Chapter 3
Dominic
I 'm lounging on my leather couch, nursing a glass of whiskey and staring out at the Queens skyline when my phone buzzes. It's a text from Luca: "Dinner tomorrow night, 8 PM. Carbone in Manhattan. We need to talk."
My heart rate picks up. Finally. Luca's been dodging my calls for weeks, and I've been itching to talk to him. As I type out a quick confirmation, I can't help but wonder if he'll mention Gia. I try to push the thought away, but it's useless. She's been haunting my dreams ever since that night at the bar.
I take another sip of my drink, savoring the burn as it slides down my throat. The city lights twinkle beyond my floor-to-ceiling windows, a reminder of the empire I've built. But lately, it all feels... hollow. I shake my head, trying to dispel the thought. This isn't me. I'm Dominic Esposito, for Christ's sake. I don't do melancholy.
The next evening, I find myself adjusting my tie in the rearview mirror of my Aston Martin, parked a block away from Carbone. It's a neutral meeting ground - upscale enough for our tastes, but public enough to keep things civil. As I walk towards the restaurant, I catch myself scanning the faces of passersby, half-hoping to catch a glimpse of dark hair and fiery eyes.
The ma?tre d' recognizes me immediately, ushering me to a secluded booth in the back. Luca's already seated when I arrive, looking relaxed. I think marriage looks good on him.
"Dom," he greets me, standing to clasp my hand. "Good to see you, man."
"Likewise," I reply, sliding into the booth across from him. "You're looking well."
We exchange pleasantries as we order, catching up on surface-level details. But I can feel Luca studying me over the rim of his water glass, and I know we're both dancing around the real reason for this meeting.
"So," he says finally, leaning back in his chair. "How's business?"
I shrug, keeping my face neutral. "Same old, same old. You know how it is."
Luca nods, but there's a glint in his eye that tells me he's not buying it. "Do I? Things have changed quite a bit for me since I went legit."
I raise an eyebrow, intrigued despite myself. "Oh? And how's that working out for you?"
"Better than I ever imagined," Luca says, a genuine smile spreading across his face. "It's not always easy, but the peace of mind... it's worth it."
We spend the next hour discussing the ins and outs of his new legitimate ventures. I'm impressed by how well he's adapted, but I can't see myself following the same path. Not yet, anyway. There's too much at stake, too many people depending on me.
"What about your crew?" I ask, genuinely curious. "How'd they take the transition?"
Luca shrugs. "Some came with me, some didn't. It wasn't easy, but in the end, everyone made their own choice."
I nod, thinking about my own men. Sal, Marcello, the others. Could I ever ask them to give up the life? Would they even want to?
As we're halfway through our main course, Luca brings up the elephant in the room. "You know, Dom, I've been thinking about that old feud between your family and Sofias."
I tense up, my fork pausing midway to my mouth. "What about it?"
Luca leans forward, his voice low. "Maybe we can find a way to bury the hatchet for good. Life's too short for these old grudges, don't you think?"
I set my fork down, mulling over his words. The idea of reconciliation is tempting, but old habits die hard. "I don't know, Luca. That's a lot of bad blood to just forget. Even if most of it was before our time. My family… "
"I'm not saying it'll be easy," Luca concedes. "But think about it. A fresh start could be good for everyone."
I nod noncommittally, but my mind is already racing with possibilities. What would it take to put the feud to rest? And then there's Gia…
As if reading my mind, Luca continues, "You know, Gia was a huge help while Sofia and I were… working things out. Took on a ton of the work herself, and did a fabulous job."
My ears perk up at the mention of Gia's name. "Is that so?"
"Yeah, she's something else," Luca says, a fond smile on his face. "Talented, hard-working, fiercely loyal. Sofia's lucky to have her as a sister."
I try to keep my expression neutral, but inside, my heart is pounding. Every new piece of information about Gia only makes her more intriguing. I find myself wanting to know more, to understand what makes her tick.
"She sounds impressive," I say, aiming for casual and probably missing by a mile.
Luca gives me a knowing look. "She is. But Dom, be careful. You know how complicated things are."
I force a laugh, waving off his concern. "Relax, I'm just making conversation."
But even as I say it, I know it's a lie. Gia is already more than just conversation to me, and that's a dangerous thing.
We end the meal with plans to talk again soon, and as I walk back to my car, my head is spinning with everything we discussed. The idea of ending the feud... it's more tempting than I want to admit.
Just as I'm about to start the engine, my phone buzzes. It's a text from Sal: "Boss, we've got a situation with the Colombians. Need to meet ASAP."
I sigh, switching gears from dinner companion back to crime boss. "On my way," I text back.
The drive back to Queens is quick at this time of night. I pull into the private garage of my building, nodding at the security guard as I make my way to the elevator. As I ride up to my penthouse, I can feel the weight of responsibility settling back onto my shoulders.
Sal and the guys are waiting when I step out of the elevator. Their faces are grim, and I know whatever's happened with the Colombians, it's not good.
"Talk to me," I say, loosening my tie as I head for the bar. I pour myself a whiskey, then turn to face my men.
Sal steps forward. "The Colombians are pushing into our territory again. They hit one of our shipments tonight."
I feel a surge of anger. We've had an understanding with the Colombians for years. If they're breaking it now, there'll be hell to pay.
"How bad?" I ask, taking a sip of my drink.
"We lost the whole shipment," Marcello pipes up. "And two of our guys are in the hospital."
"Fuck," I mutter. This is bad. If word gets out that we couldn't protect our own, it'll be open season on Esposito territory.
We spend the next hour hashing out strategies. Retaliation is a given, but we need to be smart about it. The last thing we need is an all-out war with the Colombians.
On a whim, I decide to reach out to Vince Russo, the former head of the Manhattan family who's now gone legit. If anyone might have insight into our Colombian troubles, it's him.
To my surprise, Vince replies almost immediately: "Sorry, Dom. I'm out of the game now, don't have many good sources anymore. I can call you later if you want, but I'm at Nonna's for family dinner right now."
The mention of Nonna’s immediately brings Gia to mind. I can't help but imagine what it would be like to have her beside me. The thought of her here, in my home... it's intoxicating.
I close my eyes and I can almost feel her underneath me, her dark hair spread across my pillow, those fiery eyes locked on mine as we move together. The curve of her hips, the softness of her skin, the taste of her lips…
"Boss? You okay?"
Sal's voice snaps me back to reality. I clear my throat, hoping my momentary distraction wasn't too obvious. "Yeah, just thinking. Let's call it a night, guys. We'll regroup tomorrow."
As everyone files out, I pour myself another drink and return to my spot on the couch. The city lights twinkle beyond my window, but all I can see is Gia's face. Her smile, her laugh, the fire in her eyes when she looked at me that night at the bar.
I know I should let this go. This is ridiculous. I’ve spent all of an hour with this girl at the most. Why can’t I get her out of my head? A relationship with Gia would complicate everything. But for the first time in years, I find myself wanting something more than power and money. I want her.
As I stare at one of my newly acquired paintings on the wall, I can almost see Gia's reflection in it. Her dark eyes, her mischievous smile. I remember the way she looked at me that night, like she could see right through all my defenses.
Collecting art is a passion of mine. And I’ve found a new artist whose work speaks to me, calms my soul when I look at the abstract swirls of color. I make a mental note to see if that gallery has any new pieces. I could use all the calm in my life that I can find.
I think about what Luca said about burying the hatchet. Could it really be that simple? Could we just... decide to let go of generations of hatred and mistrust?
But then I think about my father, about the stories he told me growing up. The betrayals, the violence, the blood spilled on both sides. Can all of that really be forgotten?
And yet... when I close my eyes, all I can see is Gia. The way she laughed at the bar, head thrown back, completely unselfconscious. The fire in her eyes when she realized who I was, a mix of anger and something else... disappointment, maybe?
"What are you doing to me, Gia?" I mutter to myself.
My phone buzzes again. It's another text from Sal: "Meeting set up with the Colombians for next Saturday. Midnight. Neutral ground. You want backup?"
I text back a quick affirmative, my mind already spinning with potential scenarios. This meeting could go a dozen different ways, and I need to be prepared for all of them.
But even as I start planning, a part of my mind is still with Gia. I wonder what she's doing right now. Is she thinking about me too? Or has she already dismissed our encounter and forgotten about me?
I shake my head, trying to focus. I can't afford to be distracted, not with everything that's at stake.