7. Carmine
Carmine
For the past few days, Kylie’s question has echoed in my head like a record on repeat.
What I wanted to say was yes, Noa was going to marry me; instead, my mouth stayed shut because of the shock and fear on Noa’s angelic face.
I’m not sure what she was afraid of, but we were saved from answering when Becky joined us in the kitchen as a timer binged.
The kids’ attention was diverted by her pulling individual-sized brownies from the oven for dessert, which led them to talk about the best toppings. Noa’s relief was visceral.
Kylie had forgotten about her question, but from the way Joey side-eyed me all night, I know he didn’t. The boy doesn’t trust me one bit, and I don’t blame him. He’s protecting his mom and sisters, with good reason.
We have plans after school tonight. I’ll pick them all up from their apartment and take them to dinner at Rusty’s Pizzeria, which has an arcade, a dessert bar, and other things that boggle my mind. Odette and Malice insist it’s the place for younger kids to go and have fun.
Before that, however, Vincent Malone and his father, Carlisle, are scheduled to make an appearance at my home office. Checking my watch, I notice they’re already five minutes late, and my annoyance grows.
Cracking my knuckles while getting to my feet and rolling my neck to work the kinks out, I can hear Jermaine beyond the closed door, cursing and pacing back and forth. Tardiness pisses him off almost as much as it does me.
My office door swings open, and in marches Jer with Holy and Malice, looking every bit as riled up as their father.
“What?” I snap, having no patience for these games.
“Vincent called, said they’re just leaving now, and Carlisle won’t be joining him,” Jer explains, but there’s something in his tone.
Malice snarls out, “Because he was found in the fucking Hudson this morning. Bullet between his eyes.”
“Jesus.” I suspected that the little fucker wanted his old man to retire; I didn’t think he’d have the balls to off him, though.
“He’s trying to make moves.” Holy’s casual stance would piss off many men, but I happen to know that the calmer he is, the more deadly.
“Then we’ll give him a reminder of who runs this city.” My vow holds the promise of pain and humiliation, and a plan begins to form. “How long until he’s here, Jermaine?”
“Thirty minutes, give or take. What are you thinking?” He raises a brow.
“A taste of his own medicine from our visit with him. Only our soldiers aren’t afraid of him.” My eyes drag towards Holy and Malice, and from the look on my son-in-law’s face, he anticipates scaring the hell out of Vincent.
“We’ll remain in here, out of sight,” Malice grins, while Holy shakes his head at his younger sibling.
The two men move to the back of the room, where a hidden doorway lies behind one of the large bookshelves.
With the click of an inconspicuous button on a lower shelf, the panel slides to the side, far enough for them to slip through the opening.
The passage runs to the kitchen, and I remember the days when our little ones would all use it to spy on us in their younger years.
It wasn’t until they became teens that I revealed we had always known they were in there by a flashing light under my desk.
I wonder how Joey would like it. It seems like something he might be inquisitive about. It would probably freak out Kylie and Emma because of the dark.
“You’re thinking about her,” Jer states quietly. “It’s going to distract you.” He’s likely not wrong.
Instead of responding, I take a step out of my office and holler for Dylan.
“Sir?” He pops up from around the corner. The man is always close by.
“When Vincent arrives, ensure he’s settled in here with a warm reception.” Without hesitation, he agrees, and Jermaine walks with me to the back of the house, just off the kitchen, where the security suite is located.
It’s not often I turn on the cameras in my office, and they never record, but I’d like to watch the younger man squirm before Malice and Holy make their appearance first.
“What’s the plan, Car? Feels like you’re leaving a lot to chance and intimidation.” His skepticism is why he’s my right-hand man.
“Vincent believes he’s leaving here with an empire today. An empire our families have spent a century building with precision and hard work. He’s about to learn just how hard we play when threatened.”
“I do enjoy serving lessons.” He’s getting it now. “You know he’ll try coming at us bigger and bolder afterwards, right?”
“Very likely.”
I unlock a credenza door, punch in the safe code, and show Jer the brick of cocaine I’ve been saving for such an occasion as this. “It’ll be hard once the police find a few of these babies hidden around his home in the morning.”
“How long have you been planning this?” It’s not often I’m able to shock my friend.
“Since I heard he was taking over for Carlisle.” That was nearly a year ago, and Carter O’Neill has been a huge help in securing the amount of drugs I’ll need to send the entire Malone organization to prison for a very long time.
“You’re clean?” he asks. I shoot him an annoyed look, and he raises his hands. “Just need to be sure.”
Carter has a few trusted men ready to slip into Vincent’s home and plant the evidence once he’s here. This brick will make its way into the man’s car after he arrives here as well. Dylan has been instructed on what to do after we’ve locked ourselves inside my office with the intolerable man.
My phone vibrates in my pocket. Assuming it’s one of my security people letting me know that Vincent is here, I ignore it until it vibrates again. Pulling out the device, I see it’s a message from my middle daughter.
Aura: Hi Daddy, I wanted to see if we could have dinner tonight?
I raise a brow, not being used to her extending the invitation to me. Which makes my response more difficult.
Me: I have dinner plans already.
Aura: Oh, okay.
Me: Join us. You can come here or I can pick you up or you can meet us there?
Aura: I don’t want to intrude.
The girls have all been pushing me to date for years, and she likely assumes that’s what this is.
Me: You wouldn’t be. I’d love to have you there with us.
Aura: You’re sure?
Me: Positive. Just let me know how you want to get there and I’ll make it happen.
Aura: Meet you there?
Me: Sounds good. We’ll be there at six.
A few minutes after sending her the address, she texts back laughing emojis, and I figure she’s looked it up. She probably has a million questions but asks nothing more.
My phone buzzes again, this time from my security guard a block away, announcing Vincent’s arrival.
“Game time,” I say, then text Malice the same thing.
Dylan’s calm steps echo in the silence of the house as he heads to the front door to greet our guests before the doorbell rings. As they exit their vehicles, he messages me with how many men Vincent has brought along. Three cars and eight men.
“Fucking wimps these days,” I mutter, sharing the message with Jer. He looks just as disgusted as I feel.
We hear Dylan acting the perfect host as requested, offering drinks and snacks to everyone while letting them know I’ll be along shortly. Which isn’t true. We aren’t moving until the drugs are in place and everyone is out clean. I give Carter the signal; he’ll instruct his men to move.
Dylan looks mighty annoyed as he closes my office doors and meets us in the kitchen.
“Nobody can just do business these days,” he grouses while filling a pitcher with water and grabbing the plastic cups I keep for my grandson.
“They want to act like children; I’ll treat them as such.
” He then grabs the box of Goldfish crackers I’d stocked up on for Emma after noticing how much she enjoyed them the other night.
We stay out of the man’s way as he moves around the kitchen before exiting. Sharing a look, Jer and I go back to the security office to watch Vincent and his men’s reaction when Dylan enters my office with the drinks and snack, snarkily instructing them not to make a mess.
Vincent fumes, and a minute later, my phone blows up with messages. I ignore him, waiting to hear from Dylan and Carter. Dylan takes minutes, and we watch Malice and Holy re-enter my office and remain in the shadows, ready to assist however I please.
Twenty minutes later, the box of Goldfish is empty, and Carter has informed me that his men are in the clear.
“Our turn.” I share a look with Jermaine as we stride towards my office.
The opening of the door startles all the men in the room. They draw their weapons, not lowering them until Vincent lets out a little chuckle to cover their blunder.
“Jumpy,” Jer comments, drawing grumbles from our guests.
Meeting Malice’s gaze, I subtly shake my head so he doesn’t come forward. They need to remain in the background for now.
“Sit.” My frigid tone is like ice in the room. Everyone does as I demand except Vincent. It’s amusing to see him look unsure of himself while his men fall in line. “I don’t appreciate the disrespect from our first meeting, and certainly not in my own home.”
He swallows as I slowly move around my desk to sit in the leather wingback chair, custom-made for me. Jermaine moves to the sideboard filled with glasses and liquor and pours us both a couple of fingers of our favorite aged whiskey, neat.
“A little crowded in here, don’t you think?” Jermaine’s gaze wanders from man to man, making each of them shift uncomfortably.
“Perhaps a few of you could wait outside,” I suggest. “This meeting shouldn’t be too long now.
” Shared looks go around the room before, one by one, they stand and follow my request. Vincent doesn’t appear quite as confident as he was in his home.
Six of them clear out, and I have no doubt that Dylan will escort them outside.
As much as the man annoys me, he can read my mind on the worst of days. “Much better, don’t you think?”
“Immensely,” Jer agrees with a smug look on his face.