Page 62 of Princess's Revenge

Joshua de Soto has been champing at the bit…eager to see how things will play out, but we’ve said nothing. Don Cassaduchi has been holding him back.They’re waiting for us to make the first move.

Getting ready has been a long process. Anthony told me you rule not just by giving orders, you rule by strength. You can’t ask someone to do something you aren’t willing to do—or haven’t already done—yourself.

To that end, I’ve been getting a crash course in several aspects of combat, business and economics. The brothers have been my tutors.

Every morning, I run four miles before breakfast, then I spend time learning about our illegal enterprises—illegal by the government’s definition…not ours.

I train in hand to hand, fencing, archery, pistols, knives and everything else my capos come up with. I’ve come to favor Katanas in particular—There’s just something about Japanese steel.

It’s a grueling schedule, but all worth it because I always have someone to warm my bed and I never go to sleep hungry.

What queen can say she has three men who fuck like kings and satisfy her every need?

It’s hard to put the whole thing into words. It’s not aconventionalarrangement by any means…but what about any of this is conventional?

I’ve never had so much—and suchgreat—sex in all my life!

I can have my pick of Anthony, Christopher or Francis anywayI want and anytimeI want.

Being the boss certainly has its perks!

It’s a great stress reliever to be supplied with a constant stream of orgasms because,you know…all work and no play…

Stress relief has definitely been vital because today is a very important day—We’ve been working toward it since that breakfast in the garden one month ago.

Today…we’re having asit-down.We’re in the car headed there right now.

Vincenzo reached out to the third family in New York—The Torrio family—and they’ve been kind enough to host a meeting between us and the Cassaduchis on neutral ground.

This is the way it has to be, because if we’d called asit-downand gone to the Cassaduchis one on one, there’d be no guarantee that we’d walk out of the meeting alive.

They sure as hell weren’t going to come to us after what happened atBuono Fortuna, because in their minds, we’re the ones who needed to make things right with them, not the other way around.

The Torrios are on good terms with us and the Cassaduchis because they’re the youngest of the families and none of their businesses intersect with either of ours.

Anthony told me that the Torrios will search everyone as they enter the building to make sure no one has any weapons. They’ll provide refreshments and armed guards as well.

I asked why we shouldn’t be afraid that they’ll kill both us and the Cassaduchis and take all of New York for themselves…to which Anthony said, “That’s why Chrissy and Francis are staying home.”

It made sense.

They’d have their own war and be fighting on two fronts.That’s not good for health.

It’s late at night and there’s no moon. We get to what looks like an isolated, abandoned factory somewhere on Long Island and I turn to Anthony in the confines of the Escalade, “Someone could empty six AK-47s into us right now and no one would hear a thing.”

“It’s to avoid the feds,” he strokes my thigh, “that’s why the Torrios only gave us the location an hour ago. No one has time to scout it out in advance—not us, the cops, the feds or the Cassaduchis.”

I look at Vincenzo and he gives me a nod.

A metal roller door opens in front of us. When it’s halfway up, I see that it’s being hoisted by a big goombah I don’t know. Chrissy taught me that word—Goombah.It’s an associate member of a criminal gang.

When the door is all the way up, he salutes us and our driver/bodyguard takes us in. His name is Phil. In the passenger seat is another bit of muscle named Bobby.

I see another two cars parked ahead of us. Phil maneuvers us all the way to the left so we’re all parked next to each other.

I nudge Anthony to get out of the car, but he squeezes my hand and whispers, “They’ll come to us.”

We unlock the doors and wait. Seconds later, the goombah opens the door and Anthony greets him, “Al.”

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