Page 4 of Relentless Refuge

Somewhere in the kitchen, there is a crash followed by some swearing, and Peter looks up from his now-empty plate to wipe his face clean. Uncle Darnel seems pleased with how I’m handling things. At times, I think he feels jilted by the fact that I was given this role as leader of the Family when my father passed, but he respects me and never steers me wrong.

“I’ve seen the agreement, Marco.” Peter drops his napkin on the table and takes a swig of his wine, then continues. “You’re losing a lot of money on this. Ten percent of the profit off the top is a massive cut.”

I’m aware of the cut. We’re talking tens of thousands of dollars of our hard-earned money going to the D’Angelos, but it’s this or we lose our entire trade business.

“We’re raising prices,” I say, gesturing as if it’s nothing. “They’ll pay ten percent more for the guns or we won’t supply. We’llblame inflation or rising costs. It doesn’t matter what the excuse is. And this way, we won’t lose any money.”

Victor scowls at me but he doesn’t say a word. He still thinks we would be better off storming into our former supplier’s business and demanding the reins. I like to make calculated moves—less like Battleship, more like chess—thinking several steps ahead of my enemy. Ms. D’Angelo’s bold ideas were very much like my own, though they leave me with less control than I’d have liked. Her father maintains that control, and despite my need to hold the reins, for now, I believe he can be trusted. In the meantime, I am building redundancies and fallback plans to assure my Family stays in power.

“What are you thinking?” Darnel asks, scratching his beard. His pensive eyes study me, searching for the thoughts I hold back.

“I am thinking how the daughter of our new ally presents a unique opportunity to us.”

Victor chuckles at my statement and rolls his eyes. “You want to leverage her against her father? I can have a few of our men slip into the D’Angelo estate and bring her to you. We can get the information for the supplier without the Newark Don and save our money, and still raise prices.”

My brother’s hasty and impulsive nature grates on me, especially given the fact that I’m so meticulous with my actions. Victor is a ticking time bomb and a liability, but he’s blood. My father would roll over in his grave if I cut Victor off, so I humor him. But if he makes one wrong move, I have to do what I have to do. The Family is everything.

“No, smartass, I’m thinking we can use her ideas.” I fold my hands in front of me, and before one of them can offer a singlebreath of protest, I continue. “She listened at the door while we discussed our arrangement, and when we invited her in and listened to her perspective, she upped the ante. She’s bold and intelligent, and I believe we can use that sass to expand our empire. Her father seems to not listen to her ideas. Let’s show him why he’s a weaker man for doing so.”

Darnel scoffs and shakes his head. “A woman? Marco, have you lost your mind? This isn’t a woman’s game. She’ll be torn to shreds.”

“I’m with Darnel, Marco.” Peter finishes his wine and belches, then leans back and rubs his belly as if his rotund stomach is full to capacity. “This is a dog-eat-dog world. Women aren’t fit for leadership.”

Victor remains surprisingly silent as I continue. “Well, neither of you gets a say, anyway. I intend to invite Ms. D’Angelo to dinner to discuss her business propositions. It’s possible we can strengthen the alliance, or perhaps capitalize on her brilliance and make moves on our own, branch out.”

I think of the way she so boldly announced her own conditions for this alliance. All that untapped potential inside her has been overlooked because she has a pussy and tits. And those are two of the most powerful weapons against any man—even me. I feel my cock twitch as I remember how stunning she is too, though a little young still. But having an ally like that is a major asset and one that I won’t neglect.

“You’re cock-whipped by a child and you haven’t even fucked her,” Victor grumbles, and it pulls bellowing laughter from Darnel and Peter’s lips. The three spend a few minutes in jest, berating me for having the audacity to think a woman could add any value to our organization outside of giving me an heir.

“Enough!” I say sternly, and they fall silent immediately. “We’ll not discuss it again, and you’ll all do good to remember that openly mocking my decisions will earn you a reward you won’t soon forget.”

“Sheesh, Marco. Lighten up. She’s a flesh hole with legs. You’re not getting anything out of her except a good orgasm, but if you want to tap it, by all means, go for it. Just don’t hold your breath. This is a man’s world.” Victor pushes his chair back from the table and stands. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He reaches into his wallet, pulls out a few crisp bills, and drops them on the table, just as the bell over the door to the diner rings.

We all look up as the commotion at the front door draws the attention of everyone in the dining room. I see Warren there, pushing past the host who looks irate for being dismissed. Warren storms across the dining room, and when he gets to me, he’s slightly out of breath.

“Sir, there’s news,” he says, his chest heaving. His eyes flick about the dining room, and I see the urgency in his expression, so I rise.

“Gentlemen, I’ll be going now. Darnel, please handle the check.” I button my suit coat and step away from the table, pushing my chair in. I feel the eyes of the entire room on me and Warren as I follow him toward the front door. Victor remains on our heels as we weave through the tables.

“Apologies,” I say to the host who glares at us as we pass, and then we step into the cool night air, where only the streetlights and a rat scurrying past a trashcan keep us company. “What is it?” I use a low volume, glancing around to be certain we’re alone.

“It’s the new ally,” Warren says, sounding calmer. “He’s been gunned down in cold blood. Him and his son. They’ve been rushed to the hospital, but the son died on the way. No word whether Alberto is alive.”

Warren’s news is a blow not easily absorbed. My enemies have become the D’Angelo’s enemies and they’ve acted swiftly. They can’t get to me, so they take out everyone and everything around me, and in doing so, they’re crippling my organization. There’s no telling how the Bratva discovered my alliance, but what’s done is done.

“Who will assume power should the Don die?” Victor runs a hand through his hair, and I can see the look on his face of “I told you so.” He’ll likely suggest we use force to demand access to the supplier now.

“There is no heir, though I’m certain they have a line of succession as we do, sir.” Warren wipes sweat from his forehead. “But the supplier has cold feet now. I’ve heard from Sal D’Angelo that they may terminate our agreement.”

Sal D’Angelo—the don’s brother—may not want our alliance to continue, but I plan to do everything in my power to make it happen. Any thought of including Alberto’s daughter is gone now. We have to make very good choices and think carefully about how to move forward. If my enemy is their enemy now, they need us more than we need them. My security is so good my enemy can’t get to me, so if they can get to the D’Angelos this easily, they’re in danger.

“Move… We need to make a few calls. If the Bratva are on the move, there’s no telling where they’ll stop.”

The only thing that’s important now is securing that alliance once more. After that, I’ll toy with the idea of Isabella D’Angelo.

4

ISABELLA

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