Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
Christian
I head back with Vincent and Salvatore to Giordanos Inc. While Gabe and Nick take the men on the street to continue the hunt.
It was Georgiou who sent them.
We took files from the warehouse that need to be looked over and I managed to download more files from the computers but the fact that we’ve gathered in Vincent’s office first is a tell that he’s going to wail on me.
“Sit your ass down Christian,” Vincent says giving me a hard stare.
I’m quick to be the defiant one when it comes to my father and Georgiou, but Vincent is a man I respect at the deepest level. Even when he’s getting ready to chew me out. So, when he tells me to do something I do it.
Grabbing the nearest chair, I lower to sit and focus on him.
He remains standing while Salvatore does his habitual thing by leaning against the wall with his foot pressed against it, head tilted to the side.
“Christian, you fucking know what you did right?” Vincent says.
I’ve done so many wrong things over the last few days that were always considered no nos. Today was just another wrong. It all boils down to going to enemy territory without the right amount of back up.
“Yeah,” I answer.
“Great. Glad you know. So, tell me why the fuck it took Georgiou’s phone call asking me to watch your back, and another from Tony alerting me that shit was going down at the warehouse?
Why was there no call from you?” A line etches at the edge of his jaw and the hardness in his face looks more pronounced the longer he stares.
I look from him to Salvatore and see they both share the same expression.
They both know what could have gone down today and that my end nearly came once again.
They already lost Frankie, and everybody has been on high alert since.
I would be no different to them. I’m their cousin, but they treat me the same as a brother.
That’s why I’ve always been close to them.
That’s why I’m gonna be real with them now.
“I wanted to sort it out myself. Me and my guys. I didn’t want to involve you. The shit that’s happened is my fault and I don’t want the reason for losing business from clients who have trusted us for decades,” I answer. That’s the honest truth.
“Christian, I’m glad you wanted to take matters into your own hands to fix the shit, but I’m fairly certain I told you to contact me at the first sign of trouble.
At no time did I tell you to go into enemy territory guns blazing.
I never told you to put your fucking life on the line,” Vincent snarls.
“No, you didn’t, but… my father did,” I say. I didn’t actually mean to say that and show any form of weakness.
Weakness is not a work associated with Christian Giordano.
I hate weakness of any kind and I hate accepting that my father actually got to me. Truth be told his words cut me deep. They actually did. I won’t lie, I haven’t been thinking straight since.
Vincent’s face softens and he glances at Salvatore who looks enraged. Both know what my father can be like. In one sentence they know he’s not like theirs. Their father was one ruthless boss, but he valued his each of his sons. Not one of them have ever come to me and said shit about him.
Vincent runs a hand over his graying temples and sighs.
“Christian, you can’t allow your father to get to you,” he says.
I straighten up in the chair and give him a small smile. Not of humor.
“It’s okay. I’m not looking for sympathy. I know how things work and I should have called you. I just wanted to see if I could have a handle on the problem. clearly I couldn’t.”
“You listen to me.” Vincent points at me.
“Your father is not in charge of the business. I am. I say what goes and if people don’t like it, they can go fuck themselves.
I don’t give a fuck who it is, my thoughts are the fucking same.
When we’re dealing with a bastard like Falcone it’s all hands-on deck because we know it’s not just him in the mix.
I never expected you to take him on yourself.
It’s not that you didn’t have a handle on it, the problem is it’s not something you can do by yourself or even with your guys. ”
I nod understanding. “I get it, and thanks. Thanks for coming.”
And thanks to Georgiou for sending them.
“Don’t thank me for that. We have to figure out what we’re gonna do next.”
“I’ll look through the files maybe I’ll get a name or a lead on the cop, and the location of the transit.”
“I’ll help you with that,” Salvatore offers, and I nod. “It’s good to know the guns are still in Chicago and they’re not moving for a few weeks. That gives us time to locate them.”
“Yes,” Vincent agrees. “We need to find out where Falcone is keeping them. But I want cop too.”
I think for a moment and an idea comes to me they probably won’t like.
“What if we start with the cop. The police,” I say.
saying the words don’t feel quite real. I try to avoid cops like the plague because I’m always doing serious illegal shit with the money and paperwork that could land me behind bars “We don’t know where to find Falcone, or the guns but we know cops are involved and we know where to find cops. I think we need to start there.”
Vincent sighs and Salvatore bites the inside of his lip.
Vincent nods his agreement. “We need to be careful. Cops and feds are territory I’d rather not cross, both have been in our fucking faces over the last year but you’re right. We know where to find cops. So that’s the easiest place to start.”
“I’ll get on to it today,” I promise.
“Cool. I think I’ll call in Gibbs to help, he should be back from Sicily by now. More hands less work, the sooner we put down these fuckers,” he answers, and I nod, feeling a sense of assurance at the mention of Gibbs.
He’s a PI we’ve used a number of times in recent years. That guy can get shit on anybody.
“Agreed,” I answer.
“Then let’s do it,” Salvatore says.
“You two,” Vincent says pointing to me and Salvatore. “Focus on this. I need this to take priority. Precedence over everything else. You understand me?”
He’s talking about the club. His gaze settles on me. Of me and Salvatore— who has a wife—it’s me who’s likely to go off fucking around at the club.
Again, I think of Lilly. I’ve never had anyone at the club before to hold my interest the way she has. I could be away for days. What would have happened to her in that time?
I’m the fucker who was planning to make all kinds of money off her and now I don’t want anybody else to touch her but me.
At the same time, I don’t want to get close and she is one doll who could entice me to break my rules.
Salvatore cuts me a glance, noticing my hesitation.
“I understand,” I answer quickly. “I’ll get Georgiou to look after the club,” I suggest, and Vincent nods his approval.
This morning I was in a state of flux because I never expected to be so taken with a woman I just met. The same flux takes me now with no clear answers on what I should or shouldn’t do.
* * *
Georgiou’s already in his private lounge when I arrive at the club. I can see him sitting on the leather sofa talking to one of the bartenders.
It looks like he’s here by himself tonight. Normally he’d either be in the office we share doing the accounts or here with Evie and Henry.
When I turn the corner, he sees me. His face tenses with worry as I approach, and he straightens up.
“Buonasera, brother,” he greets me and looks me over with caution.
“Buonasera,” I answer. “Thanks for sending the guys earlier.”
He motions to the sofa in front of him and I move over to sit.
“You’re welcome. Glad to see you’re in one piece and not in a box with a tag on your foot.” He raises his brows and leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
“No, not yet.”
Georgiou blows out a ragged breath. “Christian, Pa was out of line for saying that shit to you.”
“You know he meant it, though right?”
I’m glad he doesn’t try to smooth things over and tell me otherwise.
“He shouldn’t have said that to you.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It does. It matters to me. Christian, we’re brothers. I don’t like this tension between us.”
“You know why tension exists. It’s just gotten worse recently because you want to show you can be boss. Pa uses that against you to get to me, and you allow him to.”
He looks thrown that I’ve called him out but acceptance washes over his face and he nods.
“Yeah. I agree it’s that. It’s hard dealing with a man like Pa who controls so much and calls the shots. You don’t make it any easier though on either of us. That’s why he doesn’t take you seriously.”
“Fuck, Georgiou. You know that’s fucking bullshit.
There’s no way you believe that. I’ve changed a lot over the years and stepped up.
Pa acts like a bastard to me because he can’t control me.
He’s never been able to.” I straighten up and stare him straight in the eye, wanting him to see I’m serious about where my goals lie.
“I want in on the business Georgiou. I do. it’s important to me. You should know that.”
“I do.”
“Then hear me and stop being a prick. This place,” I motion around the area in reference to the club as a whole.
“This place is something I never thought we’d have.
We can die happy with the millions we’ve made with The Dark Odyssey.
But Giordanos Inc. is legacy. It’s an empire of legacy.
That is what people know us for. The Dark Odyssey is our playground, but I can’t play around forever. I’m not doing that now.”
The look of understanding that comes into my brother’s eyes shows he’s not only heard me but he’s not looking at me like I’m the playboy anymore.
“I hear you,” he says and raises a balled fist to bump it with mine. A sign of truce. It’s the first in years he’s done that.
I smirk and bump my fists with his.
“Thank you.”
“I’ll take care of the club. You focus on what you need to do and call me if you need me.”
“I will,” I promise and stand, feeling lighter like a burden of carrying the angst between us has lifted off my shoulders.
I have to go now. I’m supposed to be meeting Gibbs in an hour. It’s gonna be one of those long nights. Salvatore and I already spend most of the day going through files and we’ve just brushed the tip of the iceberg.
“Take care,” he says, and I dip my head in appreciation.
It was good to be civil with him. I can’t remember the last time we spoke properly as brothers and he wasn’t a complete asshole, trying to have one over on me.
I make my way out to the foyer to continue down the stairs that will lead me out, but my steps slow when classical music fills the room. The music feels out of place just like the woman who will be dancing to it. The woman I’ve been trying to get out of my head all fucking day. Lilly St. James.
I’m a floor down from my lounge so when I gaze up at her in her crystal ball, I don’t get the full blown view I usually have, but what I’m looking at is fucking amazing. She looks amazing.
She’s in black tonight. The dress she wears is a dupe of the one she had on last night.
Again, I give Tatiana credit for her creative work.
The classical piece I hear is Swan lake.
I remember it from school. It suits her as she glides around like it’s familiar to her.
She moves like the music is flowing from her in such a striking way that she can compel a badass mobster like me to stop and stare.
I can’t help it.
I move over to the balcony to get a closer look. One last look, one last time.
From here I can watch her from afar without any interaction. Lilly St. James will never even know I was here.
My mouth waters at the sight of her and I remember the taste of her. the taste of every part of her, and how her moans aroused me to devour her.
Lust filled invisible fingers seep into my mind as my eyes roam over her fine body in its graceful stride.
I want her all over again and fuck if I wasn’t standing here and her up there, I’d take her right here up against this wall.
The floor is open for men to place their bids on her and she won’t say no because she agreed to do anything…
Only the desperate and the troubled would agree to something like that.
Look at her, beautiful and ethereal, like something hallowed. The angel dancing in my club looking better than I could have conjured.
That look in her eyes begged me to save her. Unlike when I slowed in my race to save Amelia, I don’t think I can slow down now. I don’t know what Lilly’s story is and I probably shouldn’t walk that path. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to allow another man to touch her and do anything to her.
Not when I want her for myself.
I don’t want anybody else touching her. I don’t even want them to look at her.
Somehow… she feels like mine whether she knows it or not, or whether or not I choose to step away from fear and claim her as mine.
That means there’s only one thing to do.
I take out my phone and call Mimi. She answers on the first ring.
“Hey Christian, what’s up?” she says.
“Close the bids on the angel,” I say.
“What? Why would you do that?”
Mimi knows I’m not fucking stupid, or mad enough to do something like that without a plan.
“Just do it,” I tell her.
“Christian that’s her money you’re playing with. You better have some form of compensation up your sleeve.” I almost see her face from that inquisitive hint in her tone. She knows I booked Lilly the last few nights, but she wouldn’t ask me about things like that.
“I’ll make it up to her.” That’s all she needs to know.
“Okay.”