Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Enzo
The bar had just announced last call when my burner phone rang. Glancing at it, I tensed.
Shit.
There was only one reason that Domenic Genovese would be calling me.
And I really didn’t want to clean up a crime scene at that moment.
But I couldn’t ignore his call. Domenic was not a man you ignored.
“Hello?”
“I have a mess I need cleaned up as soon as possible. I’ll send you the address.”
“Okay. I’ll head there now.”
He hung up without another word. Less than a minute later, a text with an address popped up on the screen.
I finished my beer, then headed to my SUV and put the address into my navigation system. One of the fanciest hotels in Manhattan displayed as my destination.
I started driving, hoping I wasn’t going to be dealing with a dead mistress. It wouldn’t be the first time, but I didn’t like cleans that involved women.
But in my line of work, saying no wasn’t an option. Unless you wanted to become a clean yourself.
When I arrived, I parked in the attached parking garage. I texted Domenic for the room number, and when he replied, I wasn’t surprised it was the penthouse suite.
I grabbed the suitcase that I kept all my supplies in and wheeled it behind me as I headed to the hotel entrance.
I’d been to many luxury hotels for cleans, but the one I was entering was definitely the nicest I’d been to.
One night was easily a couple grand based on the opulent decor and furniture in the lobby.
White marble floors, lamps and chandeliers likely crafted from twenty-four karat gold, and Italian leather sofas greeted guests as they walked in.
When I reached the penthouse suite, I exited the elevator and slipped on some gloves before knocking on the door. A few seconds later, the door opened to Domenic and two men that I assumed were his bodyguards. “Hey, Mr. Genovese, what can I do for you?”
“Enzo, thank you for coming so quickly. I always appreciate your punctuality and discretion.” He extended his hand, and we exchanged a firm handshake. “And I’m afraid this is going to require the utmost discretion.”
I raised my brows as he let go of my hand and gestured for me to enter. “Come in.”
I followed the men into the suite and through the living area, down a hallway into a bedroom. And on the floor lay Luca Sorello, the son of another mob boss.
Oh, shit.
“By the look on your face, I think you understand why I said this requires the utmost discretion,” Domenic stated.
I nodded. I had so many questions, but I was paid not to ask questions.
“Can I count on you to take care of this for me?”
My stomach clenched. I had to be extremely careful so that my involvement wasn’t discovered by the Sorellos.
I cleaned up feuds between rival mobs all the time, but this one was definitely the most notorious.
The Genevoses and Sorellos were two of the top three Italian mob families in New York City, and there was no way this wouldn’t lead to a war between them.
I nodded. “Of course.”
He clapped his hands. “Great.”
“Dad?”
Domenic turned toward the sound of the voice. “Hey, Piccola, how are you feeling?”
There was a young woman in the doorway across the hall. She had similar features to her father, but softer; same brown hair and olive skin, as well as the same striking eyes that commanded your attention.
“Better. Who is this?” she asked, directing her attention to me.
Domenic glanced over at me and clapped me on the shoulder. “This is Enzo. He’s my wolf.”
“Wolf?” she asked, her brows furrowing.
Domenic chuckled and I smirked. “He takes care of these types of problems with discretion and makes them disappear.”
The woman scoffed. “Dad, this isn’t some random guy. This is Luca Sorello. There’s no way to make this disappear.”
Domenic went over to his daughter and lightly grasped her upper arms. “I have a plan.”
She arched a brow. “What plan?” Her eyes were wide and frantic, pleading with her father for answers.
“Let’s sit down,” he said, guiding her to the couch.
I felt a little awkward listening to their conversation, and wanted to get started. “I’m going to get to work,” I stated.
“Good. Come back in here when you’re finished,” Domenic instructed.
“Will do.” I closed the door behind me, then set my suitcase on the bed and opened it. I took out my protective gear and put it on over my clothes, then started covering the room with plastic, including the walls, furniture, and floor.
I maneuvered Luca’s body to where I could easily break it down before putting my saw together and sliding on my face shield. I pulled out three empty duffel bags and opened them, then set them on the floor next to the body.
I liked to separate the body into two groups: torso and limbs. My routine was to cut off the arms, legs, and head, put them in a duffel bag, then put the torso in a second bag. That typically worked for most cleans, but sometimes I had to do more if the body was larger.
Once I got the body packed up, I cleaned up my saw and put it away before gathering all the plastic from the room and putting it in the last duffel bag.
I grabbed my cleaning supplies from my suitcase and started spraying all the surfaces and wiping them down. Then, I got to work on the blood on the floor.
When I was finished, I did one last sweep of the room before packing up the rest of my supplies and zipping up my suitcase.
I took off my gloves and tossed them in the bag with the plastic, then slipped on another pair.
I definitely didn’t want to leave my prints anywhere in case the suite became a crime scene, so I was overly cautious.
Then, I opened the door and put all the bags outside in the hall. Domenic was still sitting on the couch, but his daughter wasn’t with him anymore.
“Finished, sir,” I announced.
He stood up and forced a smile. “Let me take a look.”
The mob boss entered the bedroom and walked around, surveying my work. I’d been a cleaner for over a decade, so I was confident in the completed job.
“Looks good, as always.” The smile Domenic gave me was more natural and relaxed, and the tension in his face had eased some. He put his arm around my shoulder as he said, “There is one more thing I need from you.”
He guided me to the couch like he had done with his daughter. We sat down and he clasped his hands together in front of him, casually resting his elbows on his knees. “The young lady you met earlier was my daugher, Gianina. She just married Luca earlier today.”
Shit. The pieces of the puzzle of what had happened started coming together.
“He got a little too rough, and my daughter defended herself. Unfortunately for him, she knows her way around a knife.”
A smirk curved my lips. A woman with those kind of skills was my kind of woman.
Too bad she was untouchable.
“My dilemma now is protecting my daughter. Once the Sorellos find out what happened, a war will start. Luckily, they were due to leave on their honeymoon tomorrow for a week so that buys me some time.”
He made eye contact, holding my gaze. “This is where you come in. I need you to take my daughter to that cabin you have in the mountains.”
I tensed. How the hell does he know about my cabin? Before I responded, I tried to think of the right wording so that I didn’t piss off the most powerful man in New York. He could have me buried with the body I’d just cleaned up for him before the night was over.
“Sir, that really isn’t something I do.”
He nodded. “I know. That’s why I’m going to pay you double. And if you keep her safe, I’ll give you a half million dollars on top.”
My jaw dropped. That was life-changing money, but I didn’t want to babysit a mob boss’s daughter. I didn’t know the girl, but most like her were spoiled and entitled. “I’m not sure I’m the right man for this, Mr. Genovese. I’ve never hid or protected someone like this before. Why me?”
He shrugged. “I’ve known you for a long time, kid. I know your father. You’ve both done good work for me, and I feel like I can trust you. That’s hard to come by in my line of work. And the less people that know about what happened, the better.”
Uncomfortable, I rubbed the back of my neck. “Don’t you have bodyguards for this type of thing? Someone trained?”
Chuckling, he clapped me on the shoulder. “Well, when Luca’s death is discovered, I will need all my men at my side.”
I nodded, knowing he would need every one of his guys for the battle to come. “Okay. I’ll do my best.”
“Good.” He squeezed my shoulder tightly, almost to the point it was painful. “You protect her with your life or else you’ll end up like Luca. Only your death won’t be quick.”
I knew his threat wasn’t an empty one, and even though a lump formed in my throat, I held my head up high. I didn’t want to risk my life for a stranger, but I had no choice. You didn’t say no to Domenic Genovese and live to tell about it. “Understood, sir.”
He let go and clapped his hands together. “Great. I’ll have Gia get her stuff together and then you can be on your way. I’ll get your pay, plus some extra for any expenses you may need.”
I nodded. “Thank you, sir.”
Mr. Genovese knocked on the closed room his daughter had emerged from earlier. A few seconds later, she opened the door. “Are you ready?”
She let out an exasperated sigh, but nodded. “Yes.”
“Good.” He stepped aside to let her come out, and she pulled a large, designer suitcase behind her. I stopped myself from rolling my eyes. “You do everything Enzo tells you. I don’t want you giving him any shit. His job is to protect you, so you will do as he says.”
A smirk curved my lips as she rolled her eyes. “Yes, Dad.” Her tone was laced with sarcasm and annoyance.