37. 2nd Epilogue
Chapter thirty-seven
2nd Epilogue
Eighteen Months Later. Los Angeles, California.
W alking into the Scogmiligio Mansion I look over my shoulder, ensuring that Gustavo is close by. I only came with one security guard for this meeting between me, Joaquin, and Lucien Scogmiligio. My hackles rise, seeing the place crawling in security. Everyone is on edge, including Joaquin who walks next to me with his brow low. His shoulders are rigid, betraying how uncomfortable he is.
It's been a solid year of him trying to negotiate the terms of their contract. The agreement they'd settled on in order to ally and free Isobel from her father. However, every time Joaquin has reached out to fulfill his end of the bargain, Lucien has effectively shut down any and all communication. Putting the favor he owes him off to the side. And after a year and a half of this, it's frazzled every nerve ending we have between the two of us.
It's been hell waiting for the other shoe to drop, and the only reason it's ending is because I personally reached out to request a meeting with the two of them.
I honestly thought it'd be a long shot, but my request was accepted and a meeting put on the books.
I walk into the room first, seeing Lucien at his desk, bent over a spread of documents. Two armed security guards flanking the wall behind him, as well as one on each of the other three walls. He doesn't even look up as we come into the room, continuing to scrawl his signature on page after page. "Have a seat."
I sit in the leather seat across from him and cross an ankle over my knee. I wait patiently, not giving any hint that I'm annoyed, or put off by his dismissal of us. When he looks up I reach out my hand and he takes it in a firm grip. His brown eyes meet mine, and despite my best efforts my brow arches at the blatant arrogance that oddly rivals my own, and the sure confidence within its depths speaks of a life well lived.
"Lucien," I say, releasing his hand. "Nice to see you again."
"You may call me Luca," he says as he sits back heavily in his office chair. "I can't stand the name Lucien. I frankly don't know what the fuck my parent's were on when they named me." Leaning over the documents again he signs a piece of paper, throws his pen down, hands a stack of paper to a guard who walks off, and then sits back in his chair pinning me with a look. "How's your wife?"
Right to it then.
"Well, thank you."
I stiffen as Luca's eyes go to Joaquins who dips his head in a respectful nod. "Mr. Scogmiligio."
"Mr. Balducci."
I wait for pleasantries, but there are none. Luca's eyes go back to mine and he just sits there, staring. Understanding hits that I'm to be the one who starts this off, considering I requested this meeting. The fact that he doesn't fill the space with useless chatter or filler words, not even small talk isn't lost on me.
From what I can deduce so far, this is a stern man who suffers no ignorant fools. His energy is commanding, oppressive even.
Sitting forward in my seat, I clasp my hands between my knees and level him with a stare. "It's been over a year, Luca. I don't appreciate walking around my life on eggshells, waiting for you to cash in on your favor. Respectfully, I'd appreciate it if you'd tell me what you expect, and then be done with it."
Something akin to respect glints in his eyes as a curve tips his mouth and he flips his gaze from mine to Joaquin then back again.
Joaquin clears his throat, sitting forward as well. "If the arrangements of our agreement are not to your liking-"
"I don't want you," Lucien says in a curt, matter of fact tone giving Joaquin a scathing look. The hair on the back on my neck stands up as little warning bells go off. His eyes turn back to mine. "I want access to the King family. Plain and simple."
Shit. My eyes narrow as I take a deep breath to calm myself. The approach I take with my brother won't be tolerated here, and I need to tread carefully.
'How so?"
"Well, seeing as I was denied a wife-"
"There's no eligible, or of age women in my family, Luca," I clip, interrupting him.
Luca's head tilts, and the room falls into an eerie hush. He looks over at a security guard to his right and chuckles before turning his eyes back to his. He leans forward, placing his elbows on the table and steepling his fingers together.
"I've seen how valuable your brother is to King Dynasty. He's pulling record numbers, unheard of financial gains for your business, and well… I find myself in need of a person who possesses that kind of talent. I need access to your family, Hendrix. This is the price you will pay for me saving your wife and your daughter."
My stomach drops. Fuck.
"Luca, I-"
"It's Mr. Scogmiligio," Luca says in a warning tone, effectively placing me back in line. The line that tells me that I owe him. Anger rises swift, because I'm not one to be jerked around. Mafia or no mafia.
"Don't fuck with me. You will not give me a privilege to turn around and take it back because it makes your dick hard," I breathe, feeling heat crawl up my neck. In my peripheral I see Joaquin turn his head to look at me out the corner of his eye, but he stays silent. "I don't care what the hell I owe you, or who you are. I'm not to be played with, Luca."
The air becomes so tense that I almost choke on it as amusement flits his features before settling into an impassive expression.
Joaquin speaks up, his mouth in a thin line. "Mr. Scogmiligio, you don't have to involve him. I will marry whoever you need-"
"I don't need a wife. I need civilian influence. I need status. Things you cannot give me." He points a finger at me. "But he can."
The breath stills in my lungs as all the men train their guns on Joaquin. "Enough!" I shout, clenching my hand into a fist, trying to still the trembling.
Luca grunts. "I see the King in King Dynasty holds up quite well," He turns dismissively back to his papers. "If you want your friend to walk out of here alive, then you will assure me your brother's cooperation within my ranks as my financial advisor. I need to solidify my businesses in and outside of the mafia, and I need your brother to do it. End of."
The blood drains from my face. "Luca, take me. I'll do whatever you want-"
His eyes raise to mine in a lazy, unhurried movement. "I need your brother, Hendrix. Not you."
I scrub a hand across my mouth as my mind races to find a way out of this.
"And if he doesn't deliver, I'll take Melody."
Aw fuck. It's the final nail in the coffin.
Firmly seeing there's no way out of this, I take a deep breath. "On one condition," I say, standing up.
As far as I'm concerned this meeting's fucking over.
Luca's brow arches as he snorts. "You've got quite the pair of balls, my friend." He holds up a hand to the guard behind him, who's moved his gun to point at me instead of Joaquin. "Why are you so trigger happy, Blane? Calm down." He turns back to me and nods. "I'm willing to hear it."
His man turns his gun back to Joaquin and I place my hand on Luca's desk, leaning into his space. "He stays in New York. He does all business from the outside looking in. I don't want him on the inside at all."
"Well, he's gotta be on the inside a little bit, my friend." Luca gives me a wry grin.
"You know what the fuck I mean," I growl. "Keep him far away from the going ons of whatever the fuck you all involve yourselves in. If he's to be a financial advisor, then that's it. The first time I get a phone call that Mason's been shot or targeted by your opposition, I will systematically dismantle you to pieces and rip your head off myself."
I'm only part way bluffing that I can. I just have to be willing to bet that Frank's got the power to help make that a possibility if needed.
He frowns. "You got a deal, my friend. He can stay in New York."
"And the rest of it?" I grit out.
He heaves a deep sigh. "The rest of it will be up to Mason. If he wants to involve himself, I will not stop him."
I nod, turning and stepping around the chair dismissively. "Let's go, Joaquin."
"We're not done, Hendrix King," Luca calls after me, but I keep walking, not even sparing him a backwards glance. Leaving him chuckling behind me.
Back in New York I part ways with Joaquin and have my driver take me straight to Mason's new penthouse. I stare stoically at the deep blue paint of his foyer, turning to face him when the door opens. He's got a pair of sweatpants on, no shirt, and is barefoot with a perpetually pissed off look on his face.
"What do you want, Henny? It's eleven o'clock at night, we have to work tomorrow."
Walking past him, I cross the threshold and run smack dab into the smell of bleach. I scrunch my nose, seeing the mop and bleach water off to the side. "Are you cleaning?"
He shrugs a shoulder. "Yeah. What about it?"
My brow furrows. "You don't have someone who does that for you?"
"No," he scoffs, folding his arms, he rolls his eyes on a long suffering sigh. "What's the problem, now? You got an issue with my lack of staff?"
Looking away, I put a hand to my nape and squeeze, asking God to give me patience and strength. "Lucien Scogmiligio's favor was called in today."
Mason arches a brow, getting an uncomfortable look on his face. "Oh yeah? What'd he want?"
I pin him with a look, wondering if this is the last time I'm going to see my brother as the person I've worked so hard to keep him as; innocent, above board, untouched by the nastiness of the world. Even though a grown adult stands before me, I alway see him as that full faced, curious eyed child that my parents brought home when I was twelve years old.
The vow I made to him when he was just a baby echoes in my head. That I would always be here for him. I would always love him. And I would never hesitate to protect him. Even if most of those times have been protecting him from himself.
"You," I say in a choked voice, feeling my face heat up as my heart shatters just as my vow does.