It’s fine. It works, and I obviously need a working phone for work. But it’s on the personal side of things where it’s fucking me up. I can do work stuff on my temporary work phone. I’m not installing the dating app I’m a member of on it.
And that’s a big problem.
I know, online dating is dumb as shit. I’ve never been interested in it. Tinder? Nah, fuck that. If I’m so inclined, I’ll meet women face to face, not on a stupid chatting app. But Connect is different. I don’t know why I gave the new dating app a try at all. But I did. And in record time, I get “connected” with BabyBella99.
She’s interesting. She’s smart. She listens to great fucking music. And she’s gorgeous, too. At least from the few cropped pics she’s messaged me. Soft, full lips, dark black hair, and a smile that makes my heart race and my dick hard. She’s sexy as hell, and goddamn is she kinky. We’ve only ever messaged through the app. But we’ve had some seriously hot conversations. I guess you’d call it sexting. Even if I think that’s a ridiculously stupid name.
In short, she’s goddamn perfect. Every single thing about her, that is, aside from the fact that she lives in France.
We’ve been chatting almost daily for months. Except without my phone, there’s no Connect app. No messaging. No BabyBella99. Christ, for all I know, she thinks I’ve ghosted her. So, it’s not just no sleep fucking me up and making me extra on edge. It’s not getting to talk to her.
The elevator door sliding open shakes my head out of my thoughts.
“Cutting it close, Dom.”
I glance up. It’s Vincent, waiting for me in the lobby area of Micheal’s offices. He smirks at my phone. “How’s the piece of shit treating you?”
“Like shit.”
He chuckles.
“Vincent, sorry I’m late. I’m tired as hell and just needed…”
“I’m just busting your balls, Dom. You’re good. Salvestro just got here anyways.” He eyes me. “Thanks again for the work last night.”
The job was a hunt. One of our bookies got hit last night. I mean, that’s part of the deal when you’re running illegal gambling operations. But it wasn’t just the money they were after. Whoever ripped us off also left with the computer server that was at the bookie’s office. The money is one thing. Tracing where the money comes from is more alarming.
So me and some other guys were out all night. Poking around the usual places. Roughing up the usual scumbags for information.
“Anything I can do, you know I’m there.”
He nods. “I do know. And so does Micheal. And it’s not going unnoticed.”
My pride swells. “Just doing my job.”
Vincent rolls his eyes. “Drop the humble bullshit though, okay? You’re not selling it.”
I chuckle. He grins.
“Come on, let’s get in there.”
I follow him down the hallway to one of Micheal’s meeting rooms.
“So, what’s this all about, by the way? Micheal and Salvestro want to see me?”
Vincent glances at me and smirks.
“What?”
“You’ll see.”
“Good or bad?”
He chuckles and stops at the meeting room door. “It’s not bad. Not that kind of bad, at least.”
“So… good?”
“That might be a stretch,” he grunts. He chuckles again. “It’s a job, Dom.”
“What’s the job?”
Vincent turns away and starts to open the door to the meeting room.
“Vincent, what’s the job—”
But Vincent turns the knob and opens the heavy, ornate door. It swings open into the low-lit and opulent meeting room. The air is tinged with cigar smoke. Across from me in big chairs by a marble fireplace, sit two of the most notorious men on earth: Micheal Genovisi and Don Salvestro Scaliami.
Micheal nods at me and stands. “Dominic, come.” He gestures to a chair in front of him and Don Salvestro. “Sit, please.”
I glance at Vincent. He nods to go ahead. I cross the room and shake Micheal’s outstretched hand. Don Salvestro nods at me, though he doesn’t offer a hand. I sit, and the older, silver-haired man with the cane and the cigar smiles at me. He’s in an impeccable three-piece black suit. It reminds me that this little old Italian man is one of the most powerful, richest, and dangerous men on earth.
“Signore Ferrari,” he smiles at me. “We do not know each other very well, do we?”
We’ve actually only met twice before. And by met, I mean being in the same room. I might be rising in the Scaliami ranks. But I’m a nobody to the man at the very top in Sicily.
“No sir, Don Salvestro.”
He looks at me without blinking. My pulse starts to quicken. I start to think back on my performance with my job. Am I in trouble? Did I fuck up somewhere? I frown. That can’t be it. I’ve bled for this family. Hell, I saved Micheal’s very life from a bomb in his house not very long ago.
Maybe it’s a promotion? But if it is, why the fuck is Vincent smirking over Micheal and Salvestro’s shoulders?
“Dominic,” Salvestro grunts quietly in his heavily accented voice. “I have a job for you.”
“Sir?”
“It is a big job. I am picking you because Micheal…” he nods his head towards my boss. “And Vincent, they say you are a good, loyal man.”
“Thank you, sir.”
He keeps looking at me without blinking. “Are you?”
I nod. “Si, Don Salvestro. Whatever you need. Whatever the family needs.”
He smiles. “Good. Very good.”
I’ve killed, and I’ve bled for the Scaliami family. I was born into this life, and I’ll die in it. And I’m fine with that. I try and read his face. Does he need me for a hit? Overseeing a new operation? Whatever it is, I’m ready for it. But why the fuck is Vincent smirking?
“I need you to watch something for me.”
“Yes sir.”
“Something very precious to me.” His eyes narrow. “I am picking you because you can be trusted.”
“Absolutely, Don Salvestro,” I growl. “Whatever it is…”
“She.”
I frown. “Pardon?”
“She,” Salvestro smiles. “Not it. She. My granddaughter is here in the states visiting. She wants to see things and have a real… how do you say it… sight see trip? And I need someone to watch her. To keep her safe from our enemies. She is young, so she needs a guardian while she travels.”
My jaw tenses. Hang the fuck on. What? Is this a goddamn babysitting job? His granddaughter? What am I going to do, bring her to fucking Disney World? Have a tea party? I look up and Vincent is doing everything he can to not laugh out loud.
Don Salvestro turns towards a door opposite the one I came through. “Topolina!” He calls with a smile.
Little mouse. Are you fucking kidding me?
“Lucia, mi amore, come!”
The door starts to open. I frown and clear my throat. “Don Salvestro, all due respect.” My mind if whirling. “Sir, I appreciate the confidence, but I’m not sure I’m qualified to watch a child—”