Page 19 of Dangerous King
I'm still trying to figure out Marcello's angle. What's in it for him? Or is this truly just a favor? One capo's son aiding another? I'm as much of a stranger to him as he is to me and the others.
"Understood," I answer him. "See you around, Marcello."
I end the call before he can reply; my mind is caught in a whirlwind of questions. In our world, kindness always carries a price. I stare at the phone in my hand, unsure whether I just gained an ally or gave a viper the scent of blood.
Both German Shepherds look at me expectantly. "Alright, boys, let's go."
I have to cut this run short today, but the dogs don't seem to mind as they follow me back to the manor, tails wagging, tongues lolling. Dexter, the more adventurous one, once again makes a break into the bushes, preferring to watch my back from the sidelines, hidden in the underbrush.
Not much later, we arrive at the kennels, to the sound of loud barking. Julio, the kennel master, is just about to get breakfast ready for them.
"How's Lolita?" I ask when he emerges from the converted barn.
"Jesus Christ, boss." He takes a clumsy step backward. "You about gave me a fucking heart attack."
A metal prosthesis replaces his left leg, right below his knee. He lost it courtesy of a bullet in a shootout a few years back. He'll never get back to active duty, but he's excellent with the dogs,and I'm more than happy to provide him with a job. He was a soldier, and we take care of our own.
"What did I say about cursing around the pups?" I mock-shake my head at him.
A baker's dozen of eleven-week-old puppies are right on his trail. Their mother, Lolita, is not far behind.
"Hey girl," I lower myself to my knees, and she comes as fast as her limp allows her. While giving birth, her pelvic bone suffered some damage. The vet warned me that this second litter should be her last. It's a shame; she's a beautiful girl, affectionate enough to make her puppies perfect for families.
She bumps her snout into me before nuzzling my shorts. "Yeah, I know. You're a good girl."
"She seems a bit better this morning," Julio fills me in.
"Good. Have the vet sterilize her as soon as her body is ready. I don't want to chance her having an accidental litter." The dogs are mostly supervised, but accidental pregnancies happen. More so because I don't believe in keeping the dogs kenneled all day. My pups are free to roam the property and live their lives as happily as possible when they're not in season. The added security is just another bonus.
Now and then, one of my guards gets bitten, but that's on them for not spending enough time with the dogs to get to know them. Lessons are usually learned the hard way.
I pet Lolita on the head and rise before her brood can fully assault me, noticing Silvano waving at me from the terrace. Boris tries to trail behind me, but I wave him back. With a small whine, he turns back around to bug Julio for breakfast.
"What's up?" I ask when I reach my second.
"One of our girls got the shit beat out of her last night at the Valente."
My jaw clenches. The Valente is one of my exclusive hotels; it runs an underground casino for the elite.
"Who?"
"Barbie," Silvano informs me. One of our dancers slash entertainers. I hire pretty girls to dance, deal cards, and serve drinks; some make extra cash byentertainingthe clients in other ways, but I have nothing to do with that side. The Giordanos run prostitution in our organization, and I'm not about to step on their toes. Well, Iwasn't, not until last night. Not until I burned Giovanni's home down.
"Do we have the man who beat her up?"
Silvano's face scrunches up. "That's where it gets complicated, it's Senator Preston Kingsley."
My spine stiffens. "Fucking hell."
The name hits like a thrown knife. Kingsley.
The same senator who is making headlines this week for the bill he's about to push through, a landmark legislation targeting human trafficking, forced prostitution, and child exploitation. It's a bomb aimed directly at the underbelly of our world. And if it passes, the fallout will be nuclear.
Not just for the Giordanos, who practically built their empire on flesh. But for the entireLa Famigli,as well asfor the Russians, the Venezuelans, the Ukrainians, anybody who has their fingers in the dark belly of the underworld. No more looking the otherway. No more gray areas. No more plausible deniability. The bill will bury any family that hasn't already started shifting its business into cleaner streams.
I've been moving my pieces for a while. I want out of the shit. I want legitimate wealth, clean investments, luxury real estate, and cyber infrastructure. But the others? They're still addicted to the blood-money. And if this bill passes, they'll have a choice: adapt or go down in flames.
And Kingsley? The bastard writing it?
