Blood & Loyalties

“Speaker. Sal and our boys are in on this, too. Calling them now.” The line went dead.

***

While I sat at the head of the table, Diego set up the speakerphone for Vino and the others. The room reminded me of the rush at Catarina’s home, only mine had a secure phone system that I’d made sure was untraceable.

After quick introductions on both ends so we knew who was listening, we cut to the chase. We hadn’t learned much. Techie was ru

“Jag!” Vino yelled on the other end, and all eyes went wide except for Rex’s and mine. I was used to this shit by now.

“Yes?” The best way to deal with Vino’s anger was to remain calm. Anything else would set him off ten times more.

“I want him,” he bit out, anger pulsating through the speaker. “Find him and bring him to me. Son, I know you will. I have no doubt, but make it fast.” His words were encouraging and demanding at the same time. He got his point across without a single indication that he was losing his shit.

“I’ll get him,” I said with conviction because I damn well would, and I would give him to Vino after I beat the living shit out of him.

“Done,” Vino a

I sat back in the plush leather chair and stared at the men in front of me, all were men I had the utmost respect for. All were men I would lay down my life for. We were doing this.

“I want everything by tonight. I want to see it all firsthand and dig through this shit. Make it all clear and concise. If you need help, have Vi

“On it.”

“Rex, no stops. Whatever you have to do, do it. I want results by tomorrow morning.” I sca

“Yes, sir,” was heard throughout the room.

“Go.”

They exited the room, leaving me.

Not only had we been searching for this asshole for the past few months, but I’d had to deal with Remeo Capella. That stupid son of a bitch was itching to get shot in the head. I gave in and gave him another small territory to push our product. It wasn’t huge, but it was enough to keep him off my ass for a while. However, he was back and pushing for more, and I didn’t have time to deal with his shit. I had bigger fish to fry, so I kept putting him off with Diego.

The drive home was short, but I needed to get away. With too much riding on me, I couldn’t lose my shit again.

Entering my home, the calm that used to envelop me wasn’t there anymore. I hated this house. Sure, it was big with six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a sprawling kitchen, and decked out electronics in the living room, but it was empty. I could hear my damn voice echo throughout the walls. Each step I took, the noise followed me. If I coughed, three seconds later, I would hear it. I normally blared music just to try to cover up the silence.

Heading to my office, I pulled out the key to my special case. My office was lined with bookshelves, most of which were covered in some sort of football memorabilia. I wasn’t a reader.

The large, cherry desk sat prominently in the middle with a large, brown leather couch and two chairs facing the desk. I normally had no meetings in here except with Dan, Brett, or Diego. Meetings were all handled at the office.

I moved to the far wall, moving a signed football from Walter Payton then inserting the key into the small slot behind it. Hearing the click of the lock, I pulled on the bookshelf, opening it wide. The walls were lined with row upon row of filing cabinets. It was great to have all the technology these days, but that shit could be traced. Nothing was one hundred percent fool proof. Instead, I kept files, each one with a name, business or topic of some sort. Only three other people knew it was there—Diego, Vino, and Sal—and that was the way it would stay.

I headed straight to the Fs, pulling out Fly

I tore into the file.

***

Banging on the door woke me from sleep. My head popped up from a hard surface, and I looked quickly around. My office.

I wiped my face, feeling dampness on my mouth, and looked at the clock. Five a.m. Shit.

“Come in,” I croaked out.

Diego marched in. “Sorry, boss. Know it’s early, but we’ve got something. Actually, Rex got it. We found him.”

Thank fuck.

Chapter 11

“YES, I CAN assure you that you will see a steep return on your investment. I am personally dedicating all my energy to making this a success.” I held the phone, listening to the man drone on and on about his two million dollar investment with Lambardoni Enterprises. Two million was a lot, but he had just signed the papers two days ago. Money, good money, didn’t come that quickly. It took time, smarts, guts, and me to make it happen.

I wouldn’t let my frustration come through on the phone, which at the moment I gripped until my knuckles were white. I knew, when he had come into the office, this would be a tough one. He had given me over half of his savings in hopes that I could save him from financial ruin, and I would. In time.

Clients like him wanted that fast buck. Their company was in dire straits, and instead of saving their money, they lived the high life until they needed more to continue their lifestyle. Didn’t we all want more? They wanted to save it, so here I was, trying to get this guy cash so he could move on his way.

Finishing the call, my professional tone had a bit of sass to it that I tried to mask, but did poorly. Who was I kidding? Everything lately had a bit more sass, anger, frustration, you name it.

I hung up and leaned my head back in my tall, black chair, allowing the soft pillow to cushion my head. I blew out a deep breath, letting the call fizzle out of my thoughts.

Looking around at my office, I noted all the accolades and awards I had displayed with honor on the walls. My degree hung above the large, black leather couch in the corner. Behind it were floor to ceiling windows that gave a great view of Rhode Island and all its glory. I chose a tan color with a hint of green for the walls. I wanted a subdued and earthy feel. I wanted people to feel comfortable in this space. After all, when you were dealing with millions of dollars, soothing clients was always a great thing. Hell, a must.

A soft knock came to the door along with the turn of the handle. Kiera peered around the door. “Knock, knock. Busy?”

I smiled at my best friend and the only one I could truly depend on as she stepped through the door. While my family was always there, I felt so damn out of the loop with everything. I didn’t know how my mom had done it for so long, never knowing what was happening. I shouldn’t care, but the older I got, the more I questioned it. How could she not know and be okay with it?

“Nope, come on in.”

She pushed the door shut then plopped down on the couch in a whoosh, kicking off her heels and then rubbing her feet on the fabric.

“What’s up?”

She laughed. “Well, for one, your birthday.”

I rolled my eyes. I was so damn sick and tired of having those things every year. You had one, and then a year later, you had another one. A