Mia saw the love in the way Diego looked at Liana.This was the first time she had ever truly seen Diego with his guard down.It shocked her.If she had any doubts about his feelings for her best friend, she didn’t anymore.She could see they were happy.
Whereas she and Giovanni were not.Or at least, she wasn’t.Rather than show her upset, she forced a smile to her lips, because that was what friends did.
Diego gave them all a nod, then she rushed toward Liana.“You look happy.Are you happy?”
Liana chuckled.“Yeah, I’m happy.I’m so glad you girls invited me.I was starting to worry that because I forgave Diego you were not going to be my friend.”
“Of course not.I’m glad you and Diego are in a great place.”The truth was, she wished she and Giovanni were in a great place as well.
“How about we all relax, and Liana can tell us everything?”Clarissa asked.
Mia was more than happy for Liana to tell them everything.It would be nice to just ...breathe.
****
Giovanni didn’t likethis feeling he’d been having ever since the attack, when the faulty drug products had been located and destroyed, and the gang seemingly ...gone.They had killed every person that had come for them.There had been no other trace of them anywhere else.
In response, he had been cleaning up the streets.Removing every drug dealer, or anyone who thought they could take Colombo territory from them.He didn’t turn a blind eye anymore.There was no room for error as they came to his home and attempted to kill him and his wife.He lost good men that night.Even now, thinking about it pissed him off.He wanted to kill all those motherfuckers ten times over for what they fucking did.
Anger swirled in his gut as he glanced over the security cameras in his casino.He had gotten news of a potential dealer at the casino, attempting to steal from him.One of the dealers at the card tables had given him the information.He was waiting for the signal.
His men were in place, and he’d been watching this guy for nearly an hour, as he moved from table to table.It was odd that he hadn’t lost a single game.Now, some people could be that lucky, or more likely, he was cheating.
He’d already been given the signal that this man was attempting to poach some of the female staff.Apparently, he had amazing job offers.Giovanni didn’t like this.He was waiting for another jackpot win, and the moment he got it, Giovanni gave the signal.
There was luck in gambling, and then there was fucking cheating.He had already taken a picture of the man’s face and sent it to his friend on the police force.For a pretty price, he got all the information he needed, and for them to look the other way.It was a good working relationship.
As he waited for him to get back in touch, Giovanni left the main office to make his way down to the basement.His guards were there, and he was already halfway down to the basement when his cell phone vibrated.It was his informant, and the moment he looked over the details in the text message, he was pissed off.
The guy’s face was certainly recognized as he was linked to human trafficking, drug smuggling, murder, and other details.Giovanni was no longer a happy man.
Stepping into the basement, the man, Julio Valentine, was struggling in a chair.Chains has been wrapped around his chest, his wrists, and ankles.
His soldiers had lost friends.Just looking at the men in the room, Giovanni saw the anger and rage consuming them.They wanted to kill this motherfucker, and not because he was some kind of monster—no, because he had links to the men who had killed their colleagues.The Colombo Mafia was fucking deadly, but they took care of their own, and no one fucked with them.
“What the fuck is this?I come here and win big and what, I am punished for it?”Julio asked.“What kind of business is this?”
Giovanni reached into his jacket pocket and held out a small, clear bag with white powder.He’d asked his employee to buy a bag, just so he could see if it was the same product that had been killing people in their territory.He didn’t have time to test it, but the packaging was all the same.He didn’t give a shit if the powder was the same or not.
“Do you recognize this?”he asked.
Julio looked a little taken aback.“I’ve never seen that in my life.”
“Ah, so this isn’t you?”Giovanni held up his cell phone, and this is what he loved about recording people—watching them.It helped him get an idea of what they were like.Especially when they didn’t think anyone was watching them.He was a little addicted to it.
“It was ...she asked for it, okay.It’s just something to make her happy.”
“And what will happen if I get you to take it?”Giovanni asked, as he opened the bag and poured the entire contents onto his hand.
The man shook his head.
“No, no, you don’t have to do this.”
Giovanni smiled, and then he smashed his hand against the man’s face, holding him in place as the product went up his nose and inside his mouth, and he didn’t stop until he was sure he had consumed as much of it as possible.
He stepped back, and didn’t have to wait long, but it wasn’t what he was expecting.Rather than dying or seeming to go into a drug-induced coma, he fell asleep.Giovanni checked his pulse.
He looked back at his men.“Check everything.”
