by DJ Parker
“Yes, we can do that. Ok, Ms. Sinn that transaction is completed. Can I help you with anything else today?” she asked, as she handed me the transaction receipt and my I.D.
“Is there anything that can be done today? Because I really need the money to make a payment at my school, and I really need it by Monday morning,” I pleaded again, hoping that my lie would provide a loophole.
“Let me ask my supervisor a question. Please wait one moment, Ms. Sinn,” she said, as she went into the back room.
Looking down at my phone, I responded back to Victoria’s text message about attending a frat party on campus. I made an excuse as to why I didn’t want to go out tonight. After trying to convince me through a series of text messages, I told her that I would think about it if my cramps subsided. Last night, I tossed and turned in bed, plagued by dreams of Andriano doing masterful things to my body. Needless to say, I wanted this man in the worst possible way. Maybe, I should invest in a dildo, I almost announced out loud.
“Actually, Ms. Sinn, there is something that we can do. You can write a check in that amount and make it out to your school. Do you have a checkbook, or would you need a bank check?”
Again defeated, I acknowledged this option with the perkiest smile and said, “I have my checkbook at home. I’ll have to bring it in first thing on Monday. Thank you again.”
“You’re welcome. Can I assist you with anything else today?”
“No, you have been more than helpful today. Bye,” I said, leaving her station. As I walked to the train station, I sent a text to Andriano, asking him to meet me at Columbia University in an hour.
Andriano
“Two words: Car dealerships. The profit from each dealership is guaranteed to be seven figures within the first two months. We can start off with one on each borough,” said Seamus O’Brien, our Irish American business associate.
“How many cars will be on each lot?” asked Nicolai dubiously, as he eyed Seamus’ cool demeanor. Like most of our family members and members of our alliances, Nicolai did not trust anyone who was not of traditional Italian bloodlines stretching back to Italy. In fact, he whole-heartedly believed that any outsider would only bring about the collapse of our empire. Nonetheless, the O’Brien’s and the Balducci’s have conducted business together since they arrived through Ellis Island and settled in The Five Points of the central lower area of Manhattan. Seamus and his predecessors have yet to be deceitful or pose a threat to our empire.
“Well, that depends on the demographics of each borough. Luxury car dealerships should be in wealthier areas, and used car dealerships will be in middle-class areas,” said Seamus casually, as he handed a blueprint to each of us.
Sitting at a round table in an abandoned warehouse on Staten Island, the four elder Balducci men, my cousins, Donald Spillmore, Seamus, and I discussed the new business venture. We never took chances on audibly announcing our meeting locations, mainly for security purposes. Our meetings have been held in far more undesirable places, such as Dominican hair salons and Catholic churches. We never held meetings in the same place more than two times. Every two months, on the first Saturday of the month, we have a meeting with our family accountant and associates. Every six months, we held meetings with our payroll representatives and constituents.
La Cosa Nostra, which is the name of our organization, consisted of the five families in New York. The Balducci, the Pistone, the DaVecchio, the Salmieri, and the Capparelli family united together to form this unit over seventy years ago. Of the five families, the Balducci family makes up the largest sector and holds the most power. The eldest male from each original family held a seat on the commission board. Andriano Balducci, Senior, is the Don and boss; Salvatore Balducci is the underboss, Agostino Balducci is the consigliere, and six members hold the capo position. Ciro, Nicolai, Battista, Vincenzo, and I are all capos. We all had to start out as an associate and move up the chain of command to be soldiers and now capos. None of us received special treatment because of our father’s positions. In order to be a made man, who held the position as a boss, we all had to commit crimes and display the ability to make money. I am next in line to be the successor of my father, the Don. There were specific protocols that needed to be followed before anyone could enter the meeting. With top of the line electronic equipment installed the night before, our highly paid IT staff disables all electronics and disengages all possible bugs or wiretaps by using advanced warfare technology.
“Well, Seamus, this appears to be an attractive business investment that I will look into further. I will announce my decision at our next meeting,” said Andriano Balducci, Senior, in his rich, thick Italian accent. All eyes went to the man who spoke—a man who appeared to be a shadow of his former self. The once proud, tall ruthless strong man now had sunken shoulders, pale blotchy skin, and watery eyes. His once thick sumptuous hair, that he had always kept neatly trimmed and slicked back, was now thin and stringy.
“Thank you, Don Balducci,” said Seamus as he stood and bowed respectfully to my father. Our Lieutenant escorted him out of the building while we continued the rest of our meeting.
“Andriano, mio nipote (my nephew). Quale fu la risposta della famiglia Capparelli durante il vostro viaggio per l'Italia? (What was the response of the Capparelli family while on your trip to Italy?)” asked Ciro, the senior capo, and the youngest out of the four elder Balducci brothers. He was also my favorite uncle, mainly because of the vigor of the violence that he inflicted on anyone who even looked at his family the wrong way.
“Ah yes, they are in agreement with our decision to have the formal engagement on September 9th,” I answered. While in Italy, I spent the first two days consulting with the Capparelli’s family. In order to marry Josephine, I had to murder an enemy of the Capparelli’s family to prove the Balducci’s loyalty and belief in our uniting together as a family. I spent the last two days of my trip locating and executing our target.
Chapter Fourteen
Andriano
Simone: Can you meet me in an hour in front of Columbia University?
Andriano: Bella mia, meet me in front of The Pierre Towers on East 61st at 4PM?
Simone: No, I’m going to be busy at that time. But, I can drop it off tomorrow before 10AM.
Feeling jealousy seep through my pores, I looked over her text again before responding. I had to collect my thoughts and pace the room to avoid driving over to her campus, walking into her dorm building, and doing what the law would consider kidnapping. Although it was noon, Chef Reed needed at least two hours to prepare a meal. I have to convince her to come over by any means necessary.
Andriano: I’m not free tomorrow. I have to oversee a project here at The Pierre Towers. You can drop the money off at 2:00.
Simone: Is Jacob ok?
Andriano: Come over, and I will tell you what happened to him. Ciao bella mia.
Simone: No, and please stop calling me “my beautiful.”
Andriano: Parli Italiano?
Simone: I took it in high school. I only remember a few words. What happened to him?
Andriano: I will have to refresh your memory sometime bella mia. Can you please come over at 2:00? I’ll leave you alone for good, as soon as you drop off the money.
Simone: Fine, I’ll see you at 2:00.
The ringing of the doorbell broke my attention away from the text message that I sent. I knew that lying to her was the only way that she would agree to meet me. Opening the door, I let Chef Reed come inside and retreated back into my room to take a shower. After showering, I glanced at the electronic clock plastered on the wall. Fuck, I only have 20 minutes to get dressed.
The custom-made walk-in closet appeared after I pressed the button to slide the wall that led into my private room. I chose to wear black slacks, a black cashmere shirt, and all black Jimmy Choo dress shoes. Keeping the jewelry light, I put on my thin yellow diamond rope chain and yellow diamond laced Rolex watch. Lightly spraying some cologne as a finishing touch, I looked
at myself in the mirror before heading into my office. Turning on the large computer screen, I typed my passcode and completed a fingerprint scan before I accessed The Pierre Tower’s entrance and outside cameras.
I observed her, bella mia, through the video image. She was on the phone, pacing back and forth with what appeared to be a fiery conversation based on her vivacious arm movement, the shaking of her head, and her overall body language. Looking down at my phone, I saw that it was five minutes to 2 o’clock. I became numb as I thought about how inoperable this woman made me feel. I never before had to do anything to get a woman’s attention; yet, she was different. She wore cool grey sweatpants, white Nike sneakers, and a black waist length jacket with a matching cool grey hoodie underneath. She left her long tresses out as the wind blew through her thick strands. She looked incredibly sexy, as much as she had probably attempted to downplay her look. Anything that she puts on her body only hugs her sexy frame, with her ass and hips poking out.
She ended her conversation and called me at exactly 2 o’clock. Instead of answering, I paged the doorman, Earl, to tell her to go up to the penthouse. She seemed apprehensive at first, as she decided to call me two more times and sent a text message to me before she entered the lobby. I watched her every move, through the lobby cameras, as she put her hand in her jacket pocket and withdrew a silver object while Earl was not looking. She held it against her side and casually slid it up her sleeve midway. As she entered the second set of glass doors, I sent her a text to allow Earl to bring her up to the penthouse. After tipping Earl generously, Simone fidgeted with the object in her sleeve.
“Please come inside,” I said, as I moved to the side for her to walk through. She stood still and shook her head slightly, as she scrambled to look in her black bag. She pulled out a check and held it in my direction.
“Um…here is the check,” she said nervously.
Looking down at her hand, I envisioned her fingers wrapped around something other than a check. Bringing my eyes back to her face, I stared at her sexy lips that yearned to be tugged on, in between kissing her.
“Come inside. You could put your knife away, too,” I said, as I walked away from the door and headed towards the kitchen to check on the progress of our food. Chef Reed was my only friend outside of La Cosa Nostra, and he became my personal chef. We met when I first came back from Italy six years ago. Although Reed was older than me by four years, we quickly bonded.
Reed was an undiscovered genius when it came to cooking, and he was the most honest and down to earth person that I had ever met. He never tried to pry his way into my business. He was never judgmental, and he never raised his eyebrows at even the most suspicious things that occurred over the years. Reed had taught me something that I would forever value: humanity. Although Reed was shielded from my lifestyle, we became business partners. When Reed developed a plan to open a restaurant, I became a silent partner under another alias name and funded the exclusive upscale restaurant.
Reed traveled all over the world in order to master the art of preparing the multi-ethnic cuisine. Even though during the week I ate at different restaurants with my associates, Chef Reed came on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. He prepared breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sunday was reserved for my family dinners in New Jersey at my parent’s house. Light footsteps trailed into the kitchen as Chef Reed and I both looked up at my bella mia.
“Do you like French cuisine?” I asked her as I sat on top of one of the counters in my massive state of the art kitchen.
“I’ve never had the privilege of eating French food. Here is your check,” she said, as she tensely walked towards me with her arm stretched forward.
“Simone Sinn, I would like you to meet my friend, Chef Reed. He has prepared our meal for us in the limited time frame that you gave him,” I said, as I hopped off the counter and ignored her.
“It is nice to meet you,” said Chef Reed, as he looked up and gave Simone a warm smile. “I hope that you enjoy these dishes that Andriano and I picked out.”
Chapter Fifteen
Simone
How the hell did this man get me to sit down in front of a plate and allow Chef Reed to serve us our first dish? I thought.
“You look beautiful today,” Andriano said, as he stared at me from across the wide marble island. The island was set up for two, with square plates accented with silver rims, steel utensils, two wine glasses, and two bottles of white wine.
Scoffing, I diverted my attention to Chef Reed, a pleasantly short handsome African American man who had a bionic prosthetic arm and hand attached to his left shoulder. I was amazed at how masterfully he prepared all of the meals, despite his handicap. He was the only reason why I was sitting down and awaiting our food. Grabbing my phone, I sent a quick text to Victoria, letting her know that I wouldn’t be able to go out tonight. She sent a sad face and asked why.
Clearing his throat, Andriano stared boldly at me before saying, “I hope that you canceled your plans, because Chef Reed has many dishes for us to try.”
Reaching in my sweater pocket, I pulled out the folded check and slid it across the island and left it along the side of his plate. “Thank you, but no thank you,” I said before leaning back and placing both of my hands on my lap. Ignoring the check, Andriano’s transparent eyes never wavered as he lustfully watched my every move. A look that was all too familiar…he wanted me.
Inhaling sharply, I started to get up, but quietly sat back down when Chef Reed presented us with the first dish. Chef Reed explained the first dish, but I failed to listen to anything that he said as my eyes feasted on the exquisite arrangement that exuded a mouth-watering aroma.
My first bite of food filled my mouth with delicious flavors that I was not accustomed to. Chef Reed bought out three different dishes before he presented us with our entrées and left the loft after I thanked him profusely for cooking. By that time, we were working on our second bottle of white wine, and I was more relaxed as I conversed with Andriano.
“I bet that your family is proud that you are going into medicine,” he said, with a gleam of pride in his own eyes.
“My grandmother is. I’m not sure how my mother or stepfather feel about it,” I responded quietly. “What happened to Jacob?” I asked, not wanting to beat around the bush any longer.
“He’s still breathing, for now. What does your family do?” he asked smoothly.
“How can you sit there and have no remorse for what you did to him?” I asked, ignoring his question. “That was a cowardly act to attack him like that. He was only trying to protect me,” I explained.
Andriano’s face became tense as if I had struck a nerve with my comment. He dropped his utensils and sat back, as his tense muscles flexed. His ears became red, as his furrowed eyebrows reflected the anger that was taking over all the features on his face. His eyes were intermittently blinking, and they became dark and gloomy. After a few minutes of silence, he casually said, “He’s been compensated. You need to move on.” He took a sip of his wine and finally relaxed. A few seconds later, his eyes reverted back to their original color.
“What do your parents do?” he asked, repeating the same question that he had asked earlier.
“My mother is a home health aide, and my stepfather is a handyman. What about your family?” I asked, in hopes of changing the subject.
“We are in the contracting business,” he said simply without blinking.
“You must be successful if you own a nightclub and a restaurant, and if you live in this place,” I said, as I diverted my attention to the features in the large kitchen.
“Why New York?” he asked curtly, as he reversed the subject to be back on me.
“Um…I…ah—got a scholarship to my first choice for college,” I said, although there was more to the answer. I had received a full scholarship at my state school too, but I needed to escape. I couldn’t remain under the same roof with my mother and stepfather. They were both suffocating in their own right, and I knew that t
here had to be a better life outside of our little apartment. In essence, I was running away from the woman that my mom had become. I was searching for a better role model of womanhood.
“Bella mia…” he said softly.
Snapping out of my thoughts, I looked up at him. “Huh? I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“Tell me some more about yourself,” he said, as his lips formed a slight smile that revealed bright white teeth.
“Can I ask you something?” I asked.
Leaning forward and resting his elbows on the surface, he said, “Ask me anything.”
“How did you get my cell phone number and my bank account number? And, please, don’t lie to me,” I said, as I adjusted myself on the seat to prepare for the whirlwind answer that I was sure to get.
His confidence never wavered, as he answered laconically, “Your cell phone.”
“My cell phone? How does that explain how you retrieved my information?” I asked as I leaned forward.
“I got all that I needed to know from your cell phone,” he said, before putting a forkful of food into his mouth.
“And?” I asked, assuming that there was more to the answer.
“And what?” he simply asked.
“How did you get my phone number and account number?”
“The night of the Christmas party, I went back upstairs to look for you. I went into your room and saw your cell phone charging on the nightstand,” he said. Then he paused before he continued. “You know, you should really put a password on your phone,” he said confidently, with a smirk on his sexy pink lips.
Standing up, I proceeded to walk away, furious that my privacy had been invaded. I grabbed my coat and bag and headed towards the front door. Feeling a tug on my hand, my body turned around and was overpowered by Andriano’s solid masterpiece build. He pressed my back against the wall and invaded my mouth with his vigorous kisses. The moment his juicy tongue slid in between my lips was the moment that I knew that I was trapped. I’m addicted, I wanted to confess when he allowed me to briefly suck in some air before he relentlessly attacked my mouth again. My bag hit the floor with a slight thud, as I grabbed a fistful of the front of his shirt.