Chapter 10 Rafael
The familiar feel of Silver Dreams welcomed me like coming home.
Soon, I hoped the same could be said for Cesare’s place.
I waved at a few of the people on the floor already.
Most people slept during the day, money could always be made at any time, but nights were the busiest. I took the elevator and went to the familiar room.
A single knock and the door opened. I didn’t make it past Kelly's threshold before I was snatched up and slammed against the wall.
Pain ricocheted up as the waist beaded jewelry pressed firmly into my flesh.
There were going to be bruises left behind.
That was the least of my worries at the moment.
A familiar feeling blanketed me as the cool metal of a gun pressed against my temple.
Instincts kicked in, and I went still. The berry and rose scent in the room was almost choking with the tension that filled the space.
Not one but five sets of eyes were trained on me.
This wasn't the first time I was faced with the brothers, and at the rate I was going, it wasn't going to be the last. Gin was so close I could feel the heat off his body.
I wasn't a short man, and still, Gin was like an overbearing shadow next to me.
“You’re playing games, Rafael,” Benito said. His voice had the same dry deadly calm that Cesare's took on. His eyes were just as dark and void of any life. He sat in a single chair with Enzo standing to his left and Paolo to his right. Blake lounged on the sofa, feet crossed at the ankles.
My nervous system screamed danger as beads of sweat broke free along my eyebrows. I didn't so much as move as I stared ahead at the oldest Vitale. My stomach was full of knots.
I knew to expect displeasure but this, talk about fucking overkill. Goddamn carbon copies of Cesare. As much as they hated the man, they were all like him.
"What game are you referring to?" When in doubt, play the dumb whore.
The gun was pressed firmly against my head, forcing me either to push against it or tilt my head to the side. Panic made me queasy.
Benito shook his head, annoyance written all over his face. "I'm starting to think this was a mistake."
"I thought it was a bad move. There is no way in hell our pussy-loving old man wants anything to do with him," Gin said next to me.
Benito grunted. "The reports said he visited not once but three times in a single week. What whore do you know who has gotten him to come back so many times?"
The youngest brother played with his lighter, flipping it open and creating a flame before snuffing it out and doing it all over again.
"I don't know. I'm with Gin on this one.
Asked my mom, and she said Cesare is straight as they come.
Said he could flirt a waitress out of her panties before dinner was over.
" The click of his lighter closing every few seconds echoed in the space, adding to the dangerously charged chaotic energy.
I reminded myself they still needed me. That Blake talking about his very much alive mother wasn’t an issue for me. I was the one in Cesare’s home, not any of them.
"Oh, and something about how he consistently had a few women he'd visit on work trips." The last two words were soaked in sarcasm as he lifted his fingers in air quotations. “And every time I’ve gone out with him, women were draped all over him. No matter how fem a guy is, he’s still a dude.”
Paolo grunted. “Pretty sure he’s also fucking the new secretary.”
What?
There was no way that was happening. My stomach knotted for a whole new reason.
I was still in. I was the one who slept in his home. I was the only one who would be by his side at the end of the day. I steadied myself as the brothers went back and forth spewing shit about Cesare.
The way they talked about him when he wasn't in the room to defend himself grated on my nerves. As much as I wanted to put them all in their place, I couldn't. I swallowed back my frustration and softened my features.
"His history indicates that this is a rather implausible plan. There are so many discrepancies; however, Benito has a point. It could be a fluke, but Cesare brought him not to the hotel he stays at on occasions but his actual home,” Enzo pointed out.
He shoved his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
His gaze out of all of them was more calculating like he was looking for a way to dissect me.
They all hummed as if that was a shocker. If I thought it would help, I'd tell them all to get their dicks out of their asses and let me do what I came to New York to do. They were making this complicated, but I couldn't slip up now.
"Maybe he's experimenting?" Paolo suggested.
Enzo shook his head before anyone could add anything. "Then why purchase him from here?"
"Fuck if I know; that man has plans on plans. Shit, he probably makes plans to take shits," Gin growled. "Hey, is there a bathroom schedule on the fridge?"
I should have stayed back, but Kelly had called three times. And I knew anymore and the brothers would see to it that I was scattered throughout the ocean or whatever they did to dispose of bodies.
"Why does his sexuality matter so much?" I asked instead of answering Giancarlo's stupid question.
"We need to figure out if we need to replace you with another dick or a set of tits," Gin so unhelpfully provided.
I flinched at his words. Fuck that. Anger flared to life, and it took everything I had not to glare at him.
Cesare is mine.
"Where is Joe?" Benito asked.
I lifted a single shoulder without relaxing too much.
The reminder of the bodyguard made me want to smile.
The whole thing led to Cesare's fat cock shoved inside of me.
There were still echoes of pain pulsing throughout my body.
The need for more was an ache like no other.
It crept under my skin and sank past the muscle.
Every little taste I got from Cesare fueled my obsession with him instead of quenching my thirst.
"He touched me," I said.
Paolo was the one to ask. "What the fuck does that mean?"
"Your dad has cameras all over the place, and I'm pretty sure he had more installed the other day. Some guy came and needed access to my room."
"Shit," Gin groaned. "Might as well let me bash his head in, Benito, the sperm donor’s caught on."
I ground my molars and fought with my irritation even as the soft click of the safety being flipped off hit my ears.
"He has not," I argued.
"Gin," Benito warned.
Blake sat up. "What do you mean he touched you?"
A smile stretched on my face before I could catch it. "Well, Cesare made it clear he doesn't share anything he owns. He also made it clear that I'm not allowed to touch or be touched." My gaze cut to Gin next to me before I focused it forward again.
"You're saying that Joe's gone because he touched you?" Paolo shook his head, disbelief saturating every word out of his mouth. "Touched as in he kissed you or forced you to suck his dick?"
I went to shake my head but stopped short. Gin wasn't moving and his gun was steady. "No, he grabbed my elbow." And made some lewd comments, and I made sure to hint to Cesare so that he'd check the camera's feed.
The room went deadly silent as each of the brothers looked at each other. It was like they were having some silent conversation. Gin burst out in laughter, the first to break the unbearable silence.
"Fuck, the old man likes dick now?" He shook his head, taking the gun away finally. He took a few steps back and stuffed a hammer I hadn't noticed back into his inner suit jacket pocket. "Sounds like some shit Benito would do." He elbowed his twin and they both laughed harder.
"Shut up, Gin. We had to pay a severance package to the IT guy that you wheelchair bound all because he spoke to Ash for longer than fifteen minutes," Benito said.
"No one needs to talk that fucking much," Gin argued. "He should be happy I gave him an early retirement; it's the American dream."
Enzo sighed.
"Don't give me that disappointed sigh, Enzo.
" Gin pointed at his brother. "We had to drag you out of some guy's apartment last week because he gave Tex a two hundred dollar tip.
" He jerked his thumb at Paolo next to him.
"This fucker created a fake-ass serial killer just to get some agent away from York.
" His eyes narrowed at a cackling Blake.
"And you, little fucker, I know it's you that started the fire here last month.
Just so happened only Kelso's room was torched and he was one of Quincy's favorites. "
It was in their blood. Holy fucking shit, they were all crazy. There was no way in hell it was normal to be this possessive and controlling. Was it? What did it say about me that I loved that about Cesare? I had no idea what really happened to Joe.
"He's still alive?"
Benito stared at me for a long while. "He didn't tell you?"
"No, just said he was dismissed."
The twins laughed, and Enzo groaned. Blake looked just as confused as I felt.
"You have no clue how long it took to get someone near our father from our side." Benito rubbed his eyes. He looked more tired than the last time I saw him.
I wanted to question why they were fighting him, but a whore didn't need to know anything. I kept my mouth shut and nodded as if I cared or understood.
Benito scratched at the stubble covering his face. Staring at me expectantly.
Information.
My stomach rolled as my palms grew damp. Silence wasn't an option. At least the gun was no longer pressed against my skin.
"He has meetings coming up."
They all looked at me like I was an idiot. Good, continue to think that way.
"And who is it with?"
"I'm not sure about the one in two weeks, but I did catch him speaking Russian." My head tilted to the side, my hair falling over one shoulder. "I think something about a new contract. I think. My Russian is limited."
"He’s siding with the bratva?" Gin asked.
Benito shook his head. "You know how he feels about them."
"Yeah, but is he willing to work with them to go against you?" Paolo asked.
The room was plunged into silence again as all five sets of eyes landed on me again.
"What else?"
Fuck, more? I thought about the little things, nothing too important that put Cesare in danger but enough to keep them backing me and staying out of my way.
"The rumors that have been hitting the tabloids lately are Cesare's work. He has someone under him getting it done."
Benito's brows shot up as he sat up straighter. "He's trying to destroy my reputation?"
I nodded. "You lost two contracts because of it, right? One with the Cambridge Foundation and the pharmaceutical company."
"Told you, Benito," Gin growled.
The man lifted a hand, cutting Gin off and glaring at me. "What is he going to do next? You're telling me everything he's already done. I'm cleaning this shit up, but if I can't get ahead of it then I have no use for you."
"I need more time."
Benito was up in the next second. "This is the second time you've asked, and the first incident I was willing to concede.”
We had drastically different memories of the last talk, but I kept that tidbit to myself. As much as Benito was like Cesare, he was also like her.
He moved toward me, each step purposeful. "This time why should I? You've given me nothing."
"It’s not an easy task. You think—"
His hand slapped over my mouth as he crowded my space. "Watch the next few words out of your mouth. I have little patience. Nod if you understand."
I reluctantly nodded, and he took a step back. I wiped my face of his touch. Cesare was the only one allowed to do that.
"There is someone feeding him information from your side. Their name wasn't on anything but they’re saved under the initial F."
Benito's hand came up, and I moved to the side before he came into contact. He went back to sit down. "That I can work with. Did you get his number?"
I nodded and rattled the number off, and Enzo took note of it. I wanted nothing more than for this to be over.
"I have to be back at a certain time," I said. Not only would Cesare get suspicious but he was currently home. I was missing prime time with him. Who knew when he'd get up and leave me again.
Benito waved me off. "If I have to seek you out again, it will be the last. I don't need unreliable assets."
Noted. I gave a jerk of my head in understanding. "Does Kelly have something of mine?"
They all looked at me like I was crazy. Gin strided over to me, his stance relaxed as he opened the door. "Not our problem how you lie to the old man. Figure it out, or better yet, offer him a blow job to distract him."
Cesare wasn't so easily manipulated. I smiled as annoyance threatened to take over and erase the filter I was depending on. I twisted around and moved to the door, contemplating what I should do.
My back stiffened as I heard Blake ask the question I was dying to know the answer to. "So wait, where is Joe?"
"Dead," Enzo said.
Before I could turn around and ask if he was certain, I was out in the hallway and the door shut, cutting off any more access to their conversation.
He killed for me? Cesare killed for me. The words settled in the middle of my chest.
He didn't kill to protect me, no, it was for reasons so much more primal. Someone touched what was his. A shiver raced down my spine, and I covered my mouth as I grinned.