Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 142640 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 713(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 475(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142640 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 713(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 475(@300wpm)
“I’m just checking in with an update on Miss Ferrara.”
God, please don’t remind me of her. “Yes.” I exhale heavily. “What is it?”
“Are you aware that she’s going to Rome tomorrow?”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“Antonio just checked in to say that she’s booked the plane to go to Rome tomorrow.”
I sit forward in my chair. “For how long?”
“She’s there for four days, leaves on Thursday night to fly back to Paris.”
“Why is she going to Rome?”
“Apparently she’s working there, will be there on and off for the next few months.”
“Well, she can’t. We’re in the middle of a fucking war in Rome, it isn’t safe for her to be there.”
“That’s what I thought.”
Six months ago, we lost our support from the local police with the superintendent being murdered. I made the decision to withdraw our operations from Rome to minimize the risk and concentrate on bigger international markets, since then the place is in anarchy.
Two large crime families, the Lombardi’s and the Girardi’s, are now fighting for control of the local drug market. If either organization catch sight of me or any of my men in Rome, it will be assumed we are back in the game and working with their opponent, the war against us will well and truly start.
“No.” I sit back in my chair. “She can’t go.”
“Yes, sir.”
“See her back to Paris immediately, please.”
“Sure thing.” The phone goes dead as he hangs up.
I stand and pour myself a glass of scotch, I walk to the window and stare out over the city below.
I hear my words from this morning, “Fuck off back to France and get married Francesca, I don’t want to see you again. Ever. Your vanilla lifestyle is fucking boring and I’m not interested in anything you have to say.”
I exhale heavily as I stare into space, I sip my drink, it’s bitter and tastes a lot like regret.
My phone vibrates on my desk and I see the name Amber light up the screen.
I tip my head back and drain my glass, I wince as I feel the burn all the way down.
“Hi,” I answer.
“Where are you?” she asks. “I thought dinner was booked for seven.”
I screw up my face, fuck it, I completely forgot about dinner. “Sorry, I got held up, I didn’t realize the time.”
“Oh,” Amber says.
“I’ll be there soon.”
“Okay. Shall I order something in?”
“Sounds good.”
“What do you feel like?”
“Whatever.” I sigh. “Surprise me.”
I hang up and pour myself another glass of scotch. I sit for a moment and stare into space and for the hundredth time today, I see Francesca’s face, the tears in her eyes, the hurt quiver in her voice and I feel like shit.
It’s for the best.
* * *
The table chatter and laugh, happy and jovial.
Saturday night and I’m with my people, my non-blood family. They have my back, always have and always will, we look after each other through thick and thin. There’s four of us now, Alex, Val, Carlo and I. There used to be five, but Maximus went and got himself killed twelve months ago in a shootout on the docks that went wrong, it broke our fucking hearts.
While Alex and Val have been with me since childhood, Carlo worked his way up through the ranks of Ferrara until six years ago when I promoted him into our management team. I depend on them; these men are the best of the best. Things change, the girls they love come and go, but one thing always stays the same, their undying loyalty to Ferrara and me.
Amber laughs out loud with Giovanna and my gaze drifts over to the two girls. Giovanna is Val’s girl, beautiful and smart. He’s been with her for over a year, she’s Italian, a doctor, the polar opposite to the kind of women he usually dates. His women are normally like mine, beautiful…fuckable. Submissive, this one’s different, she’s got him by the balls and I think this may be the one for him. Now that I know her, I can’t imagine him with anyone else. He’s never been more grounded. Val tends to be on the wild side, for a while there I spent my days reining him in. He looks after the logistics side of the business. The pointy end of the business, he’s hard and makes harder decisions. I think Valentino would have always ended up doing this job, if not with Ferrara, then with another organization. He was born for this role, he loves it, the darker the better. He has no fear, his biggest strength and his greatest weakness.
I glance over at the other two girls, the ones with Carlo and Alex, for the life of me I can’t remember their names, although I should, I’ve met them many times before.
Amber says something and glances over and smiles softly at me and I take her hand in mine across the table. I roll my lips, disheartened by my recent feelings for her…or lack thereof. Everything always starts out so good and then it’s like a switch goes off in my brain and I can’t do it.