by Jen Davis
Jasper lived in a nice neighborhood only a few blocks from the lake. His rental was one of the many remodeled turn of the century homes in town. He had moved out of his downtown apartment last fall. This was much more to his liking of his new-found maturity, if one could call it that. There were security cameras around the home, and after a quick glance at the different views around his house from his phone, it looked like the coast was clear. Threats were minimal here in Genoa, but getting soft and complacent was never a good thing.
He drove the vehicle out of the garage and made a quick detour at the Java Shop’s drive-through. Sure, he’d already had a cup, but damn it was hard to wake up today. After setting the double mint espresso in the cup holder, he drove through the lot, only to see Valentina, Madison, and Oscar, their new bodyguard, getting into one of Roman’s SUVs.
Jasper stopped and rolled down the window. “Hey.”
The women both strolled over to say “hi.”
“How’s the little Caponelli doing?” He nodded to the baby in Valentina’s car seat.
“Good try, Jasp. Don’t let Ryan hear that. This baby’s half Donavan.”
“Someone has to keep the family growing.” They all looked at Madison, except for the bodyguard, who was keeping his eye out for any threats.
“I know nothing of babies and clearly have no room in my life right now for one.” Her face turned bright red, and she shook her head. “We’re just starting the winery, not to mention everything else going on.”
“Sure.” Jasper nodded. He’d been of a part the mafia all his life, and there was no way Roman was not going to have an heir to carry on the legacy of his line. “Well, I have to get going. Ladies, have a great morning.”
Driving to the exit of the parking lot, he hit the brakes harder than intended. There, coming out of the front door of the Java Shop, was a tall woman with long, red hair. His eyes widened, and without taking a sip of his coffee, Jasper was jolted awake. Even from a distance, it was hard to miss her slim figure and hot as hell legs. He’d always preferred blondes and brunettes, but she now held his interest like no one had in a long time. Even without seeing her face, there was something familiar about her.
A car behind him honked. Jasper cursed and let his foot off the brake. He turned right onto the street then circled around the block, hoping for another glimpse, but the girl was gone.
Dammit to hell.
Maybe there was something wrong with him, health-wise. Nobody’d been able to stir his blood in months, and just the mere glimpse of some strange woman in a parking lot had his heart beating like he’d just run a race. Shit. He was messed up for sure. Tonight, he was calling some friends, going out on the town, and getting laid. It was a done deal. End of story.
Shaking the cobwebs from his head, Jasper travelled the rest of the way through town and arrived at Roman’s five minutes early. He recognized different cars in the lot. Arlo was there, as was Dominic.
At exactly ten o’clock, they all gathered in Roman’s office. Everyone took a seat while their boss looked through a stack of papers in front of him. Roman set them aside and rested his elbows on the arms of his desk chair. The leather creaked as he settled back and crossed an ankle over his knee.
“I’ve a few jobs for you to do today. As you know since we’ve been here, collections have been up, and we’ve not had any problems with payments.” Roman placed his foot on the floor and leaned forward. “Until now.” He handed each man a sheet of paper.
“This guy is in over his head by half a mil. I need Jasper and Arlo to make a visit today. The address is on there.”
Jasper glanced at the picture on the sheet, and his jaw nearly dropped. “Isn’t this—”
“It is,” Roman interrupted. “The guy’s been living beyond his means for a long time. I want his accounts up to date no later than tomorrow.”
Jasper studied the photo again. It was Rodney Studd. The man was the lead guitarist of a rock band that’d been around for years. They weren’t, and hadn’t been for a while, major players on the music scene, but apparently, no one had told his wallet. Being in debt to the mob for five zeros meant Studd’s life was going to get a lot more interesting.
“What’s his reason for being late?” Jasper may not have a heart, but he was never a fan of going after people with health issues or family problems.
“Like I said, he’s been living beyond his means. High-priced women, high-end art, gambling, you name it. Old habits die hard, and they haven’t had a hit in a long time.”
“What if he won’t pay?” Arlo asked.
“You know what to do.” Roman sighed and began flipping through another pile of papers. It was going to be a busy day, if that was any indication.
“Yes, but if we break his hands or remove the fingers from a guitar player, he’ll never pay up.” Arlo was always the practical one.
“I trust you’ll be able to figure it out.” Roman passed out a few more papers with addresses and photos of those who needed to be contacted about overdue debts. They wouldn’t be leaving the room with these sheets, so it was important to memorize the names, faces, and addresses.
There was a local mechanic with a gambling problem, a district attorney who lost big in the stock market, and a deadbeat father of six with an expensive girlfriend on the side.
“You planning on offing any of these?” Dominic took his stack over to the shredder and started to feed them through.
“No.” Roman looked at his watch. “Not yet anyway. I prefer to work things out and get repeat business.”
“Then why am I here?” Dom was never one to mince works.
“I want you at the winery as much as possible.”
“Winery?” His friend returned to the chair by Jasper’s side.
“Yeah. As you’ve probably heard, Madison wants to take this family legit as much as possible. I’m all for that, but we still have to make money, a lot of money. And that doesn’t happen overnight. That place cost me a fucking fortune, and until it starts to make a profit, the legal alcohol will go out the front door and the bootleg stuff will be going out the back.”
“Wait a minute. Bootleg?” Jasper chuckled. “This isn’t prohibition.”
“No, but there are still a lot of regulations for the sales of alcohol. There are some that can only be sold in certain states, and we have buyers in others. It also won’t be just wine going through those doors.”
The guys were silent, and Roman explained further. “Madison is not to know. She’s not to get involved in any of this. I love my wife and want to protect her, but like I said, we’re in the business to make money, and if we want to stay here, we have to keep our profits up.”
It was well-known that Roman’s father wasn’t happy about his two children leaving Chicago and Roman setting up turf elsewhere.
“Dominic, I want you to be the handyman around the place. Keep an eye on things. Make some fucking iron wine holders, for all I care.” Roman laughed, but everyone knew Dominic, in addition to being the mob’s cleaner, was a talented artist when it came to metal work. “Your job is to keep watch over the workers. There’s a hidden room with a tunnel to the outside. Jasper,” his boss turned his attention toward him, “you, Arlo, and I will have the only keys. The tunnel goes a half mile, and the other entrance is on someone else’s property. That’s where the trucks will load and unload the hooch and any other items we’ll be transporting.”
Jasper smirked. “Hooch?” It was a term used to describe illegal alcohol during prohibition. “I’m going to invest in a fedora and a tommy gun. Ladies love a gangster.”
“Not unless you’re going to the speakeasy in town. We need to keep this quiet. I don’t plan on going to jail or divorce court.”
Everyone nodded. They had it good here and didn’t want to lose what they had.
“You said that the tunnel ended on someone else’s property.” This time it was Arlo who spoke up. “Who’s property?”
“District Attorney Velasco. He’s on
your list and can’t pay. It shouldn’t be a problem to use the right of way on his land.” Roman smiled. “Dom, you’re with me today. Arlo and Jasp, get these collections made. I don’t care if you have to cut off Studd’s arm. I want to be paid.”
Chapter 3
Jasper
Rodney Studd’s place was typical for the homes around the lake. Lots of square footage and expensive. Actually, it was probably one of the largest estates there.
Arlo whistled as he got out of the car. “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”
“Ain’t that the truth.” Jasper slammed the door and buttoned his suitcoat. They’d been let in down by the gate, so Studd obviously knew they were coming. The man had been told his debt was due, and now it was time to deliver that message in person. Sometimes doing that in the bright light of day was just as intimidating as shaking someone down in a dark parking lot. Image meant everything to celebs. No one wanted two made men from the mob showing up for all the paparazzi to see.
The front door opened before they even walked up the stairs. It was Rodney. Overly tanned, overly bleached blonde, and he was dressed in only a small speedo. The years had not been kind to the rocker. The lines in his face were numerous and deep, like a roadmap of one’s travels and hardships throughout life. The man had obviously indulged in various types of illegal drugs throughout the years. His hands shook, and he almost seemed to be panting.
Anxious much?
“Gentlemen, come in, come in.” Rod dramatically and hurriedly waved them in, which triggered Arlo and Jasp to take even slower steps.
“I’m Rod. What can I do for you?” He shut the door as soon as they were inside. The interior of his house opened to a huge room that basically held nothing. It was just a wide-open space with doors going to other parts of the house and two open stairways.
Arlo spoke first. “Cut the bullshit. You know who we are and that we’re here on behalf of Mr. Caponelli.”
“Ah, yes, yes. Please,” again with the waving of the arms, “follow me to my office.” Rod took off down a hallway, and they trailed behind.
The foyer behind them may have been empty, but every space on the walls in the hallway was filled with paintings. Jasper stopped at one. He was no art connoisseur, but a few he was pretty sure he’d seen on TV or in a book somewhere. As soon as they were in the office, Studd ushered them to sit. Arlo walked toward the desk, but Jasper continued to study the art pieces on the wall. These were all familiar, and the signature on one said Picasso.
“Your payment is due, Studd.” Arlo settled into a chair and rested his ankle over one knee. “We’re here to collect.”
“Well, now.” Rodney scratched his head. He must have known they were coming, yet now he seemed to be in shock at the news. “Is it that time already?”
“Did you think this was a social call? Do you always invite guys in off the street to your home?” Arlo cracked his knuckles. “Are you going to pay up, or do we need to break something?”
“Now, now. Gentlemen.” Rodney paled, and his eyes darted around the room. “You see, things have been a little tight the last few years. Sales are down. Too many ex-wives, child support.” He shook his head, walked over to the bar, and poured himself a drink. Didn’t everyone have a bar in their office? Rodney Studd did, and he drained the dark liquid in the glass in one gulp. “I can’t pay. Everything’s tied up in my latest divorce. They froze everything. I even had to let most of the staff go.” His face seemed to add another wrinkle with that statement. “I mow the lawn in the middle of the night so no one can see it’s me doing it.”
“I’m crying inside.” Arlo stood up. “We aren’t leaving empty handed. Pay up or face the consequences.”
“Please, I got a tour coming up. When that’s done, I can give you the money from that. Even pay extra.” His eyes widened.
“Sorry, but the boss wants payment today.” Arlo pressed a fist into his palm.
“I’ve got nothing,” Studd pleaded, his hands folded in prayer, then he pointed toward his laptop. “Take a look. My bank account’s empty. I’m tapped out. That’s why I borrowed in the first place.”
“Well, I hope you still have health insurance, as I see a visit to the doctor in your future.” Arlo started around the desk. “Maybe you can collect on the insurance for your accident.”
“What accident?” Rodney’s brown face turned as white as his hair, and he backed up against the wall.
“The one you’re about to have.”
Arlo was scary on a good day. The guy was huge, and everyone often joked that he should be a blocker for the Packers. To see him coming their direction would make any man pee in his shorts, but making a man unable to work wouldn’t get his payments down.
“Wait,” Jasper called, and both men turned his way. “I think I have an idea.”
Jackie
It’d been three weeks since Mrs. Caponelli had walked into the Genoa Globe to drop off her help wanted ad. Two days after emailing her resume, Jackie had been asked to meet for an interview. Surprising it hadn’t been at the winery but at the coffee shop where she’d first laid eyes on the person that would hopefully be her new boss.
The conversation had gone well, but then one never knew about these things. There may have been more qualified candidates seen before or after her. It was hard to contain the happy dance at work when Madison called her the following Monday to let her know the job was hers. After hearing the good news, she’d marched into the news station and had given her notice. Bruce was not happy, to say the least, and even tried to talk her out of it.
Today, she would finally start a new beginning. Not sure what she’d be doing on her first day, Jackie dressed conservatively in a pair of dress khakis and a crisp periwinkle shirt. The day was bright and sunny, which matched perfectly how she felt. It was great to get out of town, even if the winery was only a couple miles outside of the city limits, and enjoy the countryside. Starting a new job was always nerve-wracking, but it was equally exciting. Her stomach had been in knots all morning. Wanting to look perfect, she’d barely had time to get a coffee and bagel down and throw a few energy bars in her bag for lunch.
Jackie had hoped to do a little more research on the place, but after first checking out the website at work, it had been off-line ever since. Probably because of the new ownership. The place had looked beautiful on screen, but would it be the same in person? She wondered this before turning the corner and traveling over to the hill.
It was and more. Breathtaking would be an understatement. La Bella Luna winery was stunning. It was easy to imagine one’s self in Italy as she traveled down the tree-lined driveway. The tasting room and main building were Mediterranean in style. They featured red tile roofs and stone exterior. Jackie parked in the lot, grabbed her purse, and headed in the front door. The inside was just as nice, with light walls and dark wood accents.
“Good morning.” Madison sat at a table with a handsome older gentleman, who stood as she neared. “Alain, this is Jackie. She’ll be my right hand soon and will be taking over some of the PR duties, as well as helping me oversee operations.”
Jackie wasn’t quite sure what her new job entailed yet, but her resume listed her as experienced in anything and everything. Hopefully, she hadn’t stretched things beyond her capabilities. She always considered herself a fast learner, so she’d be putting that to the test in the coming days.
Alain held out a chair, and Jackie took a seat. There was already a pad, paper, and new laptop in front of her.
“This is yours for work. I’ll show you to your office as soon as we’re done. First, we will go over your responsibilities. I’m new to this venture as well, but Alain worked here with the previous owners for years and knows everything about growing grapes and producing high quality wines. He’s stayed on and will be helping with the transition.”
For the next few hours, Jackie took notes as they toured the place. Alain had given them a brief description of the working parts of the winery and
showed them all the different types of grapes they harvested. They grew three kinds there, one for red wine, one for white wine, and one for rosé. Being in the Midwest, the grapes had a faster growing season than those in warmer climates. Her new office was next to Madison’s, and it had a wonderful view of the surrounding hills. They then returned to the tasting room, where Alain excused himself to get back to work.
Since Jackie worked at the newspaper, Madison wanted her to come up with local, state, and regional contacts for a press release. Her boss used to work with the local tourism department, so they had a great list to start with already. The wine they served and sold was from previous harvests. There was room for a small restaurant that was once used to serve pizza. It was also big enough to host intimate gatherings, but Madison explained that they wouldn’t be doing that. For now, they had to get things changed over to the new name and brand.
Eventually, there would be wine tastings, and they’d also be selling cheeses and other local products for sale. The family owned a big restaurant called Firenza, so there was no use having another restaurant and place to hold events. They had enough on their plate. This would strictly be a wine-producing site for now.
The former restaurant would soon be sized down for a break and meeting room for employees.
“Because of the construction, we won’t be able to hold wine tastings here for a month or so.” Madison glanced at her phone.
“If we aren’t serving it here, how will people get to try it?” It could be done, but it didn’t seem like that best of ideas.
“It will be sold at Firenza and other places in town, such as grocery and liquor stores, which are already carrying it.” Madison smiled. It didn’t take Jackie long to realize that her boss really did know what she was doing. Jackie’s boss had dressed similar to her, only she was dressed in black pants and a white shirt. The colors would be horrible on Jackie, but they complimented the woman’s dark hair and porcelain skin to perfection. She also wore simple pearl stud earrings, and the diamond ring on her finger had to weigh a ton.