[Made Men 6] The Root of All Evil

by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  “I’m good. How are you feeling?” He ran his hand along the back of her head.

  She smiled. “All better. No more headaches or ringing in my ears. What are you doing here? Night off?”

  “Unfortunately, no. I’m with Logic. We’re entertaining some business associates of the bosses. You know, showing the hot places to hang out and pick up gorgeous chicks.” He winked.

  She chuckled.

  “Hey, who’s your friend, Giada?” Donata asked, coming up behind her.

  Royce checked her out and winked.

  “This is Royce.”

  “Well, come on over and join us, Royce,” Donata said.

  “He isn’t alone. He’s here on business with some friends.”

  “Then grab them and have them come over, too. We don’t bite,” Donata stated and winked.

  Royce chuckled and looked at Giada. “We don’t have to if you’re uncomfortable with it.”

  “Why would I be uncomfortable?”

  He stared at her. “The bosses. The fact I work for them.”

  “I’m not getting your concern, Royce. We know one another. You’re here with friends, and so am I, and we’re hanging out having drinks. What does it have to do with your bosses?”

  “I just want you to know that I’m not hitting on you. I wouldn’t mess with the bosses and what they want.”

  She squinted at him. Just then Logic and four businessmen, all very good-looking, approached. Royce introduced her as Logic kissed her cheek hello.

  “Come on over. I’ll introduce you to my friends,” she said, and as she walked, she heard the guys ask about her, and then Royce and Logic said she was taken.

  Giada couldn’t believe the mixed emotions she felt as the night continued. Her friends were having a ball flirting with the guys, and she was still trying to get over Royce’s and Logic’s comments about her being taken. It made her uneasy, and she wondered what the hell that comment was about. Maybe Royce and Logic just didn’t want the men hitting on her and they were protecting her? A few times Royce and Logic looked at their phones, and one time Logic took a picture of her and her friends, who posed.

  When she walked over to the bar to grab another drink, some guys started flirting, and one of them was very handsome. She started talking to him until Royce came up behind her, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her away. She felt guilty for some strange reason, and instead of confronting them, she kept quiet and wound up staying put by the table.

  The guys who were business friends Royce and Logic had to entertain were actually very nice and pretty funny, but Giada felt out of sorts. So when she glanced at her watch and saw it was after 1 a.m., she said she needed to head out because she was teaching a class in the morning. Royce told her to wait up a minute and started a whole other conversation with her, making her gut clench and think that he was stalling or trying to get her to stay a little longer. Then she saw Royce nod and smile at someone behind her. When she turned around, she hadn’t expected to see Train, one of the Coglonies’ guards, show up saying he was giving her a ride home.

  “What are you talking about? I don’t need a ride home,” she said to Train and Royce.

  “You got one, sweetheart. Are you ready?” Train asked.

  He was kind of scary. He had big, wide shoulders; scruff along his cheeks and chin; tattoos that peeked out from the collar of his shirt; and an expression that warned her to do as he said. He was just as intimidating as the three men he worked for. She thought about Dominick, Giuseppe, and Andreas. Her jaw dropped.

  “You were texting them, weren’t you? They called you, Train, to come here and to give me a ride home, didn’t they?” she asked, raising her voice and putting her hands on her hips.

  All three men looked down at her.

  “They just want to make sure you get home safely,” Train said to her and stared down at her with an expression like “So what? Just listen and do what they say.”

  She growled low, shook her head, and turned around to say good night to her friends. They were immersed in conversation and laughter with the businessmen, not even noticing what was going on with her. Thank God, because she would never hear the end of this.

  “Hey, I’m heading out. I have a class in the morning. You ladies be sure to grab the taxi together,” she said to them.

  They carried on, complaining about her leaving and saying to her how so many guys were checking Giada out that she didn’t need to go home alone. She cringed just imagining the report the Coglonie guards would give their bosses.

  “Behave,” she warned them, and they laughed. She got kisses and hugs good night, including from Logic and Royce, and then Train guided her out of the bar.

  She was certain that he’d noticed the men checking her out, smiling and even asking where she was going, but one stern look from Train and the guys raised their hands up and turned away. When she got outside she saw the bouncers, and by the sidewalk was a Range Rover, running, with black-tinted windows.

  “I really don’t need a ride home. I’m perfectly capable of getting a cab, taking the subway or bus.”

  He shook his head. “Why do that when you have Brew and me?” he asked, and then she realized Brew was driving. Another guard of the Coglonie men. She exhaled in annoyance as he opened the side door of the Range Rover and she got inside.

  “Hey, Giada. How are you, honey?” Brew asked and winked.

  “Hi, Brew. Sorry your bosses dragged you out for no reason. I hope you weren’t in the middle of something.”

  Train got into the front seat.

  “No, just cruising and getting ready to end shifts. How was the bar?”

  “Crowded,” Giada said.

  “Boring. Too many assholes to keep count,” Train said to him as Brew pulled into traffic and headed toward her apartment building.

  She lived in a decent place on the east side of Manhattan. She had security and an apartment too big for one person but more than enough room to entertain. She made good money, had worked really hard for it, and had gotten out of Queens as quickly as she could. Uncle Les was still there. She hadn’t heard from him, so hopefully that meant he was staying out of trouble.

  She saw Train texting on his cell phone. “You should tell them thank you for the ride but please don’t make a habit of it. I take care of myself.”

  Train looked over his shoulder at her. “They care, Giada. They worry about you after the attempted abduction and then that dick breaking in and trying to kill you.”

  She felt bad. She knew that situation had affected Andreas a lot. He hadn’t let go of her for quite some time after that, and she even fell asleep in his arms from the painkillers. She sighed. “I suppose so, but none of it had anything to do with me, and that danger is over. I can take care of myself. If I couldn’t, then they would have gotten me into the van.”

  “Maybe,” Brew said.

  Train looked upset. They were nice guys, tough men, and she’d rather have them as friends than enemies, so she should be nice.

  “There are a lot of asshole guys out there. You need to be careful. I saw the way men were looking at you and trying to make moves. You need protection,” Train stated, sounding angry.

  “Well, I appreciate the ride. I guess it’s better than dealing with the people on the subways this time of night or getting a cab and paying a lot.”

  “You’re welcome.” Train winked.

  When they got to her apartment building, they walked her inside and up to her door. She thanked them again and asked them to tell their bosses thanks but that she didn’t need this becoming a habit. They nodded and went on their way.

  When she got into the apartment, that lonely feeling hit her instantly. She could recall when she first moved in here a couple of years ago how independent she’d felt, how proud to afford this place and live upscale in New York City. Then there were the two weeks Andreas, Giuseppe, Dominick, and their guards had hung around the place taking care of her and watching over her. She swore when that
call came in that Rayanna was alive and there was no more danger that the Coglonie men seemed disappointed. She felt it, too, but denied it. There was no way she could be with men like them. She’d been over it a bunch of times. Despite their professions, their ages, and their experiences, it was their sizes that did her in. They could crush her.

  She didn’t even know if they were violent men, men that demanded control from a girlfriend. She didn’t know much, and from what she got a glimpse at while they were here caring for her and listening to them talk about leads and helping Dmitri, they were capable men. They could and would kill to get what they needed or wanted.

  She shook her head and went to get undressed. Why was she thinking about this? About them? It would never work. They weren’t right for her.

  She needed a normal man. A businessman who understood her stresses, who respected her independence and need to make money and work long hours when needed. She didn’t need a man telling her what to do or insisting she stop working and just focus on him—on them. No, she needed normal. The Coglonie men weren’t normal. Despite the attraction she felt and the feelings of lust and need when they were close, she knew it wouldn’t last, and then she would be left all alone once again.

  Not happening. Focus on work. Work never caused these types of problems, worries, and troubles. Work kept her going every day.

  Chapter 3

  “They want to do what?” Giada asked her boss, Monterro Spain.

  “Toro Frane and Alajandro Frane would like to go out to dinner to some club, and they have one in mind that is doing a Latin theme Saturday night. Then they will determine if they feel comfortable with you to have their security do the background check, which, of course, will be determined by whether you and I can get the bosses to lower the percentage rate per account.”

  “This doesn’t seem like a typical business meeting to me.”

  “Giada, they’re young, successful businessmen. They do things differently than older men. Instead of stuffy meeting rooms and upscale dinners with classical music playing, they like action, excitement, loud music—some character to their meetings. My understanding is that both men do a lot of business deals while sitting back having drinks in clubs. Alajandro mentioned a regular booth at Cha Cha Cabana.”

  “That is a pretty upscale nightclub, restaurant, and bar. It’s a multilevel place, one of the hardest clubs to get into.”

  “See, you’re young like they are. We older guys can’t keep up with that. I wouldn’t even know how to get out on a dance floor and cha-cha.”

  She laughed. “I suppose you’re right. I just hope it isn’t awkward. I mean dinner, discussing the particulars for this deal, and then dancing? I’m a little unsure.”

  “Giada, you heard them say the amount of money and the multiple accounts they are interested in opening with this company. You’re meeting with Davis in an hour, and I’m certain he’ll tell you about the bonus you’ll get if you land this deal. It will work out fine. You’ll see.”

  She was nervous as she waited to meet with Davis Saks, one of the main owners of Saks & Cain, to discuss these new clients and what the bank could offer them. It was a lot of money, and she felt that some sort of special deal could be made to accommodate the two businessmen.

  Giada had a bit of an uneasy feeling still, but it was minimized an hour and a half later as she sat in the main headquarters in Davis Saks’s office and discussed her bonus and the opportunity of a new position as liaison negotiating between Saks & Cain and potential high-end clients.

  “Monterro was quite impressed with your negotiating skills at the lunch meeting with Frane and Miguel. He said that you jumped right in securing the potential deal and really made a connection with the clients. That’s what we want here at Saks and Cain. If you can pull this off, then the liaison position is yours. There’s a list of business people we’d like to snag for business here. It would mean fewer hours at the desk and more negotiating terms, pampering clients, and making them feel that personal touch beyond other banks. I think you would be great, Giada. You have a likable personality, and you’re sweet, soft-spoken, professional, and attractive. People like that.”

  “I appreciate the compliments and the opportunity, sir. You do realize the amount of money these men want to secure in our bank here, don’t you?” she asked.

  “I do. That’s why I’m so thrilled. I’m confident that you can secure this deal.”

  “It looks promising. Is there more we can offer them, though?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean a more reasonable arrangement. The fees we place on normal accounts shouldn’t apply to accounts this large.”

  “I’ve thought about that. There is something we offer very few customers. Monterro came up with it a while back, and perhaps these men may fit the criteria.”

  “What would that be, Mister Saks?” she asked.

  “A private customer label. We have one customer who has been with us for several years now. It was before you came on board and Monterro was working with new potential customers. This individual had a lot of money he needed to secure. Like Mister Frane and Mister Miguel, we negotiated lower rates. However, monitoring the accounts more often was part of the deal. It ensured that they weren’t ripped off and we made a great profit from this deal. You see, whatever the largest amount of money was in the account in the year that was what we received ten percent on.”

  “They agreed to that?”

  “Sure did, Giada, because this particular man had five accounts with us, and there was so much money being secured, transferred in and out to overseas accounts, withdrawn, reinvested, et cetera, that if we just went to check and apply the fee when we had the opportunity and permission, the client could make sure his account was much lower, making us lose money. It is a negotiated deal that has worked for the last several years.”

  “That is pretty impressive, and obviously, the bank has made a nice profit. From what these men are stating in the amount of funds they want secured here at the bank, this is a no-brainer to offer them this private customer deal, is it not?”

  He leaned back and stared at her. She felt a little uneasy.

  “It is. The thing is I don’t want this kind of offer getting out to other people. You must ensure that they don’t share this deal with anyone and make it look like it was created just for them.”

  “That makes sense. It’s legit, and nothing illegal is being done here.”

  “Of course nothing illegal is being done. We wouldn’t be in business if there ever was. We simply provide the security and safety for clients’ money. Let me go over the details with you and what you can offer them when you go out for dinner and dancing with them.”

  “You heard about that?” she asked, feeling embarrassed.

  “Oh, yes, I did. I think it’s a great idea. They are young businessmen and supposedly have a regular table at some Cuban hotspot club. That alone costs big bucks. Definitely don’t seem to do business old-school ways in offices, at restaurants, or whatever like I used to do.” He chuckled.

  She felt a little less uneasy at his outlook toward this meeting. As he went over the idea of offering the private client deal, she felt more comfortable with the upcoming meeting and confident she could get Alajandro and Toro to accept this deal. In fact, she had a feeling they would be thrilled.

  “So good luck tonight. Can’t wait to hear the good news tomorrow of a successful contract.”

  She walked out feeling numb and enthusiastic. She could do this. She could go out to dinner, discuss the business, and dance a little. She loved dancing and was very good at Latin and Brazilian dancing, which she knew was a great night at Club Magique. Knowing the owner’s girlfriend was going to be a plus. She needed to call Caprice and ask that Morano, Angelo, or Vito call her.

  * * * *

  The business meeting at Club Magique finally came to an end.

  “Well, that went better than expected,” Mateus said to Major, Morano, Sunny, Vinny, and Domin
ick. Solencio Monteith and Tudoro Garlitto just exited the room.

  “I didn’t think there would be any problems. Everyone wants to make money. As long as you’re willing to give a fair cut to those assisting, then all is good,” Dominick said to them.

  “What about Tudoro’s concerns about the Torres family and stepping on their toes?” Morano asked.

  “I don’t foresee it as a problem because there’s plenty of room for everyone to make money here. Nothing that stated Calvarro owns the cigar and import and exporting businesses across the US. There’s enough money to be made by all,” Mateus said.

  “I don’t like Calvarro or his ways of negotiating. They’re a violent group of people, all of them. You know how I feel about Miami Cortez and those vicious gangbangers he uses,” Dominick said.

  “He’s lucky that the order came down for you not to take him out, Dominick. Miami knows that. He won’t fuck with you, or us, never mind Dmitri Sanclare,” Mateus said to him.

  “We’re still more powerful than they are and have territorial rights. He wants to get pissed off? Then he can start back paying on all the business we’ve allowed him to reap the benefits from all these years. Fedarro and Collin don’t give a fuck, either, about whether Calvarro gets pissed off at our families joining forces and making money. Like we mentioned earlier, he wasn’t exactly jumping on board to assist when Rayanna was missing. Calvarro, as well as at least a dozen other assholes, thought that Puento was going to succeed in destroying Dmitri and us. So fuck him,” Major stated.

  “Agreed, but you still need to play nice. All our paths cross on a regular basis,” Sunny said.

  Dominick looked down at his cell phone as they were all preparing to leave the room. He walked over toward the balcony and the privacy window. From the club, it looked like mirrors, but from up here, he could see everything. His eyes landed on the front entryway and Giada. She looked incredible. She wore a very tight dark-blue dress that hugged her breasts and waist and then flared all around her hips like a skirt, and even from here, he could see every curve of her body and how short that skirt was with her wearing very high heels. She fit right in with the other women coming in to dance the Latin dances and even take lessons. He knew she knew how to dance. His cousin, Andreas, and his brother, Giuseppe, had witnessed her sexy dance moves with her friends. She gained a lot of attention, and he wondered who she was here with. That jealous feeling consumed him.