20. Noah #2
His frustrated and somewhat embarrassed expression from Sage’s slap turns murderous. He balls up his fists at his side.
“She’s the one who slapped me,” he growls.
“He kissed me without my permission,” Sage counters.
“I haven’t seen you in a week, and you didn’t seem to mind when you moaned the moment I slipped my tongue inside your mouth.”
“Okay,” I say, breaking up whatever this is between my best friend and Del’s brother. She told me they slept together again the night of the Christmas party but didn’t go into details, despite how much I begged. She claims it was just a one-time thing.
Which is the same thing she said the first time they fucked.
I think she likes him but is terrified that he’s the Don of the QBM.
“Excuse me,” a woman says, appearing at the opened door to the sitting room. “Dinner is ready to be served.”
“I thought you said there’d be no soldiers here,” Elias says as we filter out of the room.
“There wasn’t supposed to be, but did you really believe my father would agree to that?”
Never mind that I trusted his word. Though, now that I think about it, he never actually said there wouldn’t be guards.
“No, which is why I brought three of my own men.”
“Were they allowed in?”
“Nope, but they’re on standby.”
“Good. Just… behave yourself. My best friend is here, and I can’t have you or Del pissing off my father, and a gunfight breaks out.”
“I’ll keep her safe.”
“I’m sure you will.”
Elias smiles, and it might be the first time I’ve seen something other than anger on his face.
The dining room is large and dark, the lights dim except for a bright crystal chandelier above the long table where my father hosts casual dinner parties.
We sit at one end. Me and Del on one side, Sage and Elias on the other with my father at the head. A server comes around to get our drink order then disappears.
“Who is this?” Babbo asks, pointing his chin at Sage.
“My best friend. I told you she was coming, remember?”
He’s not a fan of bringing ‘civilians’ into our world. Which is why I made sure he knew Sage was cool. I basically named her my associate so Gio wouldn’t see her as a threat.
He looks at her again and gives an approving nod. His brown eyes slide to Elias, and they narrow.
“Elias Carter. Never in my life did I think I’d be serving QBM swine in my own home.”
Sage’s hand disappears underneath the table and the fury that was building within Elias settles.
“You can thank your daughter for that, Lenetti.”
My father takes a sip of his whiskey and turns his head to me. “Yes, what is my daughter up to?”
“Well,” I begin, swallowing to wet my suddenly dry throat. “As you know, Lance and I are getting married.”
Elias and Gio scoff at the same time.
“Oh, fuck off, the both of you,” I say. “It’s happening and when we’re married, our organizations will be connected. We should take advantage of that. We need to work together.”
“You betray the Empire to sleep with the enemy. Now you want me to do business with QBM rats?”
Elias tries to stand but Sage stops him. She saved his life without even knowing it.
The server returns with our drink orders and places them on the table in front of us before disappearing in an instant, likely sensing the tension in the air.
“Look, the Lords need to go. They’re beginning to gain the attention of the FBI.
It’s a matter of time before Finn O’Connor is arrested on RICO charges.
You know he’ll sing once he’s in custody to get a plea deal.
Then the government will target us. Your FBI sources can’t protect you forever.
So, let’s unite and take control now before that happens. ”
My father shakes his head but doesn’t say anything.
Elias stares at the utensils on the table as if they’re the most interesting thing in this room.
No one speaks, so I continue. “The Empire runs guns. QBM handles drugs. QBM also takes down sex trafficking rings. The Lords are the biggest offenders when it comes to exploiting sex workers. Lance has recently come into information that they’re recruiting teenagers.
Babbo, we could help the QBM shut it down.
We merge our organizations and become powerful enough to dismantle the Lords. ”
“And who will be in charge?” Elias asks, now focused on a fork he’s twirling in his hand.
“You still control Queens and Brooklyn. My father will cover Manhattan and the Bronx. And...” I take a deep breath. “Del and I will control Staten Island.”
“Oh, we will?” Del whispers next to my ear.
Yeah, I didn’t really run that by him. It just popped into my head. But it doesn’t matter. This is a temporary plan until we can figure out who is responsible for the deaths of our mothers.
That revelation could change everything.
“Big decisions will be made by the four of us. Like a counsel,” I add.
Del has been holding my hand through my entire speech. He squeezes it and smiles when I glance at him. He approves of this plan.
“You don’t know anything about running a mafia,” my father says after a few moments of silence.
“You’re right,” I say. “But you want me to learn the business. Here’s my chance. Let me shadow you over the next few weeks or months. Show me what I need to know.”
My father takes another sip of his whisky, then pets his clean-shaven face.
“We need a plan.” I pause when three servers enter, carrying large bowls of salad and baskets of bread. They set them down on the table in front of us.
A woman dishes out my father’s salad. No one else moves a muscle until I start scooping the leafy greens and veggies onto my plate.
“We work together—all of us—to form this plan to take down the Lords. You, me, and Elias. You know, teamwork? One big merged mafia? A mighty mafia?”
Elias sighs at the name.
Rude.
Sage tries getting a helping of salad for herself, but Elias insists on doing it for her.
She wants to fight him so badly, but glances at my father and changes her mind.
I didn’t want to invite her into the Lion’s den tonight but having her here means my father is less likely to murder Del or Elias.
I think.
Gio takes a bite of his salad and chews. And chews and chews and he’s driving me insane with the silence.
“Fine.”
“Really?”
“I agree to work together to destroy the Lords. We will not combine our organizations. That will never happen, mio angelo.”
Well, that’s a start. I never expected him to agree to combine the Empire with QBM. Still, I clap and bounce in my seat, celebrating my victory.
But my excitement dies the moment my father leans over and stabs his fork through Del's left hand, nailing it to the table.
“What the fuck, Giovanni?” I scream, standing up in shock. My chair topples to the floor.
Sage also stands and backs away from the table. Elias moves in front of her.
Del grunts and rips the fork out of his hand. Blood pours out of the top and bottom, soaking the white tablecloth red. I grab my napkin and start wrapping the wound.
“That’s for killing my head of security,” my father says. He sits back down, picks up a clean fork, and resumes eating his salad.