3. Tommaso
TOMMASO
Iwon’t be taking no for an answer. This I’m certain of even as I walk my ass out of the underground base and head back to my car. This Aleksandr Volkov might be a tough nut to crack, but I’ll be cracking him. I’m sure of it.
I need answers, and he’s the man who can give them to me. The only thing I’m not sure of is when.
Carmine can’t find out about this, not until he’s willing to listen to me and my side of things, and that seems like it’s not anytime soon.
Especially as he seems to be finding things to distract me. Giving me something else to do.
When I get back to the estate, it’s well into the night but Carmine and Soren are still up and in the sitting room.
“I was wondering where you went,” Carmine says as I step in, my heart still racing from the event of the night. My head still a bit fuzzy from the couple drinks I’d had.
I try to play it down, like I just went out to cool off and that’s it. Nothing else.
“To the club,” I say simply. “Needed…a minute.”
“Well I’m glad you seem to have calmed down,” Carmine tells me as he sips at his own drink beside Soren on the couch.
The two of them seem inseparable since they got together a few months before. I’m still not sure how I feel about Soren, even if he appears to be loyal to our family and did give up his own in order to strengthen ours.
“Don’t get me started,” I motion in their direction. “I still think—well, damn it’s too late to get into this. I’m going to bed.”
I’m truly disinterested in trying to talk this out with Carmine. I’ve already put the plan into motion whether he approves or not.
“Wait,” Carmine insists.
I’ve already turned away from them. I sigh. “What the fuck do you want?” I look at the both of them tiredly.
Soren looks a bit amused, smirking as he flips over the page he has in his lap and click his pen.
“I think it would be a good idea for you to teach Beau and Nikolas how to fight.”
I blink at them. “Seriously? They’re just kids, and kids who were kept in Eivors background at that. They should learn from someone a little less…likely to kill them,” I recommend.
“No, I really think it would be good for them. They have to learn about this life they’re living and you’re the best fighter of them all. Carmine says so at least,” Soren motions toward me. “You don’t have to go all in on them.”
“You don’t know how I work,” I say with an eyebrow raised. “If I’m teaching them, they’re gonna learn the hard way.”
Soren sighs and tilts his head to the side. “Whatever you have to do, do it. They both need to learn how to defend themselves, more than with just a gun. In a couple years they’ll be expected to take on their weight around here; they need to know how to do it.”
“Why don’t you teach them? You’re their cousin, right?” I ask as I fold my arms.
“I think they’ll listen to you more than they will me,” Soren insists.
Carmine clicks his tongue. “Tommy, this isn’t a suggestion. You will meet with them tomorrow morning in the gym and train them.”
“Fine. But if they get hurt, it’s on you,” I point. “And they will.”
I turn around and head upstairs to my bedroom. I’m not looking forward to teaching a couple skinny teenagers how to kick someone’s ass. Usually I might be more inclined, but I need to keep an eye on Aleksandr. I can’t be wasting my time with this bullshit.
Then again, maybe it’s a good cover. If I’m busy teaching Nikolas and Beau how to fight, I can’t be getting myself in the trouble that Carmine is worried I’m going to be in, can I?
Except…I absolutely can, and I will.
All throughout the night I can’t help but think of the tension in the room with Aleksandr. How drunk he was with his shirtless ass, his pants undone.
I swear there was something there in the way he was looking at me.
And I’m not stupid. I know when someone is attracted to me…
but really? After fighting with me about whether or not he was going to say something, he really was thinking about me like that?
I can’t deny it. The lankier man was hot as hell, but I’m not interested in getting wrapped up with someone from the Rose. Not that way anyway.
I’m interested in getting the information he has to give me and that’s it. If he’s willing to work with me, that’d be great, but if I have to beat it out of him, I will.
Even if it means screwing up my relationship with the group.
The Bianchis have too much pull in this world we’re in for me to lay low and do nothing while Carmine tries to figure out the best route.
I know the best route, and as soon as the sun is up, I’m on the way to find him.
I don’t need to go to the boys until around noon, so I have a few hours to find Aleksandr and figure out what his day-to-day is like. Clearly, I already know what his night life is like.
Killing fathers in front of their families and drinking until he passes out.
What a life.
I can’t say it surprises me, but there has got to be something different about his daily life. Something that can help me scootch in and get the information I need.
I show up just outside the underground entrance, watching until I finally see Aleksandr emerge. He’s dressed much different than he was the night before. Not all in black with his head and face covered. No rifle on his back.
No, he’s dressed in black slacks, a dark red button-up shirt, and matching jacket. His long dark hair is combed nearly back with just a few strands hanging over his forehead. It doesn’t look accidental though. Every part of his look appears precise and almost manufactured.
I follow him in my car, until I realize he’s heading to the Bianchi estate, which is about an hour out. I don’t have the time to follow him all the way, and if they catch me anywhere near there, it’ll be a problem.
So, I call up two guards to meet me where I am.
“I want you to keep an eye on this car, and this man. His name is Aleksandr Volkov,” I order them.
“I haven’t heard any of this from Carmine,” one of them, Toby, says.
I glare at him. “And you won’t. I don’t want a word of this spoken to anyone but me. You keep me updated on where he is at all times. Got it?”
They nod. I don’t know if they’ll keep their word, but if they don’t, they’ll be in a world of trouble.
The two of them get back in their car and stay parked by the side of the road where I am.
Meanwhile, I have to get back to the estate to teach two little boys how to fight.
Fantastic.
I drive back to the estate just in time. Carmine is out, but that doesn’t remove me from my duties and I know it.
“Alright boys, in the gym,” I tell the two teenagers who are sitting the the family room.
Nikolas, Soren’s blood cousin, and Beau, one of the stragglers that Eivor brought in. Probably after he got his family killed.
“Do we have to do this today?” Nikolas asks.
“Yes,” I reply sternly. I’m already not interested in his attitude. “If you don’t like it, talk to Soren. But I’m here so we’re going to get this done.”
I lead them down into the basement, into the gym where equipment for both weight lifting and cardio are set up.
I see a rack with one hundred pounds set up on it and figure someone must have been down here working out earlier.
Whoever it was made sure I’d know they were down there and would know if anything changed or not before they left.
Carmine.
“Look, I’m not going to sugarcoat things. The two of you look real fuckin’ weak,” I tell them as I cross my arms and look down at them. “You need to build some muscle before you’re going to be able to really fight anyone.”
“I work out every day,” Nikolas insists.
“It’s not enough clearly.” I step over to some of the free weights and grab the fifteen-pound ones, two in one hand, without even flinching.
“You usually use the ten pound? Today we’re using the fifteen, and next week we’ll be using twenty. Get used to it.”
“Actually—” Beau starts, but I cut him off.
“Be careful what you say, or you’ll be using the twenty this week,” I tell him.
He closes his mouth and I hand the weights over to them.
They both hold them with no problem, but I can tell it’s going to be an issue once they start actually working with them.
“Ten bicep curls on both sides, start with the right,” I order.
They stand there in front of me doing what I demand, and I have to admit, I like telling them what to do and getting results. It’s better than with my brothers, that’s for damn sure. They don’t listen to what I say half the time.
They’re struggling by the time they get to seven.
“Keep going. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Tighten your core, don’t use your elbows to strength, use your back and your core, damnit.” I adjust Nikolas’s stance briefly before going over and grabbing thirty-pound weights and doing a set myself as they’re finishing up theirs.
“I thought we were going to learn to fight,” Beau tells me as he finishes up his set with his other arm, his breath heavy.
“You can’t fight if your punches have no weight behind them,” I remind the both of them. “It’ll do nothing. You have to be confident in your moves.”
Nikolas looks at Beau for a second before he finishes his own sets.
“We’re going to have to fight each other, right?” Nikolas asks as he sets the weights down.
“Ay, did I tell you to set them down? No,” I snap at him and motion him to pick them back up. They’re sweating, but I’m only just getting started.
“Yes. Unless you really want to try fighting me, I don’t think so. You’ll learn either way,” I put my arms out.
Nikolas’s face turns even more red and he avoids looking me in the eyes from then on.
The rest of the afternoon is spent working the hell out of the boys on the treadmill and learning just how much they can bench press before they putter out entirely.
I ignore the buzzing from my phone in my pocket, even though I know it’s probably about Aleksandr.
At least, until the boys go upstairs to shower, and I’m left downstairs alone.
I pull my phone out and see several updates from the guards I set to keep an eye on Aleksandr.
He’s been with several of the Bianchi family members all day.