Sleeping alone wasn’t easy these days when you had the entire world on your shoulders. Running a business that dealt in the public eye and masked my underworld dealings caused many sleepless nights. I was in my car, heading to a meeting with Lin-Sae of the Chinese mafia. The underboss was meeting me at neutral territory at Antonio’s restaurant, a place where most deals were struck. Gael was driving, as I had let Leonardo have the day off to be with his family. Gabriella was driving behind us with Hugo and a few more men. She was the only woman on my team who was a better shooter than me. Even though Gael was my right-hand man, I called on Gabriella to handle the cleanup as the enforcer. We met when she tried to steal from my family’s store back in Portugal, and my father wanted to make an example out of her and murder her in the middle of the street. I pleaded with my mother, and she convinced him to give her a job at fifteen, and we’d been friends ever since.
“Antonio will be there today,” Gael said out loud, stopping at the light. The cars honked at each other; bikers rushed through the streets, cutting off pedestrians. A typical Friday in New York. The smell of street vendors and barterers on every corner yelling to get a sale. I smirked—my kind of town.
“He told me. Gabriella has more weapons stashed inside if we need anything.”
“Today shouldn’t be anything but getting answers about the Russians and their dealings with Vitale,” Gael told me.
“I appreciate how you stay optimistic, my friend. I go nowhere without my knife beside me.”
“Have you spoken to your actress?”
Shaking my head no, I replied, “I texted her last night to say goodnight.”
“Did she take you up on your offer to go on a date?” He finally parked, and we stepped out, and he handed the keys off to the valet. Gabriella and Hugo followed behind me, and I waved for my other men to stay in the front and back on post. I hadn’t killed anyone since Queen, and I was itching for someone to step out of line.
“Her show is tonight. I plan on taking her out afterward,” I said, walking through the door, nodding a thank you to the doorman. The hostess pointed to the back room where the men were sitting waiting on us. I observed the place was closed today. Antonio came over and extended his hand.
“Joaquin, really think about what you’re doing before she gets hurt,” Gael suggested.
“Why would she get hurt? I’m not asking her to marry me, one date, simple and possibly a friendship. We’re both adults, and my lifestyle will never cross into her world.”
“My wife is angry with you,” Antonio stated as he pointed at me.
Gael and I looked at each other then back at him.
“What did I do?”
“I’m not home with her and the kids,” he replied.
“Admit you’re happy to be out of the house and not around four kids constantly screaming your name. I hear you’re thinking of a fifth baby?” I questioned. He smirked, rubbing his chin in thought.
“If it were up to me, I’d have ten kids by now, but Sabrina’s the boss at home, and she’s put that on hold. Anyway, let us meet with our guests.”
We trailed behind him, and he opened the door to the private room in the back. Three men standing and two sitting at a table looked over at us. I nodded in respect, they did the same, and everyone took a seat at the table.
“Mr. Fuertes, how are you?” Lin-Sae asked. He was the underboss to his brother and brought his enforcer, Jin, and his bodyguards with him. In the past, we’d handled business together without any problems, and I expected the same today if they answered my questions truthfully.
“Lin, you know why we requested your presence today?” I asked, unbuttoning my jacket and showing my gun on the side. Knives were my favorite killing tool, but in certain situations, when I needed to be quick and deadly with one person, I brought along my backup — the nine-millimeter Glock that I used for special occasions.
“My counsel brought to my attention you have some Russians upset with you about the killing of Queen Vitale. Joaquin, I’ve known you and your family a long time; this brings me disturbance,” Lin-Sae answered.
He’d been the underboss for the last fifteen years and had aged rather quickly, with gray streaks in his hair and beard, and wrinkles on his forehead and around his eyes. For someone that was only forty, he looked sixty.
“Your counsel has misinformed you. I had nothing to do with Queen’s death. Antonio can vouch for me,” I lied, not wanting to play my hand too fast.
“Lin, cut the bullshit. We know the Vitales are working with the Russians to start a war and bring it here on our turf. I recommend you convey how wrong that would be for everyone’s safety,” Antonio informed him, leaning back in his chair and nodding for his security to bring something to the table.
“What is this?” Lin-Sae questioned.
“I took the liberty of getting insurance in case this meeting didn’t go in our favor. These are the documents that show Sae Mafia selling drugs to the undercover FBI agents. Now we don’t work with the police, but I can’t say it wouldn’t unanimously get out to some of our friends in the Cartel if they knew you were giving the product to the very people trying to stop their business,” Antonio announced, before he opened the briefcase and pulled out a manila folder then spread pictures of the Sae Cartel talking with the FBI and handing off bags of money and drugs.
Lin-Sae slammed his hand down on the table, cursing us out in Italian.
“Sae Cartel does not work with the police. These are fake,” he spat, pulling his gun out, pointing it at Antonio.
Neither of us flinched as our enforcer and bodyguards drew their guns right back at him. Gael stepped up, gesturing for calmness, for everyone to put their guns down. “Gentlemen, we’re on the same side. Put your guns away, and let’s talk about this.”
“Gael, you told me he’d be reasonable,” Lin-Sae stated, and I glared at Gael for overstepping and thinking someone could control me.
“Lin, everybody in this room knows I can’t be controlled. You want to know if it’s true about Queen?”
He nodded his head in answer.
“She’s dead, and I enjoyed every minute of torturing her when she came after this family. All the Bosses know that the families are off-limits, and she stepped out of bounds with no authority, and I took care of the matter.”
“Then you will pay for killing the daughter of Federico Vitale,” Lin said, waving for his men to put their guns away. He stood and walked out, stopped at the door and looked over his shoulder back at us.
“Family for family,” he said, walking out of the room.
Antonio jumped up, ready to shoot.
“No, we need to think and regroup,” I responded, cracking my knuckles and neck.
“They’re working together, any other time he’d be neutral, and you see how quick he was accusing you about the murder,” Antonio murmured.
“Carlo told us this would have an aftereffect behind her death. The only way to secure protection was to keep them out of New York.”
“The Russians won’t be quick to come here unless they have to, but the Vitales will hop on a plane fast. If they get the Sae Cartel to help, then a war is bound to happen,” Gael informed us.
“Should we have someone following them?” Gabriella spoke, checking the chamber on her gun. I nodded for her to take the men and leave.
“The warehouse is empty tonight, and we can gather everyone up. Bruno is visiting from Italy with Liz; we can call him to help,” Antonio suggested.
“This is my problem; I can’t get you involved. It will be fine.”
“Joaquin.” Gael started to speak, but I held my hand up for him to stop.
“I’m not worried about them. Gael will be in touch once we’ve spoken with my contacts in Italy. My father is retired, but he knows a few men higher up that can get information on what Vitale is thinking about doing.”
“Try not to get blown up or shot, my friend,” Antonio stated, patting me on the back, as he walked us out of the private room toward the front entrance.
Gael and I laughed at his response and shook hands with him before leaving out of the restaurant. Heading toward the car, I opened the passenger side door, and he went around to the driver’s side. Turning the key in the ignition, we pulled off with two black bulletproof SUVs tailing us for protection.
“Where am I dropping you off?”
“The theater on Forty-fifth Chelsea Street and Broadway.”
“I forgot you had a date.”
“Two people are having dinner and getting to know each other.”
“Is that what you do with Monica?”
“Monica knows her purpose in my life.”
“Last I checked, Monica was stomping into your office looking for you, when you did not call her for a week after you got back into town from Italy. Joaquin, she’s the only woman you’ve kept for the last five years for fun. How do you think she’ll take it when you date this Sofia actress?” Gael queried.
“I can handle Monica.”
Forty minutes later, Gael arrived at the back of the theater. A crowd of photographers started taking pictures and yelling our names. I checked my watch and noticed she was near time for ending her final show and had Leonardo come with flowers. He was near the entrance, and I walked up to him to grab them with Gael behind me.
“She’s inside, boss, and I hear they sold the show out. They reserved your seat as usual.”
“Thank you. Gael, leave the keys with me and ride back with Leonardo,” I requested.
“Joaquin, you shouldn’t be out here in the open alone. At least call Gabriella or have Hugo follow you tonight,” Gael said, shielding me from the cameras as we headed through the back entrance.
“I’ll be fine. Keep me updated on what you find out and set up a flight to Italy,” I reminded him as I walked toward the dressing rooms and found her door. I knocked and waited for an answer.
“Come in!” I heard and opened the door.
The girl I always saw her with was packing up her things.
“It’s you!” Cassidy said.
“Excuse me.”
“Her stalker boyfriend,” she called me.
I chuckled and placed the flowers down on the side table. Peering around the room, I saw all the posted pictures of her performances in various newspapers and magazines, saying the show was superb and continuously sold out.
“Hello, I’m Joaquin,” I introduced myself, reaching out to shake her hand. She shook it and crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her index finger to her chin.
“I’m Sofia’s assistant. My name’s Cassidy, and she told me all about you.”
“All good things, I hope.”
“Mostly about you being the quiet, brooding type of guy. Except you’ve been dropping flowers off to her every time she’s performed on stage. Why is that?” she questioned.
“I’m a fan.”
Before she could delve more in-depth into questioning me, the door swung open, and Sofia came inside with Edward behind her. Gabriella researched him and found out he was some big-time manager and producer. A little shorter than me with a thin build, probably a jogger. He’d been her manager for the past seven years and lived on Long Island. He had a girlfriend he occasionally saw from time to time and his parents were still alive.
“What are you doing here, Joaquin?” she questioned nervously, and I pointed toward the flowers.
“This room is off-limits to fans, and we need you to leave,” Edward said, opening the door and waving for me to leave.