Page 65 of Luciano (Belles & Mobsters 1)

“Is he coming with the shipment?”

Upon his nod, we all loaded into our vehicles. I sent Roberto to go check on the status of our runners that cleaned money through my casinos in Atlantic city. I had several guards at the house watching over the women and Matteo along with my father.

Massimo was with me and he was currently outside. He had some shit to take care of with the technology he upgraded at the compound along with every business I owned. Massimo is one of the rare men I trusted implicitly. If he changed anything about our security, I never questioned him.

We all loaded into multiple cars. Cassio, Luca, Raphael, and I each had three men with us, along with two vehicles each. That way, if we were attacked, it was harder to get to us.

We took the route of the Brooklyn Bridge. I remembered the first date I took Grace to. I told her we would dine at a restaurant in the city. Her first request was whether we could take the Brooklyn Bridge route. It was her favorite way into the city. I was suspicious of her request and had taken five vehicles and extra men along with me. But the moment the car drove onto the bridge, she straightened up and stared out the window, the whole world forgotten. She loved to look over the river. A month into our wedding, I finally asked her what was so special about it. It was always the same view.

Her smile as she turned those beautiful violet eyes to meet my gaze shone on her face.

“My parents met on the bridge when they were kids,” she admitted. “Makes me remember.”

I didn’t ask her to elaborate, but I should have. Maybe I would have learned a thing or two about my wife. The bloodthirsty need to avenge my mother’s and sister’s deaths, and fighting the attraction I felt for my wife, ate at me back then. I made a lot of mistakes when it came to her, and I intended not to repeat them. She’d give us a fresh start, a chance. She had to; I wouldn’t take her refusal. It would be Matteo, my wife, and me.

Another ten minutes and we pulled up to the port I owned in Jersey.

This was good. No incidents, no trouble.

“I think we got it all,” Raphael’s brother-in-law, Sasha Nikolaev, spoke up. “We got them while still on the boat, before they were able to dock. At least I was able to use my new sniper rifle. I left you one guy to play with,” he smirked. His pale hair and pale blue eyes made him look very much like his oldest brother. Except Sasha’s temper was more off the hook than Vasili’s.

“Thanks, man.” I pat him on the back. “We owe you and Raphael.”

“Just put it on the tab, pretty boy,” Raphael’s voice taunted from the back.

It was my turn to flip him the bird.

“Okay, I’m out,” Sasha chimed in, flipping us both a middle finger. “I got somepersonalbusiness to attend to.”

No doubt that meant there was a target on his list. Sasha and his half-brother, Alexei Nikolaev, were two of the best enforcers.

We all strode into the warehouse. All Cassio’s products were already offloaded and ready to go.

“I have two more men heading this way so we can move the product,” Cassio explained. None of us held on to our product long, especially not in one place. When Benito King was after it, we moved it even faster. Regardless that this was a setup shipment for Alphonso, we operated in the same capacity. Not to mention that Alphonso and Benito tried to fuck us over, many times over the years.

The man sat tied up to a chair, his wide eyes darting between us all. He was probably trying to decipher the weakest one of us to the strongest. He’d not have much success. He got himself into a pile of shit, probably wishing he was dead right now.

The four of us stood in front of him, all our suits impeccable. “Fuck, I really didn’t dress for the occasion,” Raphael muttered. “I love this suit.”

“Dude, you look like you are a virgin,” Luca joked. “Who wears a white suit?”

“All the badasses.” Raphael reached under his blazer and pulled a gun out. “Can we just shoot him so I can keep my suit white? Or did you have something else in mind?”

This was how we played with the fuckers.

I shrugged. “I was thinking maybe we start with pulling his teeth, with a set of pliers. There is one set around here, I'm sure.” I pretended to look around, as if I was seriously searching for the tool. I turned my head at Luca. “Hey, you have a knife. Can you just start with an eyeball?”

A whimper had all of us directing attention to our guest. “What was that, fucker?” I taunted. “You’d like us to start with an eyeball?”

“N-no.”

I yawned, pretending boredom. “Gentlemen, we have to speed this up. I got a date later today.”

“Let’s start with a finger,” Luca suggested, as he threw his knife up into the air and caught it easily.

Massimo stepped behind the guy and held his hand out, gripping it tight. “Better not get his shit on me,” he warned, grinning devilish. Massimo was just as fucking crazy as I was. “My girl and I are having dinner at a fancy restaurant.”

“Look at you two fuckers,” Cassio groaned. “Can you stop bragging about your love lives?”

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