Page 4 of Reckless Boss

“Maria wants you to sign this thing to be Raul’s guardian.”

My brother pulls a document from his suit pocket.

“I am already his god father,” I state. I don’t quite understand. I thought we already took care of all of this.

“This is legal stuff, so no one can legally remove him from you if anything happens to us. You know her and I both have no other family. It’s you — only you.” I wouldn’t give me my own child, but I am the only family the little boy has, so it’s better than nothing.

“Fine, let me sign it quickly, you’re going to make me late.” I scratch my name on the paper and initial all the pages. There’s no time to read through it, I have got to get going. “That good enough?” I ask and he folds it back up with a nod.

“It will keep the wife happy, yes. Thank you.” Felix loves his family and will do anything to make sure they are cared for. “Let me take her to buy a dress for this wedding,” he says, as I get myself out the door. “Travel safely, brother.” He leaves me with a pat on the back as we part ways in the corridor outside my office. I take the elevator up to the roof, and my waiting chopper. Thankfully it’s clear skies and good weather today.

***

In the dark grey-blue expanse that is international waters, I wait aboard my yacht for the Russian boat to join me. We only ever meet under the cover of darkness. I watch the sunset, bright orange as it dips below the horizon painting the sky an army of colors. The calm seas and solitude are peaceful compared to my city offices.

The skeleton crew on board keep things running. I only bring essential staff on these trips. Unlike when we cruise in the summer, and I have a full staff and deck crew on board. No one needs to know what happens on this boat, so the fewer people there are the better. As soon as the sky turns from blue to black, the Russian boat radios ahead that they’re on the way, and my crew facilitate them coming aboard then everyone but security is dismissed to their cabins below deck.

“Sal,” Aleksei greets me with a firm handshake, “good to see you.” He and his bodyguard are welcomed aboard, and we settle down with a vodka to discuss the business at hand. There is no paper trail or anything that could come back to us, we operate on handshakes and gentleman’s agreements. “I heard a rumor there’s a hit out on you,” he says once we are done concluding our deal.

“That wouldn’t surprise me, I am not a popular man.” I have stepped on many toes to get where I am. “I’m in this business to make money, not friends.”

“I like your attitude, just watch your back,” he says. I have no reason to believe I am in danger. My security is good, and I have state of the art equipment not available to anyone else. It won’t be easy to get to me. After work is done, I entertain him late into the night with food, and drink, and women. He likes women. A lot. Aleksei stays the night on my boat and before sunrise we part ways like ghost ships in the darkness.

No one any the wiser.

We’re headed for the coast when the head of my security team comes to find me below deck, the sun was getting too much.

“Sir,” he says and flips television on, “you need to see this.” I wish I hadn’t seen it the moment I do. It’s the Agliotti wedding that I was supposed to be at, and as the headline scrolls by a second time, it sinks in.

Felix and Maria Pitelli gunned down at prominent lawyer’s wedding.

Gunned down. Gunned— shot. They’re dead? Are they?

My head of security is on the phone with the team. I sit there slack jawed watching my brother get shot, over and over again. It’s easy to see it was a sniper’s bullet, two shots, one for each of them. My little nephew tumbling down to the concrete floor.God, is he okay?If I could just get myself to ask the questions, but I am stuck watching the attack on the tv and no sound comes out my mouth.

At first, I want to cry, the loss of my twin brother is a physical pain as half of me is ripped away. Then the pain is replaced with unadulterated rage, pure hateful anger.

“Who did it?” I ask when I am able to speak, and my right-hand man has ended his call.

“Zagaria, Sir,” he says to me, “they have claimed responsibility, and have sent a message they’re coming for The Kings.”

I am a King, they were coming for me, my brother was never a King.

“Is it safe to dock?” I can’t think straight. My mind is spinning like I am drunk, but I am not. They’ll still want my blood, but not if I get theirs first. “Is it safe?” I bark again, choking the words out.

“We believe it is safe, sir,” he says, “there is extra security waiting for us on the shore.”

This doesn’t sit right with me, but I am not a coward. I will not run and hide — not yet.

“Get me home and find out where my nephew is.” I am worried for his safety, he’s alone. “Where is Lorenzo?’ I ask, and he shakes his head.

“No one has that information yet, sir.” I will wait to hear from him, until then I have family matters to deal with. “We are ready to dock, and switch to the chopper,” he says to me, listening to the voices and chatter on the radio. Normally I’d change and get ready to fly. Not today, I need to get home, and there is no time to waste. The longer we take, the higher the risk, I will go as I am. “Send them a message. All of those Zagaria bastards,” I say to him as we transition to the Heli-deck. He nods, and I shove my emotions aside, and remind myself I have to have a clear head to fly myself home.

I cannot pilot and rage, one has to wait. “The baby is in the care of Elodie and Vito, until you are safely home. They will meet us at your villa.” I can breathe just a little. Elodie is a safe place for him to be. She would disembowel anyone that tried to hurt him.

“Let’s go,” I say. This is not what I had planned to go home to, none of it. It’s the longest one-hour flight I have ever taken in my life, and I thank God I am the pilot and have no time to think about the tragedy waiting for me when I land.

When I touch down at my family villa outside the city limits, where our olive orchard meets the hills, Elodie is there waiting for me. My sweet nephew asleep in her arms.