Chapter 21 Sebastian
Sebastian
The woman bats her eyes, stamping my hand as I walk past her. Nico is right behind me as we walk down the narrow stairs into the barely lit lounge.
Red velvet booths are spread out in the space, and women in lingerie walk around, carrying trays of drinks to the men sitting with cigars in their hands.
“It’s so cliche, it gives me second-hand embarrassment,” Nico mutters into my ear.
I grin, tilting my head toward him. “My father said they rake in millions, grifting from the elite who want a taste of the mafioso lifestyle without the risk. I’ll give them that, it’s an entertaining show.”
A woman in a tailored suit with dark, slicked-back hair and bright red lips walks toward us with a raised eyebrow. “Mr. James, how can I help you this evening?”
“We were invited by the boss.”
Her eyes flicker and she looks over at Nico before nodding and waving toward a hall away from the main lounge. “This way then. I’ll give him a call while you wait. Did you want drinks? Ladies?”
I shake my head. “Neither. We won’t be staying for long.”
She nods again and opens a door for us. Two large couches face one another in front of a dark wood table with a bar on the far right. This must be more of a meeting room than a private oasis for gentlemen. We settle onto the couch on the left while she closes the door to leave us alone.
A dark brunette comes in a moment later, not making any eye contact as she pours herself a whiskey before settling on the couch across from us.
I raise an eyebrow. “Not looking to be entertained tonight, sweetheart.”
Her red lips quirk, and her deep brown eyes watch me with a mocking knowledge that leaves me unsettled. “Gianna, right? That’s who holds your heart.”
I stiffen, moving to rise before she clicks her tongue.
“That wasn’t a threat.” She rolls her eyes as if scolding me.
Nico clears his throat. “Who are you?”
She sets her glass down, turning it to show us a small cross near the rim before her finger swipes through it.
I settle back on the couch, realizing who is sitting before us.
My mouth opens, but I shut it before glancing at the glass again.
If we could talk freely, she wouldn’t have had to hide the cross as a message.
“How do you know of Gianna?”
She shrugs. “Been around. Heard a few things here and there.”
“Does Luca know you have such loose lips?” I say, put off by her nonchalance.
Her long hair slips over her shoulder as she throws her head back and laughs. “Quite the opposite.”
My stomach sinks, and she raises an eyebrow, watching me questioningly.
“Do you need help?”
“Help?” she asks, confused.
I glance around. “With a different life? Do you enjoy being an escort?”
She hums. “Why would I want that? Everything I could possibly want is at my fingertips. I have no responsibilities except to fuck one of the most gorgeous men I’ve ever had the pleasure of intimately knowing.”
“So you’re happy? Safe?” I press.
Her lips thin. “Happy? Happiness is subjective, no? Safe? Safe in whose terms?”
The door opens, and I lean away from her. Luca frowns, looking between us before his eyes focus on her, heating with a darker intent.
“Bellisima, what are you doing here?”
She smiles, and if I didn’t know better I would think she’s genuinely happy to see him. “Natalie said you were in this room, but I didn’t know you had company.”
Gio scoffs, walking past Luca to the bar. “Natalie has a big mouth.”
Luca walks to her, holding out his hand to pull her off the couch and into his chest. Her red, painted nails run along his stomach to his belt. “Want me to come back?” She pouts her bottom lip and Luca’s eyes zero in on it.
“Luca,” Gio says, a warning in his voice.
The Italian Underboss’s attention snaps up to him with a scowl and then he looks back at the woman, tapping her ass in an affectionate gesture. “I’ll come find you.”
When she leaves, they occupy the couch she vacated.
“You play favorites with your girls?” I poke.
Luca shakes his head. “She’s not being shared.”
Gio sighs. “Are we going to continue to talk about pussy or what?”
“Not a fan?” Nico says.
Gio’s jaw tightens and he shrugs. “I don’t care about her. I think she’s young and naive and has false hopes that Luca is gonna fall in love with her or something. As if he’s gonna marry a whore.” He spits out the last word in distaste.
The fury that flashes on Luca’s face is nearly tangible before his usual stoic curtain falls. “She understands the parameters of our relationship. No more speaking of her.”
I hold up my hands. “Fine by me. Let’s get to the reason I had to leave my own woman.”
Luca nods, his fingers still tight on the glass. “Yes, I wasn’t expecting to hear from you so soon.”
“Yes, Arthur has pushed our hand. We’re going to oust him and Nico will fill his place.”
Both of their eyes land on Nico.
“And I assume Christian would not be surprised?” Luca speaks slowly, as if waiting for us to contest it.
I raise an eyebrow. “He will not, especially when we have proof of him working directly with the Italians to take the city out of Christian’s control.”
Luca’s eyes flare. “What are you saying?”
“He is who we were monitoring when we got the first whispers of the sparrows,” I explain.
Gio sits up. “If Arthur is working with the sparrows, then we don’t know if they have any loyalty to the Famiglia. It could be a network of moles on all fronts.”
Nico frowns. “Could be, but the Famiglia is who seems to continuously benefit from it.”
Luca hums, glancing at Gio who watches back. They hold a silent conversation with their eyes before turning to us.
“We think my father is involved.” Gio grits his teeth.
Nico sinks into the couch, rubbing his hand down his face as I draw the same conclusion. “That’s why you were trying to find your half-siblings. You think they’re helping him,” I say.
“So you aren’t working with Matt?” Nico asks.
Gio frowns. “No, if anything, he’s been avoiding me.”
My tongue runs along the back of my teeth. “His sister… She believes he’s working with the FBI.”
They both stiffen, and Luca sets the glass down. “If he is—”
“I know, but I’m asking you to spare his life if he isn’t,” I say through clenched teeth. “For Gianna… He’s all she has left of her family.” My eyes fall to Gio, who doesn’t even flinch.
Instead, Gio turns to Luca. “If my father has his claws in Matt, then it’s possible he’s working with the FBI too.”
Luca frowns. “You think Eduardo would fall so far? I can see him betraying my family because he wants to take over the Famiglia, but working with the FBI… He could doom us all.”
“I’ll kill him,” Gio says, his fists curled on his lap.
With a sigh, Luca shakes his head. “We don’t have proof.
You know how fragile—” He cuts off, looking back up at me with an iron expression.
I realize he almost slipped up, almost hinted at the possible instability of the Famiglia.
Not that I’d exploit him. I want to take Gianna and run to London as soon as I can, but I don’t want to leave Nico in Chicago with the two powerful regions to the east in a war.
“Either way, I wanted to give you the heads up because while we grab Arthur, I’m going to have the Irish grab Matt,” I drawl out.
Luca closes his eyes briefly before looking resigned. “The Irish. Why?”
“They have the means to track his technology and confirm who he is working with, and remember what we discussed about letting everyone get their pound of flesh?”
His dark stare drills into me. “You wish for us to torture the men together? One happy mafia circle jerk?”
A laugh bubbles in my throat because I never expected Luca Genovese to use the words circle jerk in the sentence.
I smother my smile and nod. “You wanted allies in the Irish. They are your closest neighbor, and this can show you didn’t have a hand in the death of their men.”
“Why are you doing this?” Gio asks, staring at me suspiciously.
Shrugging, I settle into the couch. “Why not? I don’t have anything to lose or gain by playing mafia buddy matchmaker.”
Luca shakes his head. “Favors. He collects favors.”
I grin. “And you’d owe me a lot, wouldn’t you?”
“What do you want, James?”
We stare at each other, Luca and I. His amusement is tangible, even if he refuses to acknowledge it. Sometimes I feel he and Rian, unlike others, have treated me with kid gloves, knowing I’m not heir to a throne like them.
“I’ll let you know. Keep your phones on you. We have to move quickly on Arthur,” I say.
Gio nods. “I’ll try to keep an eye on Matt. He seems to know when I’m coming though.”
Nico sighs. “I know you all prefer to live in the stone ages, but I promise you guys, anyone could find a man better than Giuseppe. Your father should have dumped him years ago.”
Luca’s jaw flexes while he and Gio exchange another glance. Gio frowns before looking at Nico. “If I have a kid in mind, what would you suggest he do?”
My eyebrow raises, a sarcastic remark on the tip of my tongue, when I see the exhaustion on Luca’s face and I swallow it down.
I should feel sorry for the guy. I don’t care if his entire empire collapses, but he truly looks defeated before it’s already begun.
It’s a stark difference from the man I occasionally saw growing up.
“Scrub any electronics. Scour the cars and houses. Monitor communications.” Nico shrugs.
I snap my fingers. “Whatever you’d do for an enemy, do it now… because they’re not your ally, are they?’
With a nod, Luca leans forward. “I appreciate your insight. I know what I need to do, but I’ve been hesitant to follow it through. I don’t think I have the luxury of time anymore.”
“I don’t have anything against you, Luca. Well, not anymore,” I say with a chuckle. “Bad information, but glad we cleared that up because I kind of like you.”