“Jesus, who the hell is that?” One woman asks another.
“I don’t know, but I want one. Can you saydaddy?” Another woman replies.
Vanessa must be able to hear them as well, because she clears her throat. Interrupting their perusal of me, she demands their order in a much more abrupt tone than she’s had with any other customer. All I can do is smirk and keep walking. Giving her a quick wink, Doug and I continue towards the front of the coffee shop. Her eyes practically roll out of her skull, and I suppress a laugh.
Opening the front door, I step out into the town square and I'm thrust back into a memory. Suddenly I'm six years old again, begging my father for a puppy. As a boy, I always wanted a dog. Something to keep me company since he traveled constantly. My cousins were always around, but it’s not the same when you’re growing up in a castle so vast and empty, and all you want is a partner in crime by your side.
One day, I found a dog on the way home from school, and I convinced my security detail, Vigo, to let me bring him home. The 60-year-old grandfather of four had a soft spot for me, and I used it to my advantage many times. I hid the pup in my room for nearly two full days, feeding it scraps from my mother's dinners I’d smuggled in my pockets.
I thought I’d be able to slowly introduce him into the house, and by the time my father noticed, he’d already be a fixture there. In my young mind, there was no way he could say no. I had even bought him a collar and given him a name, Amico. I’d planned out my entire speech, everything I needed to say toconvince my father I was responsible enough to take care of a dog by myself.
The very night I planned to talk to my father, he came home early. I always knew if he was in his study, he wasn’t to be disturbed at all. Amico and I were playing in the hall outside my room, and suddenly he caught the scent of something. He took off running towards the study. I sprinted after him, hoping like hell to prevent the impending disaster. I caught up to him, grabbed onto his fur right before he made it to the office door. Clutching him to my chest, I let curiosity get the better of me for the first time in my life. My first mistake.
Walking closer to the office, I clutched the puppy closer to my chest, my heart pounding against my ribs. Men were arguing, their voices muffled, but I could still sense their anger. My father sat behind his desk, his guards surrounding him, while some other men I didn’t recognize stood on the opposite side of the desk. They all looked upset. Even as a boy, I could tell the signs of conflict and aggression from the outside looking in. The noise got louder and louder as I crept closer, something about money and products, about respect and understanding. One man lunged across the table towards my father, and my father pulled a pistol from under his desk, pressing it against the man’s forehead. Amico chose that exact moment to bark, distracting my father and allowing the man across the desk to pull a blade from his belt, slicing my father across the cheek. His eyes met mine for only a moment, anger blazing hotter than I’d ever seen before as blood dripped down his cheek. He pulled the trigger, killing the man in front of him. One of his guards charged towards me, grabbing me by the shoulder with one hand and snatching Amico by the scruff of his neck in the other. My dog yelped to be released, and I kicked at the man, wanting to run for my room.
“Do not hurt the boy,” was all I heard from my father before his henchman dragged me away. He threw me into my room and took Amico away. I never saw the dog again, but the shiner on Vigo’s eye the next morning told me everything I needed to know.
The sound of my phone ringing pulls me from my memories as Doug and I cross the street into the courtyard of the square. Draining the last of my coffee, I drop the cup into the trash bin and answer the call.
“Teo, do you have news for me?” I ask, scanning the storefronts along the street. Doug seems just as alert as I am.
“Luca has propositioned at least six potential buyers. They’re all people you’ve already declared we won’t work with for one reason or another. Some human traffickers, some just scum of the Earth, some have already stolen from us in the past, and we’ve cut ties. He’s trying to build his own ranks against you, obviously. He's stupid for going to any member of the family to do so, but it seems he’s managed to entice some of the lower-ranking members. Money makes people do dumb shit. Well, money and drugs, and the promise of some better life they know nothing about.” Teo blows out a breath on the other side of the line, and my mind races.
“I don’t understand what the fuck I did to piss him off so much. Why now?” Doug and I make a lap of the square before he catches the scent of something in the grass and stops to investigate.
“I don’t know, Bash. All I can tell you is he’s sloppy. Either he’s a fucking idiot or he’s not worried about covering his tracks at all.” Matteo replies, and anger boils in my veins. This is my empire. My fucking legacy. I’ve grown it into what it is today, and the way he’s tarnishing it is pissing me off.
“I need two men that you trust. I meanreallytrust, Matteo. With my fucking life. I want you to fill them in on everythingthat's happened so far, but don’t tell them where I am. They need to infiltrate Luca’s operation, find out his next steps, and report back. I'm tired of hiding here, tired of running. I want my fucking life back.” I can feel my blood pressure rising as I grit out the words.
“This is your family, Sebastian.Ourfamily. He will not succeed.” Teo replies with conviction.
Doug tugs on the leash, distracting me from the conversation. A low growl sounds deep in his throat, and I follow his gaze. We’ve managed to circle back to where we started, and his eyes are locked on the alleyway between Mug Life and a clothing shop next door.
“I trust your judgement in selecting the men, Teo. I’ll be in touch.” Hanging up without another word, I slip my phone into my pocket and focus my eyes on the shadows in the alleyway.
“You see something, boy?” I ask, patting his back. It doesn’t distract him even for a moment.
I move to cross the street, and someone darts down the alley, disappearing from view. Whoever they were, they were definitely doing all they could to avoid being seen. Doug lets out several loud barks, yanking against the end of the leash, but I pull him back.
“Easy, boy. We can’t chase every shadow we see, or we’d never stop running.” I tell him, guiding us back towards the coffee shop.
The crowd has cleared out since we left for our walk, and Vanessa is wiping down a few tables alone inside the shop. As soon as we come through the front door, I unclip Doug’s leash and he runs straight to her.
“There’s my sweet boy! Did you have a nice walk? Can you believe that big, scary man actually took you for a walk? I know, I was shocked too!” She talks to him as if I’m not standing right here.
“You’re welcome.” Shoving my hands into my pockets, I lean against the nearest table. She always finds the easiest ways to be annoying.
“I didn’t say thank you.” she says, a cocky grin on her plum colored lips.
“I wasn’t talking to you, Bambina. Doug and I have become great friends. He appreciates my efforts. Don’t you, boy?” I pat my leg softly, and he strides over to me, sitting at my side. Vanessa’s jaw goes slack, and I laugh to myself.
“The utter betrayal, Doug! I’m your mother!” she says, propping her hands on her full hips.
“You know what they say.” I walk slowly towards her, my presence making her more and more uncomfortable. “Everybody loves an alpha, Vanessa.”
I drag her name out, watching her skin flush red with my words. I know she finds me attractive. She just hates my guts at the same time. Conflict wars in her eyes, and I revel in it.
“Let’s go, Doug. Mama has to work.” He follows me to the back door, but I stop short, turning back to catch her attention. “We will discuss your reason for knocking on my door as soon as you get done today. So hurry home, dear.”
