Chains of velvet obsession

Chapter one

“Father’s Blood, Stranger’s Body”

Jett Luciano’s POV

“Twenty-two million dollars should be sent before midnight, Reyes.” My dad said, leaning back in his chair while holding a cigarette. “Thirty-five percent of every net shipment. No exceptions, Reyes. That is the deal and it is not changing.”

Reyes forced a smile and tapped his pen twice on the table. “Marcus, you are squeezing the life out of me here. I bring the Miami routes and the port people. Twenty-eight percent. That is fair. Come on, man, we’ve done business long enough.”

“The price is thirty-five, and it is not changing,” I stepped in, leaning over the table to look Reyes right in the eyes. “The money hits the account tonight or the whole deal dies.”

“You have a lot of mouth for a boy, Jett,” Reyes growled, his face hardening as he stood up from his chair.

I interrupted him. “Do not waste more time. We both know this is worth it. Wire the twenty-two or walk. Simple.”

He stared at my dad and gave him a forced smile. His boys were roaming around the place. The whole warehouse was tense.

“I see the Lucianos are being kind of greedy,” Reyes said.

My dad waved his hand, cutting off the argument. “Take a walk, Jett. Let the adults finish the paperwork. I’ll meet you outside when we’re done.”

I grabbed my jacket and walked out of the damp warehouse, letting the door slam shut behind me. The night air was thick. I needed a cigarette to clear the taste of cheap whiskey from my mouth. I walked down toward the end of the pier, watching the dark water slap against the wooden pilings.

That’s when I saw her. She was standing close to the water like she owned it, the breeze playing with her hair. Her dress was quite revealing — tight waist, full hips, and a nice round ass. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She looked exactly like the girl I had come across on my way to the airport and in my dreams. I didn’t know if I was hallucinating. Because she was too perfect to be real.

I kept staring until my phone buzzed. It was one of our men. I pulled it out and slid my thumb across the screen. “Speak.”

I heard noise in the background. “Boss, you need to get out of there now. This was all a setup.”

Before I could ask what was going on, the sound of gunfire ripped through the warehouse. It was a rapid, deafening burst from an automatic rifle.

“Dad!” I shouted. I bolted back toward the building.

I threw my weight against the door, bursting into the room just in time to see my dad stumble backward. A bullet caught him right in the chest, tearing through his shirt as blood bloomed fast across the fabric. He collapsed against me, his weight dragging us both to the floor. His eyes rolled back, and his breathing stopped before I could do anything.

My men were shooting back, giving me enough time to drag myself behind a stack of crates. Another bullet grazed my shoulder, the heat searing my skin. The world started to go black. I slumped against the crates, the noise fading as my eyes closed.

But then I saw her again .. this time not by the water, but right beside me.

the next morning

I woke up in the hospital still feeling pain around my shoulders and my head pounding like a drum.

The nurse told me a woman brought me in late that night. She stayed just long enough to make sure I would not die then disappeared.

My mind took me to the blurred vision of the woman I saw before I blacked out.

A slow smile spread across my face.My phone lit up on the small table next to me. I grabbed it. It was a message from my partners that a board meeting was being held and I’m to be present. 

I got the nurse to come dress my wounds that I have somewhere important to be. 

She came in fast, changed the bandages without much talk, and I left the hospital still feeling the sting with every swing of my hand.