Chapter 6

Gerald sat behind his desk in his office and stared out at the city. The glass of whiskey in his hand stayed untouched. His mind kept going back to the morning in the penthouse. Cleo had shown up uninvited, started her usual nonsense, and slapped Lily. What stayed with him most was how fast Lily had hit her back. No tears. No fear. Just pure fire.

He was still thinking about it when the door opened and Mako walked in.

“You look like someone pissed in your drink,” Mako said, dropping into the chair across from him.

Gerald let out a short breath. “Something like that. Give me update on the Lucianos.”

Mako tossed a folder onto the desk. “Same shit as last week. They still will not meet. Their guy told me straight up they do not see you as man enough to do real business with.”

Gerald’s fingers tightened around the glass. He finally took a drink and set it down. “Of course they said that.”

He stood and walked over to the window. The city lights of Crimson Hollow spread out below him like they belonged to someone else. He had built a lot, but it still was not enough. Not in their eyes.

Most of the other dons had wives, children, and whole family lines standing behind them. Gerald had none of that. His mother had died when he was still a boy. His father never remarried. He only kept women around for a short time and then moved on. Gerald had grown up watching it and told himself he would do the same. No wife. No kids. No permanent woman. Just power and control. But the older families still looked at him like he was incomplete. Like a man without a family could never truly lead.

He turned back to Mako. “I am done waiting for them to respect me. I have a plan.”

Mako raised an eyebrow. “Are you finally going to settle down or something?”

“Something like that,” Gerald said. “I will handle it my way.”

Mako leaned back in the chair and smirked. “Well, speaking of family events, Don Marco is throwing his birthday party tomorrow night. Half the city will be there. You taking Cleo?”

Gerald’s face darkened right away.  “That woman, gets me more pissed than those fuckers who mess with me. She walked into my place this morning like she owned it. Started talking down to Lily, called her a toy, then slapped her across the face.”

Mako let out a low whistle. “Damn. What did Lily do?”

“She slapped her right back. Did not even hesitate.”

Mako laughed. “I like her more every time I hear about her. You remember the night we first saw her outside the club? When some drunk idiot grabbed her and she went crazy on him. Scratched his face up before we even got close.”

Gerald’s mouth twitched. “Yeah. That is when I told you to keep your eyes on her. She has never been soft.”

“She still is not,” Mako said. “Most girls would have cried. She hit a don's daughter instead.”

Gerald sat back down. “I am tired of Cleo. Push the investigation on Don Megalion harder. I want answers about my father. The faster we get them, the faster I can cut her out of my life for good.”

“I am already on it,” Mako said. “We are talking to old contacts and digging through records from five years ago. It is slow, but something will turn up.”

“Make it faster.” Gerald said, frustration lacing his tone. 

Mako nodded. “Anything else you need tonight?”

“No. That is it.”

Gerald stood and fixed his jacket. “I am heading out. Call me the second you hear anything new about the Lucianos or Megalion.”

“Got it, boss.”

Gerald walked out of the office without another word. The hallway was quiet except for the sound of his shoes on the floor. Two of his men straightened as he passed, but he did not look at them. He stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor.

The city was still waiting for him to prove he belonged at the top. And somewhere in that same city, a woman with a sharp tongue and a fast hand was sitting in his penthouse.

Gerald leaned against the elevator wall and closed his eyes for a second. Tomorrow would be the party and from tomorrow his plans would set sail.   He was done letting the others decide what kind of man he was.