a few more mouthfuls, wiping my mouth after. I could feel his dark gaze focused on me like a laser as I stared straight ahead and tried to ignore the fluttering of butterflies in my stomach.
