Chapter Two
Gio
I knew something was up the moment I got the summons to my father's office. My father, Vincenzo Marchetti, is head of the Marchetti family. We're the onlyfamigliain New Orleans. The last 'known' mafia family in New Orleans was the Dixie Mafia, but they've been pretty much irrelevant since the early 80's.
How did a branch of the Italian Mafia end up setting up shop in the middle of New Orleans? That's a long damn story. I'll try to make it short, though. See, my pop was already starting to make a name for himself in Chicago, with the Ricci Crime Family, one of the most influentialfamigliasin Chi-Town, by the time he was twenty. His Don trusted him with one of his most precious possessions; his daughter, Carmela. He sent my pop down to New Orleans, where she was in college, to keep an eye on her. Being her bodyguard meant they spent a lot of time together. It also meant feelings developed. When Pop asked his Don for her hand in marriage, he was welcomed with open arms. He and Mama could have returned to Chicago after she graduated, but Mama fell in love with the Crescent City and whatever Mama wanted, Mama got. What she wanted was to make New Orleans home. Over time, other members ofla famigliamoved to New Orleans and made it home, as well. Where, in the past it was just Pop slowly building up a base of operations, we now had our own little empire here in The Big Easy.
With there not being any competition from otherfamigliaswe have our fingers in a lot of pots here in New Orleans. You name it, we're more than likely involved with it. I started out as a courier forla famiglia, then moved up to a bruiser, and now I specialize in turning newly acquired businesses around, all while keeping an eye on some of our other operations. You might say I was Pop’s right hand man.
Stepping into my father's office, I took the seat across the desk from him. He was on the phone, and no one, I mean no one, interrupted Vincenzo Marchetti when he was on the phone. Not if they wanted to continue breathing, anyway. I was pulled from my thoughts when he set the phone down and turned his attention to me.
“Gio, I have an acquisition for you to take a look at. We've recently acquired an exotic dance club. The rumors coming out of the place have me concerned. Go in, see what you can find out, then we will deal with it.”
I knew what he meant. He didn't want them to know who I was. “You got it, Pop.” An exotic dance club might seem like an odd business for a mob family to run, but my Pop doesn't like stereotypes. If the business is in an area that could bring in the cash, he didn't care what it was; he went after it. And he always got whatever business he targeted.
“Good. The name of the club is Dangerous Curves. There's rumors that some of the dancers are coerced into having sex with customers and management has been allowing it to happen.”
“Che cazzo? I'll find out what we need to know, and make changes where they're needed. After discussing them with you.”
“Bene.”
I nodded and rose from my seat. That was my cue to leave. I had a club I needed to go check out. Some nights I really loved my job.
Dangerous Curves. Walking up to the front doors, I immediately saw one problem that needed to be rectified. The bouncer was letting some women in without even asking for their ID. Sure, they were scantily dressed and flirting with him, but if they were under 21, he was putting our newly acquired business at risk. He would be the first to go.
Once inside, I gave my eyes time to adjust to the lighting, then stood on the raised area that had stairs leading down to the ground, taking it all in. The décor needed an update; some of it was shabby – like the fucking floors – but overall it had a surprisingly romantic ambiance to it. One thing was for sure, the place was jumping. Every table was taken and from where I was standing, the bar appeared to be packed as well.
“Hi there, Sugar. First time in Dangerous Curves?”
I looked down at the blonde who was talking to me and cocked a brow at her.
“First timers always have that look on their faces. They come in here thinking we're going to look like every other strip club they've been into. Dingy lighting, half naked women walking around serving drinks, and lap dances happening right out in the open. That's so de classe. First timers get a discount on a private lap dance from any one of the girls; customer's choice.”
“Good to know. I'll keep that in mind.” I moved away from the blonde, despite the obvious invitation she was giving me, and made my way toward the bar. I needed a fucking drink, and it would give me the chance to scope out how the bartender treated the waitresses. I was halfway to the bar when I suddenly found myself with an armful of lusciousness. The woman was wearing a sheer robe, open to show off the goods, and my eyes were drawn to her smooth, tanned skin. The only thing sexier was the pair of dark eyes that locked with mine when I kept her from being knocked over by some drunk son of a bitch. Her heart shaped face was surrounded by black curls that hung to her waist. With those dark curls and eyes, I found myself wondering if she was Italian. Or maybe she was Latina. Fuck, she was gorgeous. Too bad she was one of the dancers.
