Carmine

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Storm clouds obscure the sky while I maneuver my BMW through rush hour traffic. Every intention I have is being derailed by the little thief who’s wormed her way into my life. And I can’t comprehend why the hell I was honest with her and told her I didn’t touch Gwen. Although at least I did make a date with Gwen for today in an attempt to try to fix this clusterfuck. But then, after I promised myself that I’d keep my hands off Eva, I went home and my willpower disintegrated the second she was in my proximity.

Deep down, I damn well realize that she knows me. Not the Consigliere, but the man beneath, and it terrifies me. I’ve made decisions based on feelings I couldn’t grasp. But ever since I claimed Eva and had the urge to grant her wish to be held – the wish she told me about just days ago – I can’t deny anymore that she’s gotten irrevocably under my skin. I hadn’t expected her to send my senses reeling. The lust has been sated, and yet, I crave more, which is an absolute first for me and disconcerting on a whole new level. I might come out of this alive, but not with my sanity intact.

Which is the reason I handled myself in the worst way possible by lashing out at Eva and divulging everything. And while I want to end our business with Roman, I can’t because we’re dependent on his shipping logistics, so the situation is as fucked up as ever with no solution in sight. Furthermore, I’m afraid that Adriano will expect me to date Gwen to keep our adversary even closer.

Conflicted but trying my damnedest to banish my wayward thoughts, I arrive at Club 7 just as Capo John calls me.

I pick up while I walk to Adriano’s office on the second floor. “John?”

“Carmine, I have some very interesting information for you. A Mexican cartel captain contacted me just now, informing me that he had to go to great lengths to get my number. The Mexican boss, Pelayo, has been trying to get in touch with the Syndicate for weeks.”

“Via whom?” It’s not unusual that other crime organizations want to contact the high ranking Syndicate men, but we never allow it. The only way to speak to us is to get an associate to call one of our captains, and only a few of the associates have the captains’ telephone numbers. Then the captain can relay the message to one of us. We have elaborate lines of communication set up, which I have crossed by working personally with a mere soldier to protect Eva and myself.

“They tried to get my number from our associate, Roman, who refused to give it, actually, so they got it from another associate. This, of course, piqued my interest. I got the sense that Pelayo has pretty important intel for Adriano. The captain even provided a number where Adriano can contact Pelayo directly.” Upon hearing this, my curiosity grows too.

I burst through Adriano’s door, and he and Luca, who are standing behind the desk, look up as I say to John, “Text me Pelayo’s number and I’ll discuss it with Adriano.” Then I cut the call and inform them, “The Mexican cartel boss wants to talk to us as soon as possible. He didn’t even want to wait for a meet; he gave John a number.”

“Why?” Adriano demands, taking his seat as Luca straightens when I stop opposite them.

“Pelayo’s captain told John that the Mexicans have been wanting to get in touch with us through Roman, but he blocked it. Let’s call Pelayo,” I advise, needing to know what info he has ASAP.

Adriano mulls it over for a second before he commands, “Give me the number.” I show him the number John just texted me as he picks up the receiver from the phone on his desk, and he dials it before putting the device on speakerphone.

“Hello?” Pelayo answers.

“You requested a call,” Adriano speaks, leaning forward.

“Who am I talking to?”

“The highest rank.”

“Can I say the name?”

Adriano rears back and raises both brows at me, pleased with Pelayo’s meticulousness. “Yes, this is a secure line.”

“Adriano?”

“Indeed. Pelayo, I presume?” Adriano replies.

“Yes,” he responds, and his tone becomes less guarded. “Good morning. I’m glad to finally speak to you. I told Roman four weeks ago that I have a new means for importing certain goods, which would benefit Roman and the Chicago Syndicate, but he claims that the Syndicate isn’t interested. However, if Roman did convey what I told him, I can’t for the life of me think of a reason why you wouldn’t want to discuss it further?”

We glance at each other, and Adriano clenches his jaw for a moment. “Roman has not once mentioned your offer.”

“Hmmm, I got a feeling he was lying to me, although I informed him that I’m not his competitor and that we could work together...Roman’s lost my trust and is now on the Mexican’s blacklist. I do not want a war with the Syndicate, but I can’t let this slide. Roman will no longer receive any help from me, and if I get the chance to ruin his business, I will since he’s proven we can’t work beside each other. He’s obstructing the opportunity for both of us to grow. And I hope that, as the boss of Chicago’s largest crime organization, you can understand my position.”

This all works in our favor, and Adriano certainly recognizes it, so he responds, “I do understand. And I’m willing to listen to your offer. We can meet Saturday. Club 7 at eight p.m.”

It’s better to meet in the club when the place is packed and faces won’t be recognized in the masses.

“I’ll be there with my underboss,” Pelayo agrees and hangs up immediately.

Adriano remarks, “Well, this is some fucking luck. If Pelayo has a new importing business for our drugs, we can ditch Roman and let Pelayo handle him.”

Luca shakes his head. “This isn’t sitting well with me. What’s Roman’s problem with us?”

“I’m not sure he has a problem with us,” Adriano muses aloud. “Maybe it’s about Carmine.” He looks at me as he adds, “He wanted you at the party, or Gwen did, they claim, and the escort and Gwen were targeting you.”

No! Eva isn’t involved, I’m positive, but if I were an outsider, I wouldn’t believe it. It took me some time to accept that she was innocent and just happened to get caught up in this situation.

Though Adriano concludes, “If Pelayo can put an end to all my troubles, I’d be happy to work with him and even assist him in destroying Roman’s business. Roman shouldn’t have fucked with us in the first place. At this point, I don’t even fucking care about his motives, nor do I need information from his sister now.”

Furtively, I let out a sigh. This means I can keep everything with Eva under wraps. It means I just got three extra days with her. And because I’ve crossed every line with her, it settles the tormented man inside me.

Adriano suddenly rises and instructs me, “You can come with us up north. We need to check the stash at the warehouse. Forget about focusing on Gwen; we might be rid of them after Saturday.”

“Couldn’t you have said this before I made a date with Gwen tonight?” I pipe in.

He grins. “Just blow her off. But be nice. After Saturday, you can, hopefully, ignore her.”

“Fine.” I follow him and Luca out.

For the first time in weeks, I can conduct business with my boss and underboss without any underlying distress, other than a great deal of building desire for Eva, accompanied by a twinge of shame about how I handled her.

Unluckily, business keeps me away until the wee hours of the morning, and it’s five a.m. when I turn my key in the lock of my front door, stepping inside my dark apartment with the black curtains drawn closed.

I descend the stairway to my bedroom, expecting to find Eva asleep in my bed, but much to my chagrin, she’s not. My bed is empty and the sheets are untouched.

Hurriedly, I glance around to discover that her clothes and tote bag are missing as well, so I roar, “She fucking left!”

A myriad of sensations including shock and fury blaze through me, but to my utmost amazement, those are shadowed by an emotion that’s virtually unknown to me – something similar to despair.