2. Chapter Two
Chapter Two
Another Flight, Another Meeting
Aaliyah
Another flight, another meeting. Lately, all I’ve been doing was traveling and tending to my adopted father’s wishes. It wasn’t a complaint. My life has been incredible. One full of adventure and luxury, a big change for an orphan. No matter how dangerous, I counted my blessings. It could be so much worse. But I wanted more out of my life than going from hotel to hotel. I wanted happiness, a permanent home, and a family of my own.
Shades of orange and pink filled the cloudless sky as the sun peaked just over the horizon, capturing my attention. It wasn’t often I sat back and enjoyed life or enjoyed the view. Today, at least there were a few moments to breathe before work needed to be done.
Although I loved coming to Georgia, today the schedule was tight, and I would be cutting it close. There were other meetings scheduled after this one. The jet was instructed to refuel and wait for my arrival. There wouldn’t be enough time with this visit to enjoy time with friends because other urgent matters awaited me. But at least I’d get to see them, if only for a few moments.
The black town car slowed to a stop in front of a home in a neighborhood I’d become familiar with. Although it had been a while since I had a chance to see Chantal and Kira, they had both become like family.
Since meeting them, we’d spoke on the phone about everything from relationships, to shopping, to the overbearing men in our lives—Kira’s husband Demon, Chantal’s boyfriend Razor, and my adopted father, Abasi Sefu. They were like the sisters I never had. But with this trip, there was no time for pleasure.
Abel reached for the passenger side door, but I quickly intervened, grabbing his arm. “Don’t worry about coming in, Abel. These are friends and this is a private matter. I won’t be too long.”
He didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t argue.
The driver kindly opened my door and offered his hand as I stepped out of the backseat. With a nod, I conveyed my appreciation for his help. The way people treated me was something I still hadn’t gotten used to after all these years. Doors were opened for me. I dined at some of the finest restaurants in the world and slept in some of the most expensive hotels. Since my father and mother’s deaths, and Abasi raising me as his own daughter, my life had changed drastically.
As I made my way towards the two-story family home, the beautifully landscaped yard caught my attention with its colorful flowers and perfectly trimmed hedges. The beads of dew shimmered under the light of the rising sun. The purple petals of the Morning Glories opened with the sun’s touch.
The place was humble, yet beautiful. It wasn’t too over-the-top. It looked like a place I imagined raising a family in one day if I were to get married and have kids. But with the work I did for Abasi, having a family of my own wasn’t in the near future for me.
After I rang the doorbell, I was greeted with the infectious smile of Daniel, and I couldn’t help but return it. Daniel “Razor” Gonzalez was a member of Demons United MC and the boyfriend of Chantal Douglas-Rizzo.
“Lord am I dead?” he asked with his hands dramatically across his heart as he looked up at the ceiling. “Have you sent an angel to take your good servant home? Are my poor eyes deceiving me, Lord?”
My face lit up with a broad smile, and I couldn’t help but let out a playful, girlish giggle. Daniel was the only man who had the power to make me blush like a schoolgirl, no matter what.
“How have you been, Daniel?” I asked as he escorted me into his home and then towards the kitchen. “It’s been a while.”
“Better now that I’ve seen your gorgeous face.”
I couldn’t help the heat that warmed my cheeks. It had been rare for a man to compliment me, especially one as handsome as Daniel. I was either too nerdy for them to be interested in me or they were deathly afraid of Abasi.
When I stepped into the kitchen, Demon, the president of Demons United, stood and embraced me. “Hey, Austin. How are you?” I asked.
“I’m good, can’t complain,” he said. “Kira will hate she missed you.”
“I will call her later. I can’t say if I will be back in town before the baby is born, but I will call her after. Mr. Sefu would not miss that for anything. Today, there are three other scheduled meetings I must attend after I leave you. I will have to stay overnight in Chicago, then head back overseas for another evening meeting before I can head home. So, I cannot see her this time. You know how Mr. Sefu is. If he can make a move, I’m on top of it.”
That was the truth. I traveled non-stop. Meeting after meeting. It was rare I could sleep in my own bed, but after these few meetings, I would be able to go home after being away for so long.
“That I do.” Austin nodded. “Okay, you ready to start so you can head back out?”
“Yes, if everyone is here.”
I glanced around the kitchen island, smiled, and sat down beside the man with jet black hair, an infectious smile and a piercing gaze that had been fixed on me since I walked in. Seeing him made my heart race uncontrollably.
“Aaliyah, I would like for you to meet Chantal’s brothers. This one sitting beside you, smiling like a Cheshire cat, is Antonio Jr., and the other one is Alessandro.”
My eyes widened, and a smile crossed my face as I met the infamous Antonio Jr. “Hello. It is very nice to meet the both of you. Your sister has told me so much about the both of you.”
Chantal spoke highly of both of her brothers, but the one thing that stuck in my mind was the many exploits of Antonio. Chantal was notorious for speaking about how much her brother jumped from woman to woman, never settling down with one for more than a week. And how much she wished he would meet the woman of his dreams and settle down. She also spoke of the expensive gifts and yellow roses he would send these women when he was done with them. I could see why women flocked to him.
His smile faded, and his complexion turned a deep shade of red when I mentioned his sister speaking to me about them. In a display of embarrassment, he rubbed the back of his neck. Laughter engulfed the room.
“Don’t worry, it was all good.” I lied, but an unusual shyness encompassed me that he may be embarrassed that I might have heard of his exploits.
When a blush stained his cheeks and a breath of relief tumbled from his lips, I knew the right decision was made. Although Antonio wasn’t the man for me, he had no need to be embarrassed about his sex life. He wasn’t in a relationship from my understanding. He had the freedom to sleep with whomever he chose without judgement, especially from me.
“Thank God. She’s got a bad habit of talking way too much about shit she shouldn’t,” Antonio explained. “Anyway, very nice to meet you, Aaliyah...”
“Aaliyah Solarin.”
I took hold of his outstretched hand after he reached out to me. “Nice to meet you, Aaliyah Solarin.”
I found myself lost in his gaze for a moment. It was like he stared into my soul. Or maybe I hoped he was looking at me that way. Chantal had already dished the dirty details of her brother’s deeds in great detail. I’m sure he had a woman waiting for him when this meeting was over. But it didn’t hurt to look.
“All right, doll what do you have for us?”
Our intense gaze was interrupted by Demon’s question, causing Antonio to let go of my hand. I shyly looked away. I couldn’t believe my reaction to him. Regaining my composure, I focused back on what was important and slid the large thick manila envelope across the kitchen island to Demon. He laid out the contents of it.
“Are those the guys from the restaurant in Columbia?” Razor asked.
“Yeah, they guarded the door and pulled him out of the restaurant after all hell broke loose,” Demon responded. He returned his attention to me. “Okay, Aaliyah, who are we looking at?”
“This is Santiago Diaz.” I placed my finger on the first picture, then moved to the next photograph. “This is Emiliano Diaz. They are brothers. Santiago is the oldest of the two.”
“Who is the last guy?” Demon asked. “He looks like he might be a family member.”
I responded with a nod. “And you would be right. That is Aldus Blanco Jr., Blanco’s only son.”
“So, I assume he is the head of the Cúcuta Cartel now?” Demon asked.
“You would think he would be, but he is not,” I said. “And your fight would be much easier if he were in charge. Regrettably, Santiago Diaz is the one who Aldus left in control and Emiliano as his right hand.”
Without a doubt, the appointment was anything but typical. Throughout criminal organizations, sons usually took the places of their fathers. It would be the same with Antonio as the oldest son. Everyone knew exactly who the Rizzo Family was. Antonio Sr. had been a fixture in the criminal world for as long as I could remember even though I hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting him. When his father stepped away or was no longer able to head the organization, Antonio would take the mantle.
“Wait, you mean to tell me he passed over his only son to head his organization? Why in the hell would Aldus do that?” Razor asked.
“From what intel I could gather, Aldus Junior has a less than stellar reputation in his home country and was a terrible disappointment to the Blanco family, most of all to his father,” I said. “So much so, Aldus started looking for a replacement for him early on. Around this time was when Aldus ended up pulling Santiago and Emiliano Diaz off the streets. A rival gang had killed their parents. He started grooming Santiago to become the head of the Cúcuta Cartel and Emiliano to stand at his brother’s side.”
Antonio’s bewildered expression only added to his attractiveness. The pinching of his thick black brows intensified the gaze of his piercing eyes. “So, let me get this straight,” Antonio said. “He turned over the reins of a multi-million-dollar criminal enterprise to a street kid rather than his blood. I’ve never heard of anything like that being done before. The reins being turned over to someone who isn’t of blood relation is unheard of.”
I sat up a little straighter. It felt as though he may have been challenging my intel. I turned my attention to him.
“That is correct. Aldus Junior is addicted to drugs, mostly cocaine. Has been since his early years and caused more trouble for his father than he’s helped. He’s been in trouble with the Colombian authorities for drugs, burglary, and is even implicated in two murders of prostitutes in the States, and two sexual assaults in his hometown. It had gotten so bad Aldus wanted to kill him according to my contact, but his mother stopped it from happening. Although Blanco never married, it would seem Junior’s mother held a special place in his heart, which saved her only child’s life.”
“Damn, Blanco was cold-blooded if he would take out his own son,” Razor added.
And I agreed. But in the criminal underworld it wasn’t unheard of. Loyalty was held above anything, even blood. It was cold-blooded, but necessary.
Demon snatched the pile of papers and quickly skimmed the initial pages before placing them back down.
“So, what’s going on inside?” he asked.
“Austin, to be honest, everything you can think of. Santiago is weeding out those who are not loyal to him. He’s saying if you are not loyal to him, then you were never loyal to Aldus. He’s been sending one hell of a message, too.”
I took out the last envelope and passed it over to Demon. He opened it and he was surprised at the pictures I had been able to get my hands on.
“It is a warning for all who are not loyal to Santiago,” I said. “He’s been placing the body parts throughout the town according to my contact. The rival gangs are up in arms, and the police are keeping their distance. He is as ruthless as they come, you guys. A man of few words, I’m told. But he’s all action for sure.”
“What else you got, Aaliyah?” Demon asked, and I pointed to the stack of papers.
He handed them to me. I thumbed through them until I landed on the papers he needed to see. I pulled the papers from the pile and handed them to him. His eyes widened in surprise.
“How accurate is this information, Aaliyah?” he asked.
I raised my eyebrows and flared my nostrils. “Austin, you are not questioning my ability to gather accurate information, are you?”
“Don’t take it personally, Aaliyah,” he said. “You’re the best at what you do, but just humor me, please.”
I sarcastically chuckled and pursed my lips. It was difficult to not interpret it as a personal attack. I worked my ass off for days gaining this information. Broke through major firewalls and encrypted networks. Of course, my information was accurate.
“I infiltrated the FBI and CIA mainframe, and the Colombian government’s intelligence agency. It is accurate.”
Antonio’s eyes grew wider, causing my stomach to flutter. My skills impressed him, and it made me happy. “You’re a hacker?” Antonio asked.
My gaze was fixed on him as I smirked. “I dislike the term hacker, but yes, I can slip into any computer mainframe if I need to.”
He stared at me, and everyone else faded away, like we were the only two people in the room. It was as if he were pulling me in with some invisible web until the clearing of Demon’s throat. My eyes shot to him, and embarrassment crawled up my spine, and over my face. I had been caught ogling my friend’s brother.
“Sorry. Hmm... kay. Where was I?” I stammered.
“Take your time,” Demon said, laughing.
Aaliyah this is work. Get your head out of the clouds.
“Oh, yes... Santiago won the internal dispute by eliminating Aldus Blanco Jr., although they haven’t recovered his body. As of now, the local authorities have him listed as a missing person, but it also seems that they are in no hurry to locate the body. Word is, they do not want to be on the bad side of the new leader. But he is still determining who is loyal to him and that is including the local authorities.”
“What do you have on Santiago Diaz?” Demon asked.
I reached for the stack of papers, briefly glancing through it, then handing most of them back to him. “You have received all I found on the guy. I’ll let you read through it on your own, but Santiago Diaz is as bad as they come, Austin. Blanco’s ruthlessness is legendary. I guarantee it is nothing compared to Santiago Diaz. Aldus Blanco chose his successor wisely.”
They all appeared deep in thought. There was a lot to discuss and plan.
“Well, this is the last I will say on this matter because I have to leave so I’m not late for my next meeting.” I glanced down at my watch and grimaced at the time. I was cutting it close and might be a few minutes late. “Santiago is ten times worse than Blanco. He’s putting people’s heads on sticks, for God’s sake. I’ve never experienced cruelty at this level other than Mr. Sefu. You guys should not take him lightly. Study the information and be safe.”
Razor embraced me as I stood. This enemy worried me, but I was sure that if anyone could handle Santiago, it would be the men sitting in this room. “I will see you the next time I’m in town,” I said. “If you guys need me for anything at all before then, do not hesitate to call Mr. Sefu. He will pass the message along to me, and I will do all I can to help.”
“Thanks, Aaliyah,” Demon said.
“Anytime, Austin. I will see you guys later.”
The scraping stool caught my attention. Antonio stood before Razor could escort me out. “Do you mind if I walk you out?” he asked.
A wave of excitement washed over me. I couldn’t quite figure out what it was about Antonio that intrigued me, maybe it was the stories Chantal told. I already felt like I knew him.
“That would be lovely. Thank you, Antonio.” I turned my attention to the other Rizzo. “And Alessandro, it was very nice to meet you.”
He gave a nod. I said my last goodbyes to Razor and Demon, then Antonio led me out the kitchen to the front door. The warmth from the palm of his hand against my lower back sent a shiver of want down my spine. A desire I’d never experienced with another man.
He opened the front door and escorted me out to the awaiting town car.
As I pivoted on my heels, my breath caught in my throat. The man was beautiful. He was at least six foot four inches of nothing but lean muscle. Tattoos peaked out from under the unbuttoned collar of a white dress shirt. With a short sleek haircut and manicured nails, the man oozed danger and sex appeal.
The breeze captured the fragrant smell of his cologne, and I bit my lip to trap the moan itching to escape my throat. Good smelling men were my downfall.
“Thank you for letting me walk you out,” he said.
“No. Thank you.”
He paused briefly, just gazing. His face lit up with a smile, and a deep chuckle escaped his lips, making me burst into laughter.
“I feel like a schoolboy with a crush.” He looked away, and my head dropped. Heat crept up my neck. When he focused back on me his smile widened. “Would it be all right if I called you some time?”
My eyes widened in shock. Was he serious?
“Um... sure if you would like. Let me see your phone.”
He retrieved his phone from his pocket, unlocked it, and handed it to me. I put my number in then handed him his phone. He glanced at it briefly before returning his gaze to me.
“It was very nice meeting you, Aaliyah.” He leaned down and kissed my cheek. “You’ll be hearing from me soon.”
He opened the door, and I slid inside the backseat of the car. “It was nice meeting you too, Antonio. And I look forward to it.”
With a smile and a nod, he closed the door. I signaled the driver to drive us to the airport.
As we drove away, I glanced out the rear window. Antonio stood in the same place watching the car, with his hands shoved in pockets with a look of confusion and awe on his face until I could no longer see him.
“Who was that?” Abel asked from the front seat.
“Nobody.”
I had doubts that Antonio would call, but deep down, I wished he would.