Chapter 6: Why Are You Stealing From Me?
Adriano
After a successful meeting, I wasn't in a very good mood. I told Robort and Kelvin that we should go to the backroom at The Emerald Lounge for a card game. I run illegal games out of certain establishments but they are exclusive and they buy in his high. It was a lot of guys we know but also some we don't know. One usually has to be vouched for if you are showing up at one of my games and while there is nothing wrong with folding chairs and tables, this is not that type of underground poker room.
There is a wet bar with the best cigarettes and brown liquors available, the design is made to be moody and elegant. Not everyone in the back room is always one of the ten players. Some are there for drinks and private conversation but the center is the table with its constantly active game. As the three of us walked in, everyone nodded in respect and we made our way over to the bar. I waved to the bartender to fill us a glass of whiskey as I surveyed the room and my eyes instantly fell on three new guys.
“Who are they?” I leaned over to Robort.
“I don't know, they probably came with the other guys.” He leaned back against the bar counter and popped open his suit jacket button.
Robort is thickly limbed, he also always got a damn toothpick in his mouth. He moved it from the corner to the other and continued to watch them.
“I know him,” Kelvin said as he leaned into me and gave me a subtle nod in the direction of one of the three.
“Who is he?” I asked, not because we couldn't have new guys coming to play.
As long as they couldn't afford it, they could play but they have to know someone. You don't want feds or other troublemakers weaseling into a seat at the table. I know my men know what they are doing and they would have vetted the guys but we were still curious.
“He works with Frank Costello, the other two, I don't know them.” Kelvin shrugged, grabbing his glass from the bartender. We stopped talking when one of our men came up and bowed his head to us.
“Bosses,” he nodded to me, my cousin and then Kelvin and we gave him a nod and moved him out of the way.
We chatted amongst the place, our conversation didn't particularly stand out.
“What was that?” Kelvin sat forward and it made me straighten my spine and re-buttoned my jacket.
“What?”
Kelvin's eyes darted around like he was scanning and processing something. Angelo stayed leaning his arms across the bar counter like a spread eagle and I stood quietly between them.
“It is subtle, it is really damn subtle but look at the dealer.” Kelvin pretended to wipe a hand down his jaw to cover his mouth when he spoke to me. My eyes darted over to the dealer and watched.
“I didn't see anything.” Robort shrugged but I kept watching.
I have never seen someone do this so well but we call these guys mechanics. They fix games as professional cheats and they deal from the bottom of the deck. It is to be able to control who gets what cards and they usually have a partner who they are dishing the good cards out to. They are smart so it was with a sleight of hand like a magician and it was very hard to catch unless you have got an eye like Kelvin and myself. Mechanics have one partner lose some money to shadow the other guy winning a lot more and then after they rig these games, they will split the profit down the middle to make up for what the other partners lost.
Especially that was the long version of me telling these two guys were fucking stealing from me. Bad move on their parts, I chuckled and I couldn't help it. Robort was still lost but I left him standing there and grabbed my glass to walk closer to the table. A few of them straightened out and that was understandable, my presence makes plenty of people nervous. I didn't say anything, instead I turned my back to the game and talked to someone else. I knew Kelvin would be watching though.
“You are Costello's nephew, right?” I asked one of the young guys.
“I am, sir.” He was respectful as he should be.
Just because he is a part of the crime family doesn't mean he has clout to be anything less than respectful to me and my establishment. That is how the Gambino Mob is supposed to be. You give respect, you get respect. I rejoined Kelvin and Robort, he wanted a cigarette so I told him to go ahead. I was waiting on something and when the game ended and the payout was made, a few men stood up with the purpose of leaving the table. They were done playing and would give their post to another buy in guy and I held my hand up.
“Stay right there.” I demanded.
A few bodies went stiff and a few others were still focusing on cards and not really interested beyond that. I approached the two mechanics and slipped the winning out of the first man hand, the dealer.
“Hmmm, not your lucky night.” I told him, he smirked and shrugged.
“It happens sometimes.” He mumbled and I chuckled.
“It does,” I muttered and slapped the cash in front of the second man.
“You had a good night, why don't you stay another game?” I coaxed him.
Well I wouldn't call coaxing since my face was deadly serious and stone still.
“I am calling my luck, sir. I am out for now.” He still remained polite.
I licked my lips and nodded, then grabbed him by the back of his head and smashed his face into the table. A few people jumped back and all eyes came over to us. The place went quiet except for the groan of the man whose face I just smashed and Bryce walked over to us.
“Sir, we don't want any problems.” The dealer threw his hands up in surrender.
“No? Then why the fúck are you trying to steal from me?” I asked, and everyone's eyes went wide.
Nobody has seen anything strange so they were all very unsure what was about to happen.
Chapter 25: Sex Me Eyes Adriano I wasn't expecting a text from a random number tonight and when I saw it was Jessica, I expected it even less. She asked to come up or I offered I suppose. She said she was locked out so I figured that was that thing to do. For my best friend's little sister, not because I wanted the girl here. She looked like a fucking wesuper model in tbe classy outfit. The belt harness makes it a little less stuffy and more hot. She was good at dressing and I can see why she chose fashion.It was her passion, I see it in the glint in her eyes when she talks about it or the day she showed all her purchases with the money her brother and I gave her. Those muted green eyes that she plays up with her make-up and sweeping lashes. She had sex me eyes and I can't stop looking between them and her bee stung lips. They were natural too which makes it even hotter. I have been with girls in fillers and I liked the real thing much more. I was sitting beside an innocent tempta
Chapter 24: This Is Humiliating Jessica I smoothed myself over in the elevator and headed up. When the ping sounded, it let him know I was here and I stopped dead in my tracks when I realized he wasn't in his usual suit. Instead, he was in a black t-shirt under a leather jacket and blue jeans. He looked hot and amazingly attractive. As I entered, he ran a hand through his hair which looked softer like he hasn't styled it at all today.“Do you want the spare key or do you want to hang around until your brother gets home?” He gave me an option I wasn't expecting. Probably because he recognized the outfit that I showed them the day I bought it, I paused with my mouth slightly ajar.“Oh, you have a spare?” I felt awkward asking him to stay now.“You don't have to use it.” He picked up on my hesitant demeanor.“I heard about some criminals in this area, maybe I shouldn't stay alone tonight.” I cleared my throat and made a ridiculous excuse.“Criminals?” He seemed to smirk at me and I don
Chapter 23: You Know The CodeJessica “Nothing is wrong, I was space out?” I shoved my phone into my pocket and tried to smile.“I was going to run down the block and grab some coffee for everyone. You want to join and help me carry everything back?” Oliver asked and I nodded yes, telling Chase that I was leaving the register.When we got outside, I took the evening air into my lungs to settle me down. It was probably too late for coffee but whatever, I will probably get one anyway. I noticed right away how many people looked at her, some because she was hot and some because they were appalled by all her ink and how she dressed and with the dimple piercing in her.“Yes, people will always judge you, I bet they were judging the pair of us, Miss high fashionista model lady.” She teased me and tugged on my trousers. I chuckled, we couldn't look more opposite.“I think everyone who enters Bizzyaski Ink judges me, I don't look like I fit in but I liked working there.” I said, letting my
Chapter 22: Don't Tell My Brother Jessica “You left without reason, you got rid of the number I had for you and just fucking left me. You think I want something? Yes, I want you to explain yourself and then I want you to give yourself back over to me.” Weldon’s tone was angrier and I was astonished that this was really happening right now.“Please stop, just leave me alone.” I tried once more.“Just because you ran off doesn't make you any less mine. I will see you around, baby boo.” That was the last thing he said before hanging up and I quickly typed out a message to him to be sure he wouldn't text my brother.‘'Be a good girl and I won't.’I have no idea what his message means but I didn't like the fact that he said see you around. Is he coming here? No, he doesn't know where I live, he couldn't possibly. Two seconds with him back in my life and I was already spiraling again.I spent the rest of the day in bed, sick to my stomach about all this. I didn't leave my room until I hea
Chapter 21: Don't Text MeJessica Our apartment was finally ready and we were moving this weekend. It was a good thing that I have some off during the week because I have been busy preparing the house. It was a breath of fresh air to have some space, to be away from Adriano. He hasn't spoken a word to me since our tense moment in the kitchen the other night but that has only driven me even more crazy. I had finally bought myself a pair of sweatpants and I was wearing them now as I pushed boxes around and ordered the furniture. The apartment came mostly furnished but I was making it my own.The way the place looked was somewhat like Adriano's apartment, only without the second floor. You enter through the door, not the elevator to the large living room with a skyline view window which flooded the room with natural lights. The kitchen and dining area was in a similar location to Adriano's only a scale smaller. Our two bedrooms are opposite ends of the apartment which I kind of liked. I
Chapter 20: A Dangerous Temptation Adriano When I returned my attention to the men in front of me, my hands behind my back and walked up and down the line as I spoke calmly to them.“You are the SR also known as The Storm Riders, the street gang that started a few years back. Your activities include drug trafficking, assaults, murder and robbery. Your rivals include Fury Legion, Dark Elites and others. Your leader is Benjamin, a pretty stupid fucking name if you ask me.” I laid down everything I learned about them.They gasped for a moment but caught themselves.“Damn, right.” The leader of this little crew spoke up and I smirked.“You think you have the authority here? To mess with the Shadow Vanguard's business and members?” My voice was still calm for now.“We mess with who we want.” He said and it was the last thing I let him say.I withdrew my gun and cracked him in the face with the bottom of it. He dropped off the bar stool, writhing in pain and causing me. One of them stood