Solencio licked his lips. “She hasn’t indicated that she’s interested in you.”
“That will change. I’m a patient man.”
Broadway and Crane chuckled low. “Since when?”
Turk gave Broadway a serious expression. “She will be mine. Mark my words. Adalina will be part of this family in more ways than one. Even if she is resistant.”
Solencio raised his eyebrows and then nodded his head. “Then maybe you should handle the upcoming job for Tudoro, personally, instead of us sending in the regular crew. If what you say is true, and Adalina is a bigger part of Tudoro’s operation, then what better way to win the woman’s heart than to spend quality time with her? There’s a small gathering at Club X tonight. Gather with the crew, along with Broadway and Crane. See if you can get into Fedarro Fiorre’s ear about doing any jobs securing deliveries and shipments. Word is that Lou Carvetti is trying to get the next job. See if you can pull that from him. It’s a bit of the legit side of business, but word is that Adalina has been playing a bigger role.”
Turk thought about that a moment. “I truly believe she’s more important than you all think she is.”
“That’s because you want her,” Crane stated.
Turk glanced at him, eyed the guy over. Crane was big, but not as muscular, well trained, and capable as Turk.
“Maybe, but I guess we’ll see. I’ll go there tonight and see what I can come up with.”
“Good, now can we enjoy some downtime and play some cards? I’ve got plans with my woman in an hour,” Solencio said, glancing at his watch. Turk nodded and picked up his hand of cards. The more he thought about Adalina, the more he imagined her being the one to make him change. To help stop his uncontrollable need to kill. She would be his ultimate prize.
Chapter 1
“I don’t know if that’s good enough,” Tudoro Garlitto stated and then glanced at Adalina. They were sitting around a table in Luna’s Italian Restaurant talking a business deal with Lou Carvetti and Sal Dorinno. Adalina shook her head.
“I don’t understand why you don’t like the deal and the location, Tudoro. You keep glancing at her. Why?” Lou asked with an attitude.
Tudoro leaned forward. “My good friend here has great instincts besides information. She doesn’t like the setup or the location and procedure, then I trust her judgment.”
“But how can she know this location and the procedure and make that assumption that it isn’t good?” Lou replied.
Tudoro glanced at Adalina and gave a nod. She hid her smirk.
“Well, Lou”—she addressed the guy by his first name and he squinted at her—“first of all, that location is too wide open. There aren’t enough barriers and too many nosey eyes. Also, every thirty minutes, give or take ten on either end, a private security detail does a sweep of that location. Since they don’t come at the exact same time, you’re asking to get busted. Third, no quick escape route from that point. There is one dead-end street on the right and two traffic lights on the opposite side that are always clogged up.”
“We have a plan we think will work because we don’t plan on being there for more than ten minutes on the exchange.”
“Not a good one.”
“Hey, I got good people working for me. I’m on top of all of them, and they have clean records. They’re the best.”
“Oh, then you know about the incident four days ago where three of your good men nearly got busted by beat cops who just happened to venture a little farther off their usual route. That would have been a mess,” she added, and his eyes widened.
He looked at Tudoro.
“Like I said, she knows her shit and has access to a lot of useful information.”
Thirty minutes later, after the men left, Adalina looked at Tudoro, and he smiled.
“I don’t know how you do it, but it’s a gift. You’re like my own little secret weapon,” he teased her, and she shook her head, smirking.
“I don’t know why you ask me to be in charge of these things. It’s annoying stuff and petty crap.”
“I’m trying to keep you out of trouble for one and on a low profile since you decided to risk your neck for a Costanza.”
“Hey, Bella is one of my best friends. That Miantelli guy was about to screw over the Fiorre family, which helped you, too.”
“We’ve never had any problems with the Fiorre family, and it was a plus helping out, but my concern is keeping you under the radar.”
“Sounds like you have plans for me.”
“Well…” He picked up the glass of wine and swirled the glass, looking at her. “There’s the project with Garlitto Industries that needs some of your expertise.”
She squinted at him.
He held her gaze. Adalina knew that Tudoro had a lot of power, and she respected him and understood the ladder of command in the family, but something told her that maybe her father had caught wind of her recent risk and decided she needed to be controlled. She exhaled.
“Explain, please,” she said to him, and he nodded.
“You know when I get my orders they aren’t always such a pleasure to deliver. This, however, is good news. You’ll be heading the negotiations in Garlitto Industries. That means evaluating and assigning the right candidates for specific jobs, like importing, exporting, security, and so forth. It’s a lot of work, but we need someone who knows the streets, the people, and the best teams for operations. Now I know you’re heading out with friends tonight for a few hours, and it just so happens that one of the first people you need to consider for a job coming up works with Solencio Monteith.”
“I thought you just said you were trying to ensure I stay low? How can I do that if I’m seen with a man like Solencio?”
“Well, it won’t be him. It will be his heavies, Broadway and Crane, as well as Turk.”
She swallowed hard, and her eyes widened.
“Hey, I know the guy can’t keep his eyes off of you, but Turk is a good man, has a lot of power, and is a feared man. That means anyone who works for him won’t fuck up.”
“I don’t like him. I thought you weren’t sure you trusted him from months back when one of the shipments came up light.”
“That was proven to be someone else. Listen, I not only need you in a legitimate-looking position for the company but also under guard, with people I know would protect you if anything popped up.”
Her anger boiled as she squinted at him.
“I don’t need a man like Turk protecting me.”
“You really aren’t in charge of that. I make those decisions. I have many men protecting you, and that won’t change except maybe the need for more protection, eventually.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means, with the way you risk your true identity, we’ll need to find ways to protect you more often than not.”
“You aren’t going to let this go, are you? Even with all the positives from it?”
He leaned forward.
“Baby, you risked a lot. Curiosity builds problems. Your father wants you safe and secure. I can only do that if you let me place you into this professional position.”
She leaned back and played with the stem of her wine glass.
“It sounds boring. What about my current job? I like the traveling here and there and having control over when I come and go. No schedules, no routine.”
“I’ll still need you for intel, and by the way, this is not a hundred percent legit, or boring, and what’s so bad about routine? Getting up every morning wearing a different dress to go to work like a normal civilian will be good for you. Plus we get to work in the same building.”
“It still sounds boring, especially if I have to keep company with men like Turk, Broadway, and Crane.”
“You’ll have plenty of time to pursue other interests but maintain the professional position with a well-known company.” He stared at her a moment.
“Turk is a good man. A man who would protect you with his life.”
“Don’t,” she stated firmly.
“He is badass and then some.”
She leaned closer and held his gaze.
“I decide who I keep company with.”
“You haven’t ‘kept company’ with anyone. At least not since that Kraut in college,” he stated with attitude.
She rolled her eyes. “Andre is a good man.”
“A married man.”
“A friend and nothing more.”
“I know that. Obviously there are no secrets.”
“There are when it comes to my personal life and business. I’m twenty-four years old. I think I can make my own personal decisions.”
“Just keep an open mind.”
“Not with Turk, or any other men you seem to want to arrange for me to be with. I decide who I sleep with.”
“I didn’t say to sleep with Turk.”
“You’re hinting about some kind of relationship between him and me, and that is never going to happen. He’s not right in the head. Anyone with a brain can see that.”
“He would be protective of you. Give his life to save yours.”
“Bullshit,” she hissed at him.
“Jesus, Adalina, just don’t make a mistake.”
“Just because you might not like who I find attractive enough, compelling enough to sleep with or date, doesn’t mean it’s a mistake. I decide who to spread my legs for.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “You have a tongue of fire.”
“I have my own mind. You should know that by now.”
He stared at her with a scowl on his face then downed the rest of his glass of red wine. He licked his lips then whispered, “You are so much like your father. He has no idea what a pain in the ass you are.”
She smirked. “Just wait and piss me off some more.”
He shook his head and exhaled.
“One of my main jobs is to keep you safe and guarded. That means steering you clear of potential problems to the family business, as well as a history of affairs. The Monteith family has done a lot of jobs for us, and we have extended family who have joined and united both families.”
Her mouth gaped open, and her eyes widened.
“Don’t even think of setting me up for some arranged marriage bullshit. I have enough of my own money, which I made, which hasn’t been inherited, that I could disappear.”
“Oh really? Like where to? Germany?”
She snorted. “You are such an idiot sometimes.”
“You fell in love with Andre.”
“I fell into a routine. I wasn’t left lonely or unprotected, if you recall.”
“He saved you from being assaulted that night. That’s why I allowed the affair to continue.”
She shook her head at her cousin.
“You are delusional if you think that you have such control over me. The power of an attraction, of fate itself, cannot be forced away. I don’t need to work for you or this family. You and I both know that.”
“Agreed, but the family, the uncles, the heads, will not allow you to use your abilities in another family or another organization when we can all profit from it and remain secure because of it. You have a gift. With numbers, with gut instincts with people, and making secure connections. You’re like a local mayor, knowing everyone of importance by name. You have info on so many people that you can use against them or to help them, but without the public exposure. This is a great job for you, and you’ll be protected from ever being caught doing something illegal. It’s a legit position. Please, Adalina, you’re already doing it. Now it’s official.”
“Fine. When do I start?”
“Tonight. You’ll have to leave your friends for a bit to meet with Crane, Broadway, and Turk.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, I need to know what they have to offer for this job in two weeks.”
“The same job you just interviewed Carvetti for?”
“Yes, and I want your honest opinion. Even though you aren’t interested in Turk, his family and Solencio Monteith are good people and would be trustworthy to do further business with. If we expand on this location, then I’ll need good men involved with cover to take control. You’ll need to decide if they’re right or not. That means visiting their location, asking questions, interrogating them. Do whatever you need to and decide if they are a better choice. Let me know by Wednesday morning.”
“Fine.” She exhaled. This was going to be a long freaking night.
* * * *
“It was a great payoff. A hundred grand each. Who could ask for more than that?” Dominick said to Vinny and Sunny Costanza. They were upstairs in the main offices of Club X. Vinny smiled and glanced at Giuseppe, Dominick’s brother.
“We’ve been working this deal for months, and it paid off. We hope to have a few other businesses on board by next week,” Sunny added.
“What about that job for Mateus? Any word on whether Fedarro is choosing you guys or someone from the Monteith family?” Giuseppe asked them.
“Not sure. You know as well as I do that their reach is far. Even though our importing and exporting business has tripled in sales and profit, the gun power the Monteith family has is superior to our small organization,” Vinny replied.
“You have an in with Bella now.”
“No, we don’t. Our sister’s life is different. She’s resistant to it and scared. She has a lot to adjust to, and it wouldn’t be fair to use that relationship to advance our position with the Fiorre family. Besides, Fedarro, Collin, and their cousins still have some hard feelings toward Paulie Junior, even though he has nothing to do with our family business,” Vinny said.
“Besides, what we do is different than what the Fiorre, Garlitto, and Monteith families do. They have to worry about public exposure, and we don’t. Our organization is just as big and profitable but secretive where it counts. On the law enforcement radar,” Sunny told them.
“That is true, and you can’t put a money value on that. Just keep us in mind for any similar contracts like this last one. A hundred Gs for not doing much is our kind of business deal.” Dominick smiled.
They chuckled, and then Dominick got a phone call from downstairs at the bar.
* * * *
Adalina Carleone was walking along the streets of Manhattan talking on her cell phone and confirming that her friends were going to be meeting at Club X. It was Alda’s twenty-third birthday, and all the friends were going to be there. She was glad that Mateus Fiorre had already set everything up with Dominick Coglonie and his family, who owned Club X. It would be hell trying to get in there on a Friday night.
She got into the cab as she ended the call and gave the address to the club. Leaning back in her seat, she exhaled. Mateus and Major would be there tonight with Bella. Adalina was hoping that the bruises were all gone by now. It had been a month. She rubbed her hands together and thought about the last several weeks. She was grateful that no one had pushed for more information from her or asked any questions about how she was able to help with Bella’s situation. She’d heard from Solencio Monteith a few minutes ago, confirming her meeting with his men at the club earlier than first planned. Maybe the night wouldn’t be a total loss for her? She could meet with Turk, Broadway, and Crane and then meet up with her friends to party the rest of the night away.
She felt uneasy about dealing with Turk. There was just something about him that bothered her. He was an attractive man but also one capable of murder. He was a heavy for his cousins in the Monteith family, and the man’s reputation was well known. He would be a good fit for this current job Tudoro wanted him to be part of. There was money to be made all around. She smoothed her hands down the black slim-fitting dress. She had worn a long-sleeve light sweater over it for lunch today with Tudoro, but as she undid the sweater and changed out her jewelry, she knew she looked ready for a night at the upscale nightclub. The dress dipped kind of low in front and in the back. It was sleeveless and sexy. She fixed her lip-gloss and rechecked her makeup then
checked the time. She would get to the club a little earlier than Turk and the guys. Perhaps she could check in with Dominick to say hello and see how things were going.
When the cab pulled up, she saw the lines already forming to get in. As she got out of the cab and paid the fee, the driver gave her a wink, and she winked back.
“Have a great night,” she told him.
“You, too, beautiful,” he said, and she walked away from the car.
Before she even approached the bouncer, he was talking into his wrist mic, looking her over from head to toes and then smiling.
“Right this way, Miss Carleone,” he said, and she glanced up at the surveillance cameras that hung by the front entrance and gave a smile. Someone up there had recognized her.
Sure enough, as she entered the club, the music was playing loudly, the bar already full, and some people were dancing on the dance floor.
“Adalina.”
She turned around, hearing her name and smiled when she saw Giuseppe, Dominick’s brother. He gave her a big hug, and she hugged him back.
“How are you?” she asked.
“I’m doing fantastic, and how are you?”
“Very good.”
“We have everything set up for tonight.” He glanced at his watch. “You and the ladies aren’t due here for another hour or so.”
“I know. I’m supposed to meet some people here in a little bit.”
“Okay, well, can I buy you a drink?” he asked.
“I’m good for now. Thank you so much. Where is Dominick?” she asked and then felt the hand on her hip and the whisper against her ear.
“Now this night just got a hell of a lot better.”
She swallowed hard. Vinny.
She stepped to the side and turned to face him, shocked at her body’s instant reaction. Then her eyes landed on Sunny as he and Dominick approached. They were gorgeous. Vinny with that sexy, flirty expression, and GQ look to him. The blue dress shirt, gold cuff links, and designer pants and shoes reeked of money and importance. His brother, Sunny, was just a bit taller with dark brown hair, big brown eyes, and a more serious expression. She’d learned a lot about their operation and abilities. Although they kept their connections and power quiet, they were quite successful and gave a good percentage of sales to the Garlitto and Fiorre families. It made her wonder why Tudoro held such a grudge against them.
Made Men 2: Forbidden Love (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 2