Page 8 of Queen Of Dark Money

Well, that was a story for another time.

Thedoor down the hall swung open and clanged shut again, andIheard several voices coming down the hall entrance that led to where we sat in wait.Sureenough, seconds later, none other thanDominicZantiniandRafeWeatherstonpopped their heads in, chattering amongst themselves like old friends.Whichthey were, actually.

Dominicwas in the antiques business, primarily for imports and exports.Big-time antiques, historical artifacts.But‘antique dealer’ looked a lot less conspicuous on paper.Rafewent to college withDom’ssonTheo.Ithelped thatRafewas a lawyer at one of the biggest firms in the country, and he constantly used his pull to solve problems that arose now and again in our line of business.

Sowith a lawyer on our side, using billable hours to launder big money, a jeweler using jewels and rare metals to push dirty dough through the black market, a host of nightclubs to funnel ones and ones and ones galore into, and antiques imports and exports to move the money offshore, there was no limit to the reach theKingshad.

Speakingof–

“Ah, good, you’re all here.Makesthings easier for us.”

Inwaltzed one of the baddest motherfuckers on this side ofKhulaCity, none other thanKinghimself, the leader of the leaders,ArthurHale.Fromhis pressed suit to his slicked-back hair, everything about the man oozed old-world money.Hisair of arrogance and the condescending way he approached those he viewed as beneath him was reprehensible at best.

Butlately, he’d been changing.ThoughIcouldn’t say for certain,Isuspected it had something to do with the blonde bombshell on his arm today.

Anewcomer, but oneIwas already well-informed on.

RenataRossi, sole surviving heir of the oldest mafia family in the fucking business.Andnow, leader of said family–or what was left of it.Shesingle-handedly took down the whole hierarchy, slitting the throat of her arranged fiance,Fiero, her father, and her own brother.Somesaid she did it all from the inside as a captive, and those who survived either swore fealty to her or were executed.

Hertinkling laughter and the soft smile she wore when she stared up atKing’sstern visage were at odds with her gung-ho, murderous reputation, butI'dlearned long ago not to trust a pretty face.

Asit was my club,Istood first, offering my hand to the man as he slipped effortlessly across the room, his movements like a caged panther ready to strike at a moment’s notice.Ididn’t want to be his first meal. “King, sir, always a pleasure–”

“Dispensewith the pleasantries,Blake.It’sjust business.”

Myhand fell, butIproudly kept the saccharine smile pasted to my face asIstared him down. “Surething, boss.WhatcanIdo for you today?”

Hiswoman chuckled to herself and made a beeline to the service cart, opting to tip the bottle back and waterfall a mouthful of my best brandy into her parted lips, blonde curls cascading down her spine as she shot me a wink.IsawKingstiffen out of my peripheral and heard his low warning growl, my ass puckering immediately.

Thisbitch is nothing but trouble, apparently.

AndIhad no death wish.

“Art, why don’t you sit down and wait for the others,” she cooed playfully at him, licking the spilled liquor off her lips.“Spectreand the crew should be here any minute, and there’s no need to start a dick-measuring contest without them.I’msure poorGattwould like a chance to challenge for the title.”

Hisgrumbled assent was amusing and surprising in equal measure.I’dnever knownKingto take orders from a single soul, but here he was, pulling his woman into the cradle of his thighs to tease the skin at the base of her throat with his nose.Heinhaled her like he was suffocating and she was the air itself, his eyes unfocused as her fingers crawled up his thighs and taunted him in return.Ifit weren’t for the door opening at that moment and more voices joining our jolly little group,I’dhave bet you a fat stack that we’d get front-row seats to a pair of horny teenagers fucking in my bar.

“Aww, come on,King, you started without us!”TheplayfulItalianof the group,Gatt, sauntered up to whereKinghad posted himself at my bar.Witha practiced move, he effortlessly grabbed the girl around the waist and stole her away from his leader, like she weighed next to nothing, swinging her around to plant a sloppy kiss on her lips.Hethen gave her a little shove backward into the arms of their quiet recon man,Spectre, who held her like she might break at any moment.Soldier, their enforcer, stared at her from over the other man’s shoulders, watching–always watching, that one.Neversaid much, but when he did, it carried weight.

Thefour of them were obviously gone for this girl, this one single person who’d turned their whole world upside down and now had four heavy-hitting crime lords wrapped around her dainty little pinkie.

Whatwas so special about this girl that four men like that were willing to share her with each other?

IfIhad any desire to settle down,I’dbe damned ifI’dshare my girl with another man, let alone three.Myeyes glanced around the room asIregarded the three men closest to me in mylife–a mortal enemy, an asshole punk lawyer, and a goody-goody academic–and tried to picture us in the same situation.

Andsnorted loud enough to draw the attention of the room.Shit.

Noway in hell that would ever happen to us.

Oncethe others had settled into their seats, some with drinks in their hands, some without,Kingcleared his throat and stood, addressing the room.

“So, it’s come to our attention that someone is fucking with our business.”Hepaused—at which pointIhad to bite down the urge to scream,‘well, duh’—and then closed his eyes.Whenthey reopened, they were as cold as ice and harder than steel.Andthey inevitably foundRafe’sgaze as our de facto organizer. “Ourpredecessors were fed intel that led them to hire a band of street thugs disguised as a heist crew to take out a solid chunk of our funds.Theysucceeded, but only because they were disorganized yet somehow strangely efficient.Butnow, they work for us, and we’ve begun to track the source of this thorn in our sides.”

“Wemanaged to track a lot of the fuckery to some lower-level assholes who’d obviously been paid to cause us trouble,”Spectregrumbled, swiping his fingers across a touchpad in his other hand. “Butthe money talks, and the cash was easier to track than they expected it to be.Ifyou know where to look, that is.”Hegrinned at us like we were supposed to know what that meant.Whennobody was quick to answer or ask a question, he plowed on. “Imanaged to trace deposit amounts to specific transactions in the greater underworld, so to speak.Andwhat resulted was a trail a mile and a half long.”Hisgrin widened, andIhad to fight not to roll my eyes. “Rightto the fucking desk of the up-and-coming newDistrictAttorney’soffice.”

Allof us blinked like we were waiting for him to scream,‘AprilFools!’or some shit.Likethis was one big fat joke.Buthislack of reaction solidified the truth–it was very much a serious thing.

Stonewas first to speak, his voice steady and calm, almost as if he’d expected this. “Soyou’re telling me the justice system has started playing dirty again.”

---