Chapter 14
CHAPTER 14
H avros
Business.
It always took precedence. I couldn’t remember the last vacation I’d been on. Meetings in Paris and Milan didn’t count. I’d been on a plane or in a meeting the entire time, barely allowing myself time for dinner. Maybe it was time to get away.
Or perhaps the mundane act of elimination was leaving a bad taste in my mouth. The need for revenge was felt by every Nomikos family member, but it was time to let sleeping dogs lie.
Or in this case, allow the bastards to live. Eventually our actions could cause serious consequences. If I tried telling Dimitrios anything of that nature, he’d bite my head off. I chuckled softly to myself as I sat back in the leather seat. Another thing that was getting on my nerves was being driven like some prince. I preferred handling one of my three vehicles I owned the way I saw fit.
Maybe I’d treat myself and purchase an American-made Harley. I bet that would entice the little journalist. I continued scrolling another article I’d found under her name, finding myself smiling with pride. It was an early attempt to pen a stark account of activities in the Mexican Cartel. I was surprised her editor had allowed the article to be released. Many journalists had suddenly disappeared after writing a scathing and apparently inside look at the organization.
However, I couldn’t deny that Kara knew her shit. That was why I needed to be more careful what information I provided. Even though she could be implicit, her way with words easily led readers to understand the truth between the lines.
Brilliant.
Beautiful.
Beguiling.
Eventually, she’d get herself killed.
Not on my watch.
“Why are we doing this in the morning?” Jonas asked as he climbed into the front seat of the SUV. “We could do this shit at night.”
Tobias was driving, the younger man still green around the edges, but with Jonas as his mentor, he would make a damn good security man one day. Or perhaps I should say killing machine.
That’s the way I felt now, not that I objected to handling the business required. Leandro’s death had nearly pulled our mother into a depression she’d been unable to get out of. At least with Willow coming into the family, she’d provided support during a time when the male members of the Nomikos family were actively hunting.
“Stop complaining. It’s a beautiful day,” Tobias barked at him.
I checked my emails, only half listening as they bantered.
“I haven’t had my fucking coffee yet,” Jonas growled. “I can’t function without coffee.”
“Then you were smart to bring a cup with you.” Tobias headed out, his eyes peering at me from the rearview mirror.
I was absorbed in trying to determine why I’d become so attracted to Kara. Yes, she was a stunning woman, but there had to be more to the reason I’d allowed my guard to fall around her. While I hadn’t spouted off any trade secrets or indulged the woman in her desire to learn more about the darker side of our business, I’d sensed from the beginning she would continue to dig until she found something scathing.
The link she’d been sent of Theo’s television show had obviously fueled her need for truth. Her direct questions had irritated the hell out of me, but thankfully, I’d managed to keep some sense of control.
One way.
My conscious mind told me to keep her at arm’s length, but the man inside was yet to be fulfilled. She’d sparked something deep inside me.
“What’s the plan, boss?” Jonas asked. Both Jonas and Tobias had taken a soldier by the name of Aldo Castillo to the warehouse, undoubtedly roughing him up, or as Jonas liked to say, tenderizing the man. He was considered our enemy, but low level. We were stooping very low to rid the world of those involved in our brother’s demise.
“This isn’t about interrogation,” I told them both. Although I would fulfill Dimitrios’ request that the man would not have a pleasant death. At this point, I was nothing more than a hired gun for the family. I’d been tasked for the job after my older brother had realized I could easily shut off all emotions, turning into nothing but a machine. That had proven helpful in the vicious tasks I’d been assigned.
“Does that mean we can’t enjoy our work?” Once again, Tobias looked into the rearview mirror. He was far too eager to perform the task. I wasn’t in the mood. It wasn’t that I hadn’t performed various interrogations over the years. I’d done enough to perfect a certain technique. It was simply that I had no interest in wasting the time.
I’d left Kara far too early, still in bed, and had hated myself for walking out. As soon as I’d reached the door, I’d heard the sheets rustling. I hadn’t looked back because I’d known if I did, I would have an impossible time leaving.
When I didn’t answer, the two men looked at each other.
“You okay, boss?” Jonas asked a full two minutes later.
“I’m fine. I have a hell of a lot on my plate. Bringing justice for my brother’s death is only one of them. We get in, we get out. You can contact the cleanup crew after that.” The cleanup crew. We even had our own specialists regarding body removal and disinfecting.
While we usually weren’t worried by any police activity, after Leandro’s death, law enforcement in Italy as well as Greece had worried about an all-out war between crime lords. Since then, they’d been paying more attention to our actions. That was another reason Theo’s news program and accusations were even more damning.
At least up to this point there hadn’t been any concept of retaliation for handling punishment for our brother’s murder by the Cosa Nostra. That didn’t mean they weren’t biding their time, lying in wait for the right moment. The entire family remained on edge.
Yet another reason developing any kind of relationship with a woman was a very bad idea. Even just a physical one. Her acceptance to any degree in my world would make her prime target material. But I couldn’t push her away.
I rubbed my finger across my lips, reflecting on the kisses we’d shared. Spanking her had been icing on the cake and the way she’d reacted had been sublime. She was certainly hiding all her darkest desires.
Forcing my thoughts back to business was as irritating as needing to handle the elimination. I pulled up the information on Aldo that Dimitrios had provided. It was apparent my brother had asked for a deep dive into those working with Bernardi, the Italian Don who’d been a bane of our existence for years. At least my brother had found something of possible use in the man’s background. Was it worth wasting my time to try to evaluate if he had any decent information on Bernardi’s intentions?
I checked my watch. I’d have an hour, no more. Hardly enough time to do a thorough job.
The warehouse was still in a crowded section of town. As Tobias pulled up, I shoved my phone back into my jacket pocket. Normally, I wouldn’t wear dress clothes to handle an enforcement gig, but given I had no plans on getting dirty, I made the decision to ignore my gut feeling. It was telling me Aldo wouldn’t go down easily.
The street was crowded, parking a full block away the only option. However, as Tobias had said, it was a beautiful day. I thought about Kara’s role at the upcoming meeting. The last thing I wanted was to introduce her as a reporter. That wouldn’t bode well for the confidential discussions or the trust factor.
She would become my assistant. I felt myself smirking like some lust-filled old man. The thought was slightly forbidden and damn hot, enough so my cock was twitching all over again.
I would need to fuck her later. That was one certainty.
As I climbed out, I studied the area. It was busy as usual. The area had once been considered all industrial with mostly warehouses. Now it served as an artistic mecca, several quaint stores and bistros sharing space. There was a huge art gallery at the end of the street, some of the world’s most famous artists vying to have a show.
From where I stood, I was able to catch a glimpse of the ocean. I adored the way Kolonaki was positioned, hills with buildings and streets nestled close together providing a beautiful scene. With crepe myrtles and various flowers in hundreds of hanging planters, the fragrance was also incredible.
I grabbed my duffle bag from the back of the SUV.
If only people knew what was in their back yard. I was in an interesting mood today. Maybe I was more eager to end a life than I originally thought. Or maybe I just had more energy today. All because of Kara.
“You okay, boss? You seem preoccupied,” Jonas said as soon as he flanked my side.
“Perfect. Just perfect.” I laughed and walked ahead of them. The warehouse exterior had been painted to match the cozy feel of the tight neighborhood. We’d wanted to blend in, ensuring the way of life so many had carved out for themselves remained strong.
Should that make me feel guilty? Maybe, but it was a life I’d been born into, violence ingrained in me at an early age. Although our mother had tried to instill decency in her children, able to pretend her husband wasn’t a beast. Was that something I could ever do for my family?
Likely not possible. Hence the thought of having children remained reprehensible. Since the explosion of social media, every single act, whether good or bad, was usually caught on camera. Any children born in our family would be subject to constant scrutiny, danger always surrounding them. I’d decided a long time ago having a nuclear family wasn’t an option.
So why was I musing over the thought today? Jonas moved ahead of me, unlocking the door and walking in first.
Before walking inside, something caught my attention. I shook my head as Christos approached. He appeared as if he’d just stepped from a GQ photo shoot, his hair even longer than mine, his attire casual yet trendy. He was wearing shades, so I was unable to detect his emotional stability, but I did sense my brother was walking with purpose.
“I’m surprised,” I told him and yanked off my sunglasses.
“Why? You don’t think I want this fucker dead?” As soon as he asked the question, he scanned the sidewalk. It was unlikely there was anyone in the city or inside Greece who didn’t know of our reputation or hadn’t heard stories about our colorful history, yet displaying our intentions had proven to be detrimental.
Christos knew that better than any other member of the family. He and Leandro had been tight, their relationship often turning social. The two of them had almost died after spouting off after drinking in front of the wrong crowd. That had been years before, but Pops had yet to allow Christos to forget.
I walked closer, pocketing my shades. “This isn’t about making a point.”
“Bullshit. That’s exactly what this is about. Bernardi is lying in wait like a wolf. He needs to be reminded our world isn’t to be fucked with.”
This wasn’t my first song and dance, neither was it his. His emotions were clouding his judgment.
“What would you have me do, send Bernardi the man’s body parts?” I demanded.
“With a pretty little red bow on the box on top to match the contents. Yes, that’s exactly what I think should happen.”
While Christos was eloquent in most aspects of his life, he’d failed in successfully acquiring needed information. That was why I’d been called the debt collector in the organization more than once. To date, I’d never failed, something I intended on keeping up. I always walked away with either information or flesh and blood. Up to this point, which one had never mattered to me.
As soon as my brother removed his sunglasses, I could tell he’d come with previously unknown details.
“You learned something of value.”
“Yes. Our instincts were correct.” He nodded toward the warehouse door. Whatever he had to tell me was sensitive information. But if I had to guess, I’d say he was about to tell me our carefully protected world was about to be challenged again.
A war.