Page 76 of Capuleto

A super-luxury restaurant, where much more than food was cooked.

If there was one thing the Chinese loved above all else, it was luxury and gambling.

It was rumored that on the lower floor of the restaurant, exclusive poker games were held, to which only people with an obscenely high level of wealth were invited.

My father had received more than one invitation, although he never accepted it, given the tense relationship with the Asians.

The establishment was managed by Cheng's right-hand man, Xinyán Huang. He was in charge of the gambling businesses and trafficking of women.

I couldn't just walk into the restaurant and start shooting. Killing innocents was not in my code, unless it was unavoidable collateral damage. I preferred to go directly after those who were screwing up my life, not potential future clients.

The restaurant was located in the heart of Marbella's Golden Mile, the most expensive area, so it was in my best interest not to make too much noise.

If Huang was behind the massacre of my men, he was going to pay with his life. First, I had to be sure, though I was 90% convinced it was the Chinese.

As soon as we stepped into the restaurant, the maître d’, a woman who could have walked any fashion runway, welcomed us.

"Good evening, do you have a reservation?"

"We're not here to eat," I clarified, more seriously than usual.

She eyed us, weighing up who we might be based on our attire. We could have passed for an eccentric rock band, or what we actually were, a gang of bloodthirsty mobsters.

The Asian woman showed discomfort upon seeing Aleksa's bare torso peeking out from under his jacket. She also didn't miss my tattoos, or the black top that barely covered my wife's breasts, over which lay a transparent shirt.

The only thing that redeemed our attire were the recognizable brand-name garments that cost thousands. A woman like her was more than accustomed to picking up on such details.

"What are you here for then?" she asked politely. "Would you like to make a reservation for later?"

"Not at all, Mei," I emphasized the name on her name tag. "We're here to accept the invitation your boss extended to my father."

She lightly touched her left ear. She must have been wearing an earpiece hidden under her straight black hair. Was this the moment they would block our way and we had no choice but to draw our weapons and start shooting? I would have been annoyed, as the restaurant was packed.

"I apologize for not recognizing you earlier, Mr. Capuleto," she paused slightly and looked at my wife, offering a nod of the head. "Mrs. Koroleva."

My wife remained serious. I raised my eyes slightly to notice that tiny red lights seamlessly integrated into the decor.

Okay, so the boss was aware of who we were and wanted us to know he was on guard.

I shifted my gaze back to her.

"Mr. Huang welcomes you to the Palace and, of course, extends the invitation he made to your father. If you would follow me."

I gestured to Aleksa to zip up his jacket; it wasn't appropriate to discomfort the diners with his abs. He zipped it up right away.

All four of us were on guard, being invited in so graciously could only mean two things: they were expecting us, or they had no idea, which would be most unsettling.

We let Mei lead us among the tables. The aroma of Chinese food was exquisite. My wife would have loved them to serve her a couple of spring rolls.

"Do you think it's a good idea to go in?" Nikita whispered in my ear as we cautiously moved forward. Aleksa and Andrey kept scanning for possible exits. "I didn't like how easily they welcomed us."

"I didn't like it either, it made me suspicious. Would you prefer to wait outside in case things go south?"

"No, I've already told you I'd accompany you, it's just that... something doesn't feel right."

"And yet it's your favorite cuisine," I joked to ease her concern. I took her hand and kissed her cold knuckles.

"We'll make it quick. Don’t stray from me."

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