Three

 

 

Giovanni

I valet park my car and walk to the restaurant inside one of the hotels my family owns here in Vegas, immediately spotting my family at the back table that is permanently reserved for us.

“Oh, Giovanni, how is it we live in the same town, yet I feel like I never see you.” My mother, Claudia Valentino, is a beautiful Italian woman, especially for her age at fifty. With shoulder length brown hair, dyed to keep her true age a mystery, steely matching brown eyes with thick fake lashes, and make up drawn on to hide any flaw one would find to be natural at her age, my mom looks like a woman who has been bred from luxury. She hides her true story well.

She is also the most suffocating mother you will ever meet. She has taken the void from her marriage and used her three sons to fill it. Not a day goes by that I don’t receive several calls and messages from my mom attempting to meddle in my life.

Grabbing my biceps, she leans in and gives me a motherly kiss on my cheek then wipes off her lipstick. “I’m sorry, Momma. I’ve been busy with work.”

“That’s no excuse to go weeks without visiting your mother, son.” My father pulls me in for a hug, patting me on my back before we sit down at the table. It is then, I notice there are three empty seats. “Who’s joining us?” I motion toward the empty chairs, annoyed. I don’t like surprises.

“Your brother, Cecilia, and Stefan.” I groan on the inside. My mother does this shit every few months. Calls for a family lunch where she tries to play matchmaker with Cecilia and me. I have told her a million times it’s not happening but she refuses to listen. Typical Italian woman, stubborn as hell.

My brother, Nico, arrives next followed by Cecilia and her father. After we all say hello, we order drinks and appetizers from the waiter. He looks scared and I don’t recognize him.

“New waiter?” I nod toward the man currently tripping over his own feet.

“Yes, but I’m not sure if he is going to work out, though. He’s the son of Giuseppe.” Giuseppe is a business associate of dad’s in Italy. His son must have moved here and needed a job.

“So, I hear the senator is giving you some issues.” Stefan gets straight to business. My mother frowns but doesn’t say a word.

“He hurt one of my girls, again. I will be collecting the debt he owes in full at the end of the month. I’m done doing business with him.” My blood starts boiling remembering what he did a couple weeks ago to Natalie.

“That’s understandable. Just make sure you keep it civil. With him running for another term as senator, we don’t want any trouble.”

“Understood,” I bite out too harshly, even to my own ears.

While my father is reckless, Stefan is level headed. He is always looking out for the organization’s best interests. My father trusts him with his life, and as a result, so does everyone in my family. Any time we aren’t sure what decision to make, we go to Stefan. His daughter, on the other hand, is the opposite of level headed. Cecilia is cut throat when she wants something. She doesn’t think about the consequences of her actions. She’s so used to her dad cleaning up her messes, she knows nothing about ramifications of one’s actions in the real world. She comes across as pure and innocent in front of her father. All she has to do is bat her fake eyelashes and he does everything in his power to make sure she gets what she wants. If the man knew I was banging his daughter with no intention of putting a ring on her finger, he might not be so levelheaded.

Stefan continues. “He’s been falling behind in the polls. Ever since his wife passed away, he’s been known to have some anger issues, even slipped a few times in public.”

“His anger issues are now irrelevant,” I quip already over this conversation.

“Doesn’t he have a stepdaughter?” Nico joins the conversation. “I saw some pictures of her a while back. She’s smoking fucking hot.”

“Nico,” our mom scolds him, “Watch your language.”

“I don’t give a fuck about his personal life or his hot daughter. As long as he pays me back every goddamn last penny he owes me, his business is his business.”

“Giovanni,” my mom chides at the use of my language.

“I read she went missing,” Nico adds.

“Yes, right after her mother died. The press questioned the senator but he asked for his personal life to remain private, saying his stepdaughter needed to grieve,” Stefan informs us. As much of an asshole as Hightower is, it wouldn’t surprise me if that girl ran for the fucking hills. All this talk about Hightower makes me realize I haven’t heard from him since the day he ran out of my club with his balls in his hands.

My mom cuts in, changing the subject. “I am thinking of doing a family vacation this summer. Maybe May or June, all of us in Atlantis.” She smiles excitedly.

My father nods and smiles. “Anything you want, Claudia.” You would think the way he treats her, she hangs the moon. But if so, then why does he seek pussy elsewhere?

“That sounds good, Mom. Just let me know when.”

“Yeah, a trip to the Bahamas sounds good. Maybe Mario can join us.” Nico pulls out his phone, most likely to text our brother.

“Cecilia, would you be able to go?” Real subtle mom…

“I think so. As long as Giovanni doesn’t mind me taking off at the same time as him.” Cecilia bats her eyelashes at me and Nico chuckles under his breath. I give him a pointed look telling him silently to shut the fuck up.

Thankfully, the topic of conversation switches back to work. “I heard from Don you lent one of his girl’s money.” My dad gives me an appreciative smile.

“Yeah, as a personal favor toward him. If she doesn’t pay me back on time, he’ll owe me the money… or she can work at the club to pay it off. She would definitely be a money maker.”

I see Cecilia straighten up and I know I hit a nerve. If it was up to her, there would be no club. She detests the thought of all these women taking attention away from her. I’ve never admitted it, but I haven’t fucked any of the women who work for me. I’d rather her assume I do. If I’m not fucking her, I usually just pick up a woman at one of our hotel bars or clubs. It’s just easier that way. My father taught me a long time ago, not to shit where you eat. Fucking the women who work for me would only create an unnecessary shit storm. And yes, I’m aware I’m fucking Cecilia who works for me, but that shit started before she worked for me, and trust me when I say, I’ve learned my lesson.

“I appreciate you doing him that favor. I know it’s not your usual modus operandi.” He reaches over and gives me a squeeze on my shoulder. “The bordello is bringing in good money, Son. Nico and I were going over the books recently and I am pleased with the way things are going. The hotels, restaurants, and casinos are all thriving. The economy is improving and we are in the black. My only concern is with the Lorenzo family in New Jersey. Mario has been having some issues with shipments going through.” He lets out an exhausted sigh. “Last thing I heard, they are wanting to buy back the waterfront property they lost and it’s been rumored they are going to try to stop the shipments from coming in. I might need you to go to New Jersey soon. I have some important shipments that will need to get through without issue and I can’t take a chance.”

“Whatever you need, Dad.” And that’s the truth, I would do anything for my family. You don’t get to where we are by not remaining loyal to those in your circle.

“Gratzie, my boy.”

After lunch is over, we all go our separate ways. Cecilia asks if I would like to take a cab back with her, but I have other things to take care of, so I tell her I will see her back at the club later.

Half an hour later, I’m standing in the senator’s office. “I need to speak with the senator.”

“I’m sorry, Sir. He’s not seeing anyone without an appointment.”

I smile and give her a wink. “Let him know Giovanni Valentino is here to see him. He will make the exception.”

She picks up the phone and calls her boss. After a bunch of “yes sir’s,” she puts the phone down, and giving me a pointed look, huffs out, “He will be with you momentarily.”

I smile and walk toward the sitting area. There are a bunch of pictures along the walls. A couple of him at ribbon ceremonies, one of him shaking an old President’s hand. The last one looks like a family picture at a charity event. There are two women with Weston. The woman to his right is beaming brightly but it looks fake as hell. She is pretty for an older woman. She is clearly younger than Weston but older than the other woman in the picture, who is standing on Weston’s other side. This girl is a mini-version of the older woman. She has chocolate brown hair, olive skin, and bright bluish-green eyes. She must be her daughter.

“Such a shame.” I turn to face the secretary giving her my attention. “His wife. She was killed in a car accident… well geez, it must have been almost nine months ago. Time sure flies.” She frowns.

“The girl in the picture? Is that their daughter?” I point to the one I was just examining.

“That’s his stepdaughter. I guess it’s a shame about her as well. After her mom died, she dropped out of college at the end of her sophomore year and took off.” Hmm… guess she’s not missing.

“Thank you, Margaret.” Weston’s voice is clipped. Cold. Not like a man who lost his wife tragically and it hurts to hear about her. More like a man who is hiding something. I tilt my head just a tad and give him a knowing smirk. I see you Weston Hightower. Game on. Extending my hand, I go in for a shake just to fuck with him. He takes my hand in his, his fingers bandaged.

“What happened to your hand, Senator? Looks bad.” He pulls his hand back without answering my question and mutters to his secretary to hold all his calls. The office door closes behind us and I cut right to the chase. “I haven’t heard from you. I’m assuming you are busy collecting my money from God knows where.”

“I need some more time. Give me two months.”

“You have two weeks to pay me in full. I want a percentage now, though…”

His one good hand balls into a fist at his side. He’s used to being the one in charge and he’s holding back from going off on me. He stalks to his desk and opens the safe hidden underneath, taking out a stack of bills.

“This is all I have right now.” I take the two stacks of wrapped hundreds and place one into each of the inside of my jacket pockets.

“I’ll take this, for now. But you owe me the rest in the next two weeks. Don’t make me have to look for you, Hightower.” He grimaces but keeps his mouth closed. Wise choice, Senator.