[Made Men 6] The Root of All Evil

by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  “No, Brew. They planned that.”

  “What the fuck happened?” Train asked as he drove.

  Brew explained. “We can get ice on that hand. You can fix up at your apartment.”

  “No. It’s late. Just go to the club so I can meet my friends.”

  Brew touched her cheek and had his palm against it. He stared down into her eyes. “Your men are going to be fucking pissed.”

  “We took care of it together, Brew. It’s over.”

  “No, it isn’t over. Those two guys are going to suffer serious consequences for what they did to you, the woman of the Coglonie men.”

  “I wouldn’t jump the gun yet, Brew. Perhaps I’m not as important as you think.” She turned away and held her hand to her chest.

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Train asked before Brew could.

  “It means I know what I am to them. I get it, so let’s not sugarcoat it please. Just go to the club. I won’t need clothes from my apartment. I’m staying in my apartment tonight—alone.”

  Brew exhaled, and she didn’t answer his questions or respond to him. She just stared out the window; felt her fingers and hand throbbing; absorbed the pain there and on her arm, which was surely bruised; and welcomed it. Her heart ached with sadness. Could this all be a game? A temporary sexual fling leaving her as used goods so that men like Toro and Alajandro would be the kind of men she’d have to deal with for the rest of her life?

  She felt hollow inside, and the tears rolled down her cheeks, but she wiped them away. She had to be strong. She was going to see her friends and talk to them. Could they be trusted, or would Bella, Caprice, Gisella, and the others tell her that this was life involved with made men? That they could have sex with other women, order them around, and isolate them from everything except what those made men wanted their women to know about? Anger pooled in her belly once more. She wished she were a little taller and had a longer reach. Then her punch would have broken Toro’s nose. He wouldn’t be so good-looking for a while. That was for sure. She clenched her teeth. What was she going to do?

  * * * *

  Calvarro stared at Fedarro as they gathered in the meeting room. The atmosphere was tense, to say the least. Giuseppe, Andreas, and Dominick were remaining straight-faced and not giving up any emotions to read, but Calvarro knew they were pissed. They didn’t have a clue as to what was coming their way.

  “So we have an understanding and agreement of terms?” Fedarro said to Calvarro as they all sat around the meeting room upstairs at Club X.

  Calvarro looked at all of them, at Sunny, Vinny, Dominick, Andreas, Giuseppe, Mateus, and Major.

  “We know when it’s smarter to back down, Fedarro, although the thirty percent is kind of slim considering this was our business we started,” Calvarro said, feeling anger pool in his belly. He hoped that man came through on his promise. It was killing him inside to back down to these fucking men.

  “You need to understand that multiple large families are involved with this operation. We can give a certain amount to ease the pain of your loss, but this isn’t your market. Anyone with connections in Cuba can make these imports happen. We have the power, the resources, and the security to do it right and efficiently. You get to keep control through the small businesses your cousins have established. That’s fair,” Fedarro said to him.

  “Not really, but as you say, there are multiple families involved here, so we’ll accept the thirty percent cut.” Calvarro felt the bile rise in his throat. He couldn’t believe he was accepting this. The end result would be Dominick and Giuseppe dead, so it would be worth it in the end.

  Fedarro stuck out his hand. Calvarro shook it.

  “Join us for a drink?” Fedarro asked.

  Calvarro eyed over Dominick and Giuseppe. “Only if Giada is joining us. That’s one woman I’ll never get enough of looking at. So sweet and some dancer, too. When is Latin night at your place, Morano? I want to see Giada move that body in person.”

  Loppo smirked. The other men all had scowls on their faces.

  “I think it’s time for you to leave,” Andreas stated firmly.

  Calvarro smirked. “We’ll be in touch.”

  Royce and Logic, two of the security guys for the Coglonie men, walked them out. As they headed downstairs, Calvarro caught sight of Giada and her friends leaving the dining area. Her hand was wrapped, and Loppo whispered to him.

  “Toro and Alajandro succeeded in their plan, but it seems Giada has some martial arts skills after all.”

  “Really?” he asked, feeling surprised. She was so petite. He thought the classes she took were for exercise, not technique.

  “We’ll need to keep that in mind for future reference.”

  “Exactly,” Loppo added.

  * * * *

  “That fucking piece of shit. We don’t need him. We should just take him out completely,” Giuseppe stated once Calvarro left the room.

  “He’s a dick. We know that, and he was just trying to get under your skin,” Fedarro said.

  “It worked because he got under mine. I understand you’re upset guys but just remember that Giada is yours and she’s here, safe and sound,” Morano stated. Then someone knocked on the door. Vinny opened it, and Train and Brew entered, looking grim.

  “Logic and Royce are watching over Giada. There was a situation earlier,” Train told them.

  “What situation?” Dominick asked, feeling pissed off.

  “We knew you were in this meeting, so we had to handle it accordingly, and things got out of hand,” Brew said.

  “What happened?” Giuseppe asked.

  Brew explained and then told them what Alajandro and Toro had done and then what he and Giada had done. Dominick was pissed off.

  “Where is she now? Is her hand okay? The bruising?” Giuseppe asked as Andreas began to head toward the door.

  “Wait, Andreas,” Train said.

  Dominick felt his chest tightened.

  “Something happened prior to us leaving her office. We don’t know what, but she was really upset—sad, hurt—and she wouldn’t tell us a thing. Then she looked angry, and I guess when those two assholes made their moves, that anger came out fast. She made some comments about not staying with you guys tonight and staying at her place alone. Just so you know. Something isn’t right,” Brew told them.

  “Damn, what the fuck do you want to do about this?” Fedarro asked.

  “What should we do? Put a full beating on those two assholes and make it known not to fuck with us?” Giuseppe said.

  “Something will have to be done, but not now when the three of you are as furious as you are. You need to talk to Giada. Comfort her, make sure that she’s okay, and find out what happened. Despite Calvarro shaking our hands and saying he was accepting the deal, I don’t believe him or trust him. Alajandro and Toro are his cousins, his family. Something isn’t adding up, and we all need to be on guard—you three especially with Giada. Calvarro knows she’s special to each of you. It could be some sort of trap,” Fedarro told them.

  “I agree completely,” Dominick stated as anger pooled in his belly. The need to see Giada and hold her, comfort her, filled him, yet he held back, not knowing how he would react to seeing her and the bruises.

  He looked at Giuseppe and Andreas. “Make sure that she’s okay. I’ll be down momentarily.” Dominick looked at Fedarro and Mateus.

  The others left the room, leaving just the three of them, Dominick, Mateus, and Fedarro.

  “Did you get that client list of Giada’s?” Dominick asked.

  “We did, Dominick, and I have to say, your suspicions aren’t justified. She’s a good woman. She’s sweet, caring, and she isn’t some sort of plant or trick to destroy you guys and your operations.”

  “Fedarro, you know I have enemies who will go to great lengths to destroy me. They may not have struck in years, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t out there waiting, planning to strike. Giuseppe and I always trust our instincts and act on them ac
cordingly. I had to be sure.”

  “Understood. No names or clients of concern came up. She’s done very well in that company she works for. We took additional steps to ensure we investigated accordingly. We even looked at her secretary, Julia,” Mateus said.

  “And?”

  “She is a little shady. Hangs out at Cha Cha Cabana a lot.”

  “Any connection to Calvarro or his cousin?”

  “Not that we found, but to ease any concern, we put a guy on her. If she goes there, he’ll know who she is in contact with and get back to us,” Mateus said to him.

  Dominick nodded.

  “Dominick, it’s obvious you three love her. Whatever is going on, whatever fears you have, face them and be honest with her. We understand what it feels like, the weakness that forms. Don’t leave her exposed to danger again. Keep her close because, as we all have learned, enemies will go to great lengths to put a knife through our hearts and make us suffer. Going after the women we love is open game for them,” Fedarro told him.

  Dominick nodded. “I will need to deal with Alajandro and Toro accordingly to send a clear message.”

  “Understood. We’ll assist. Mateus is good at causing pain and getting points across.” Fedarro chuckled.

  “I’m pretty damn good at that, too,” Dominick said.

  They smiled.

  “I say put Andreas on it but be sure he doesn’t kill them. We don’t need any cops sniffing around the operation,” Mateus said.

  They all laughed. Andreas was a wild one. He did what he wanted when he wanted. He was an enforcer, the head of security, and more. When it came to women, he didn’t do commitments, just took what he wanted and needed, as women threw themselves at him. He was different with Giada.

  This was real. It meant more, and they needed to get used to this commitment and helping her to understand what her position was as their woman and about the decisions she made. She never should have been at that bar meeting those men. He would make her understand the mistakes she’d made and help her to realize the different mind-set she needed to have.

  * * * *

  Giada had the girls laughing. The guys’ meeting was taking longer than anticipated, and as they were all talking about life being involved with made men and about what had happened to Giada, they drank. By the time their men joined them, all the women were feeling pretty tipsy, Giada included.

  “I can’t believe that you grabbed him by the balls,” Caprice said loudly.

  “No, no, she stroked him first to make him loosen his hold on her inner thigh,” Bella added.

  They all laughed.

  “Holy crap, Giada. You are filled with surprises,” Gisella said.

  They laughed loudly.

  Royce and the other guards were all nearby and in earshot of the conversation, but none of them cared. Giada saw Andreas and Giuseppe approach and then Royce whisper to them, and their expressions hardened even more. Giuseppe came up next to her.

  “Hey, what the hell happened tonight?” he asked her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

  “She kicked ass is what happened,” Caprice said.

  They all started hooting and hollering. Giada smiled and lowered her eyes to her hand. It was red and swollen. She still felt it. “Another shot.”

  They cheered some more.

  “Maybe you need to slow down,” Andreas stated with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

  She made a sound and waved her hand at him. “Nah, I can still feel the pain.” She lifted her hand for Giuseppe to see.

  Giuseppe looked at it. “Shit. Have you been icing it?”

  She leaned back and showed him how the material on her dress was wet. “Yes! And look at this—a wet dress.” She slammed her good hand down on the table, and the others laughed and told her it was okay and it was just water. Then the other men joined their women, and they looked amused, to say the least. Giada wasn’t drunk, but a few more drinks and some shots and she would be. It didn’t numb the pain in her heart either.

  “We need to talk, baby. Come with me,” Giuseppe said to her.

  “No.” She pushed his hand off her shoulder.

  “Giada,” Andreas said her name loudly.

  She stared up at him with all those muscles and that hard, fierce expression. She didn’t feel intimidated. She felt angry. Tears stung her eyes, and he narrowed his eyes at her.

  “Come with us now,” he ordered.

  Bella gave her leg a tap. “They look upset. Go with them,” she whispered.

  Giada squinted. She thought about what Julia had said, about Leslie. She stood and teetered slightly, but then Giuseppe placed his hands on her hips and guided her. She hated that it felt so good, that his touch eased her upset and the fear she had tonight at Carlitto’s and having to defend herself.

  As they passed Andreas, he joined them and walked with them. “Where are you taking me?” she asked as they got into the hallway and toward the elevators.

  “Upstairs to one of the booths,” Andreas said and stroked her hair.

  When they got into the elevator, she stared up at him with anger in her eyes. “So it’s like that then? I’m like the others, Andreas?”

  He squinted at her. “What?”

  She turned away from him as the elevator doors opened, and there stood Fedarro, Mateus, and Dominick.

  “So they’re all in on it? Mateus and Fedarro, too?” she asked.

  “All in on what?” Giuseppe asked.

  “The women you take up here, the ones you hook up with downstairs then bring up here and screw. Then you’re done with them and dismiss them like crap.”

  She walked past them. Andreas grabbed her arm.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “The women, damn you. I heard all about it today. Before I left to meet Alajandro and Toro, I was told about the woman, Leslie, you just hooked up with up here last week. I know about the women, and that you three don’t take this seriously, that I’m just another woman to screw around with, okay?” She raised her voice, and the tears fell.

  “That’s a lie,” Andreas said to her.

  She looked at all of them. “How could you? How could all of you do things like that when your women love you and adore you?”

  “Giada, who told you these things?” Fedarro asked her.

  She stared at him. She knew he was powerful. More so than her men she assumed.

  “Answer him,” Dominick scolded.

  “Julia told me all about her friend Leslie and Andreas and about how all of you cheat on your women you claim are solely yours and that you’re faithful to.”

  “Lies. They’re lies,” Andreas said, scolding her.

  “Mateus,” Dominick said to him, and he looked at Fedarro.

  “We’re on it. Take care of her and make her understand,” Fedarro said, and he and Mateus walked into the elevator and left.

  Andreas grabbed her arm where the bruising was. She gasped and pulled back as he released her, realizing it hurt.

  “I’m bruised there from Toro’s hold.”

  They entered the room, a private area that overlooked the dance floor below.

  “Sit down,” Dominick demanded.

  “No. I’m done taking orders from you. I’m not going to be used. Men like Toro and Alajandro will continue to harass me now that they know I’ve been with three men. You’ve ruined me, and it was done on purpose to make me be obedient and loyal to each of you. I get it.”

  Andreas gripped her waist and pulled her closer to him. “You don’t get it. Lies, Giada, lies spread to make you distrust us. I did not have sex with any women here last week. I haven’t been with any women for months, Giada—months.”

  She let the tear escape her eyes. “I don’t know what to believe.”

  Dominick spoke. “Look at me. Now.”

  She turned with Andreas’s assistance and his hands on her waist. She hated how good it felt, hated it right now.

  “You’re our woman. We’re committed to you and only
you. We’ve opened up our hearts to you, Giada, and we’ve never, ever done that before. That’s the truth. Your secretary, Julia, lied,” Dominick stated.

  “No, no, it was her friend who had sex with you—that you, Andreas, took her up, bent her over and screwed her, then tossed her out. She knew you had scars on your chest. She knew,” Giada yelled and pulled away from him. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and gasped as she hit her swollen hand.

  “Andreas, the woman last week who came up to you all drunk. Remember? Royce had to pull her from you. She ripped your shirt opened,” Giuseppe said to him.

  “Fuck. It was a setup.”

  “Oh please. Who the hell does something like that? God, you really think I’m that stupid? That gullible?” she asked and wiped her eyes.

  “No, baby, but these people, they’re good at what they do, at wanting to tear us apart, put a wedge between us so we let down our guards, or you insist on being alone instead of with one of us and under our protection,” Giuseppe stated.

  “They are lies, Giada, and we’ll get to the bottom of this with Julia and Leslie. Being with us means people will do what they can to destroy what we have, to break us down, and to make you distrust us. It’s part of what you need to learn to deal with,” Dominick said so coldly to her she was shocked.

  “To deal with?”

  “You’re upset for multiple reasons. You’ve been drinking, you’re hurt, and now is not the time to try to make you understand your place and position in our lives. Follow your gut, Giada. Did you forget how to do that?” Dominick said, challenging her.

  She stared at him and listened to her gut. Were they lies? She hadn’t wanted to believe them because she was in love with the Coglonie men. Was there a way to prove they were lies?

  “Think about it. People will lie to make you distrust us. Alajandro and Toro lied about needing those contracts signed when they really wanted to make another play on you. Calvarro even made a comment upstairs in the meeting to piss us off. I don’t trust Calvarro or his cousins and this woman Julia. We have men looking into her now, and we will find out what’s going on. Did you know that Julia hangs out at Cha Cha Cabana?”