Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 40037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 200(@200wpm)___ 160(@250wpm)___ 133(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 200(@200wpm)___ 160(@250wpm)___ 133(@300wpm)
I closed the distance between us, only giving him an inch of space.
I could smell his breath. It was musty and laced with the odor of garlic and cigarettes. My fingers itched to wrap around his throat and squeeze until his face turned purple and his eyes went blank.
My hands trembled at the thought.
Remember Don Enzo’s words. I can’t kill anyone yet.
“Simon, go back and sit down in your seat.” I enunciated every word. I knew he could feel the rage seething beneath my skin. My eyes were focused on only one thing—his fear. “And make sure that you keep your mouth closed for the rest of the evening, so that I can maintain my anger.”
Simon widened his eyes. “Excuse me, Mr. DeLuca. But, the Killer Crows are an organization based on traditions and—”
“Go back to your table and sit down!” I glared.
My men stepped into the light of the hallway, surrounding the Simon with weapons drawn. The glint of polished steel shone in the light.
While Simon may have been important to the Killer Crows, my men would shoot him in seconds if he didn’t comply.
My fists clenched, burning with the desire to strike him down.
The hallway was dangerously tense, as if a dam was about to burst. I hadn’t had much patience in my life and I hadn’t practiced controlling my temper either.
Simon gulped and then he turned to Kashmere. “Chairman, I would like to take you to the side and talk to you privately for a few seconds.”
Kashmere gave Simon the sweetest smile. “I’m sorry, but I’m spending time with my fiancé. We have a lot to catch up on.”
I smiled back. “We sure do.”
One of Kashmere’s men waved his machine gun at Simon. “Enjoy your wine, man.”
Simon slowly backed up. “This will be brought up in the Board’s meeting tomorrow morning.”
Kashmere’s number one, I believed her name was Rue, stepped forward. “There is no Board meeting tomorrow morning.”‘
Simon glared at me. “There will be a Board meeting now. I’m calling an emergency meeting.”
Kashmere rolled her eyes. “Another one?”
“Exactly.” Simon stepped back again, yet still eyed all my men pointing guns around him.
“Good.” I nodded. “I will be at this meeting too.”
Simon’s eyes went wide and his body went rigid, as he staggered backward. “Your presence won’t be necessary.”
Rue spoke, “Pedro attended Board meetings all the time as Chanel’s husband and even when he was only her fiancé.”
“Which is what I am.” I smiled. “I’m Kashmere’s fiancé and should be at her side, especially when it is an emergency meeting.”
“We’ll see about that.” Simon spun around walked away with his arms slashed to the side, as if he was a general going into battle with his army behind him.
I turned to Kashmere and spoke through clenched teeth, “I don’t know how important he is to you, but he is fucking disrespectful.”
She turned my way. Shock covered her face. “Thank you. . .for standing up for me.”
“I’m too be your husband. This is the bare minimum.” I did my best to calm myself. “If he yells at you again or utters any other form of disrespect, I will kill him. Do you understand?”
She widened her eyes. “You can’t.”
“Why not? Is his skin made of steel? Is his heart impenetrable? Is he more of a man than a bullet?”
Rue spoke for her, “No one can be killed on the Board.”
I glared. “Why not?”
Rue stepped back. “I believe a Board position is similar to what your family would consider Made Men.”
“It’s true.” Kashmere nodded her head. “I can’t touch him or anyone else, especially not in these ninety days.”
“Why ninety days?”
“It’s a sort of probationary period for me.”
“Hmmm. We’ll see about that.” I gently took back Kashmere’s hand and took us back on our walk to privacy.
She led us forward, yet every few steps she glanced my way with interest.
How do I kill Simon if he is a made man?
Made Men were fully initiated members of the Mafia. To become made, an associate first had to be Italian or of Italian descent and sponsored by another made man.
Once approved, the ceremony began.
The Don pricked the inductee’s trigger finger and let his blood drip onto a picture of the Virgin Mary. We set the picture on fire then, and the whole time the inductee held it and swore the oath of loyalty to his new family. The oath of omertà. The code of silence and honor.
As Kashmere led us down the long hallway, covered in paintings of black men and women, I spoke the oath of omertà in my head.
As burns this saint, so will burn my soul. I enter alive and I will have to get out dead.
After the induction ceremony, the inductee became a made man and held the rank of soldier in the Mafia hierarchy. Made men were the only ones who could rise through the ranks of the Mafia, from soldier to caporegime, consigliere to underboss, and even all the way up to the Don.