Renato called me earlier when I was home, talking with Sante over the Five Families calling a meeting. At first, I wanted to decline and let him handle whatever business it was, but he told me it was about Nevio being compromised and putting our names into certain dealings. As the mob boss, I had to see what was happening before I made a final decision. I wasn’t only dealing with my father, but our legit business was coming under scrutiny for money laundering. I showered, changed my clothes, and told Sante to get with Vincenzo to see where the leaks were coming from with Calabresi Holdings. I jumped in the backseat of the limo that Renato had waiting for me and went to Sanctuary. It was one of the businesses my family owned around Chicago and in a few other states like New York and Los Angeles. It was in the hottest part of town, and we wanted it to be a classy nightclub. We made it down in record time, and I hopped out, not waiting for Enzo to open my door. My cell rang, and I answered, hearing loud noise in the background.
“Are you here yet?” Renato questioned.
“I just arrived.”
“Come to the office.”
I hung up, and the security guard opened the door, and stood to the side for me to walk in. The bottle girls smiled and waved. I was here on a mission and ignored all the stares and admiration; the crowd even started calling out my name. I glanced around the room, saw the place was crowded for a Thursday night, and made a note to talk to Renato about more security. I headed down the long hallway, went to the janitor’s closet, and tapped on the door. We had regular offices, and then we had special offices that our staff didn’t know about for meetings away from prying eyes. The door opened, and a guard chucked his head at me. I went through another hallway and down a corridor to the private area toward Renato with three of our men and Nevio.
“Nevio.”
“Savio, I never talked.”
He sat in a chair across from Renato. The room was completely dark, with no windows.
“What happened?”
“I’d just left a meeting with Maurizio.”
“So, why did you have our product when the drop is handled by someone else?”
“Maurizio wanted me to oversee the drop because some of our men had other emergencies.”
I stood and watched his facial expression never waver, not a hint of fear. That gave me pause; most men and women knew when I had to be summoned, it meant you’d fucked up. So, for him to be so comfortable meant he didn’t think he could be touched.
My eyes narrowed, and I dragged them down to his hands. He moved them from the table.
“Where’s your watch?”
“Ughh…”
“You don’t remember. Cat got your tongue?” I laughed, and my men chuckled in response.
“I forgot to put it back on after showering earlier.”
“Yeah, that’s right after being held up at the police station.”
The room went quiet again. I glanced briefly at Renato.
“What do you think, Renato?”
“I think Nevio wouldn’t betray us to the police.” Renato leaned back against the wall.
“Savio, we go way back,” Nevio expressed.
“You’re right, so you can go.” I pointed to the door.
Nevio looked surprised, then stood and strolled to the door. My guard stepped to the side and allowed him to leave.
“I know Savio Calabresi isn’t giving favors.” Renato pushed off the wall.
I slid my hands in my pockets, grabbed my black gloves, and placed them on.
“Call Enzo to pull him to the side.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
“It’s been awhile since I killed, and people think because I work at the Calabresi Holdings, I don’t handle other business.”
All the men followed me back to the front entrance and through the back exit to the corner of the dead-end alleyway. I saw Nevio on his knees with a bloody nose.
“Come on, Savio. You know I wouldn’t hurt the families.”
I gripped his chin and squeezed tight.
“You lost the privilege to call me Savio; it’s Boss to you.” I punched him in the gut.
“Aghhh!”
I punched him again in the left side of his rib.
“The moment you left without your watch, I knew something wasn’t right. How much did they offer? Huh!”
“Nothing, I promise!”
I kicked him in the chest. Renato pulled a gun out and passed it toward me. I clicked the safety off.
“All Five Families have a watch; you not wearing yours lets me know the police promised you freedom if you gave names. My concern now is if Maurizio was in on this deception.”
Blood dripped down Nevio’s face and nose.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Good, because you’ll be permanently silenced.” I held the gun up to his face and pulled the trigger.
Pop! Pop!
“Oh my God!” a voice screamed. I turned and saw a woman scramble backwards and fall.
“Grab her!” I shouted to Renato and my men.
“Please! I didn’t see anything.”
The voice sounded familiar, and I looked over my shoulder as Renato brought her to me.
“What do you want to do with her?”
“Kill her.”
Her eyes screamed in panic, with tears falling down her cheeks, begging to let her go. I could, but I didn’t trust anyone.
“Take her to the car.” I handed the gun back to Renato and bent down to Nevio. I patted the top of his jacket, flipped it over, and found his wallet with a photo of him and a woman. I turned it around and found a phone number on the back. I stood back up and walked in the direction of the limo and got inside as Renato sat across from McKayla with his gun trained on her.
“You can put the gun away. She won’t scream.”
He placed the gun back in his holster. McKayla wiped her cheek and scanned her eyes around the car.
“Where do you want to go?” Enzo asked.
“My condo.”
Renato’s eyes turned toward me in shock.
“Savio.”
I raised my hand to stop him from talking in front of her.
“We’ll talk later.”
“Diddd… you kill…”
“Kill him. I did, and now you’re a witness. What do you think should happen now?”
Her eyes lowered, and she fidgeted with her hands.
“I won’t say anything.”
“I don’t trust you, which means I don’t know you.”
“But—”
“You think because my father likes you, I should let you go.”
Fifteen minutes later, we arrived back at my condo. Enzo parked the limo and went to open the door and pull McKayla out.
“Renato, make sure everything is cleaned. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“You sure this is a good idea?” He pointed at McKayla fighting to get out of Enzo’s arms.
“No.”
I left him back in the limo and grabbed McKayla around her arm and headed inside. She tried to fight against me and scream for help.
“Please help!” McKayla screamed.
“No one is going to help you,” I whispered in her ear.
“You’re a monster!”
“I own this building, and everyone working here is a part of the family. Your screams don’t matter.”
Her head swiveled to the security guard. The desk receptionist’s head lowered, ignoring eye contact.
I pushed in the code for my penthouse. The doors opened, and I stepped on the elevator and pushed her in and shut it.
“Rena’s going to be looking for me.”
I stood in the corner and observed her pacing back and forth.
“Rena Clark, junior writer at Chicago Times. Tom and Missy Stanton at 3458 Naperville.”
“How do you know—”
“You’re not the only one who investigates their subjects.”
She charged at me, and I grasped her wrists, turned us around, pushed her up against the wall, and raised her hands above her head.
“I hate you!”
“Good.”
“Just kill me.”
I grinned.
“Don’t tempt me.”
When the elevator dinged, I released my hold on her and let the door open, motioning for her to step off. I locked it behind me. The lights popped on, and I set my alarm, removed my jacket, and went to my liquor bar for a quick drink. She stood in the same place, rubbed up and down her arms, and peered around the room.
“Once I don’t show up for work, they’ll come looking for me.”
“You can have the room in the back, near the bathroom.” I gulped the rest of the drink down and slammed it on the bar.
“I want to go home.”
“When you decided to be nosy in my business, you gave up the right to go home or make any more decisions.”
“Who are you?”
“Savio Calabresi, don of the Calabresi crime family.” I extended my hand for her to walk toward the guestroom. Before I could move, she raised her hand and smacked me across the face.
“Fuck you.”
“You wish.”
My cell phone rang. I grabbed it out of my pocket and saw it was Renato calling.
“Yeah.”
“I put some men outside in case she tries to run,” Renato spoke.
“McKayla doesn’t seem like the type that would run. But if she decides to, shoot on sight,” I said, stared into her eyes, and ended the call.
Standing under the shower, I let the water flow down my back and head, working out the kinks with the extra steam. I tossed and turned in bed all night, constantly checking to make sure she didn’t leave. Renato texted that they found her friend back at Sanctuary, searching for her, and had the police show up at the club. He was able to pay off one of the guys on the force to give her a fake story that her friend probably went home with a guy.
“Help me!”
I heard loud screams and turned the water off. I placed a towel around my waist and went to find out what was going on. I noticed McKayla fighting Enzo to get released.
“She tried to run out,” Enzo told me.
I ran a hand down my face, grabbed a hold of her waist, and tossed her over my shoulder.
“Let me go!” She hit me on my back, and I slapped her on the ass.
“Shut up!” I demanded, pushed the guest bedroom door open, and tossed her on the bed. I climbed on top of her, pushing her hands over her head.
“Please, Savio, I won’t try to run. Just let me call my family.”
“If you can be quiet for the next thirty minutes while I get dressed, I’ll think about allowing you to call your family.”
She nodded.
“Can I go home?”
“Don’t push it.” I climbed off her, shut the door, and went to my bedroom.
Forty-five minutes later, my housekeeper had breakfast on the table. I raised the newspaper, reading over it to see if anything popped up about Nevio.
“Hello, I’m Marilyn, the housekeeper for Mr. Calabresi,” Marilyn introduced herself and poured juice in the glass for McKayla.
“Hello,” McKayla replied, pushing the plate away from her.
“You should eat,” I said.
“Not hungry.”
“So, you plan on starving and think that will cause me to let you go?”
Marilyn glanced between the both of us.
“I’m not hungry,” she answered, but her stomach growled.
I picked up her plate, rose from the table, and gave it to Enzo.
“Breakfast on me, Enzo.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“As for you, I’d advise to do as I say, or you’ll find me unpleasant to be around.”
Marilyn went back to the kitchen to clean up. I grabbed my coat and keys to leave. McKayla jumped up to follow me.
“You can’t leave me here.”
“I can do what I want.”
“What about my job? Your father’s expecting me today,” she begged.
I walked up on her, grabbed a hold of her hips, and dug my fingers in her sides with a hard glare.
“You’re fired.”
She tried to smack me again. I grasped her hand.
“Not again, princess.”
She yanked away from my hold.
“You disgust me.”
“Something that I’ve heard many times in my life. Enzo, keep an eye on her.”