Chapter 2

"I don't appreciate your interference," Antonio Carlotti said with a slight Italian accent. "You put me in an uncomfortable position and I don't like it when I'm uncomfortable."

He sat at the head of the table in the darkened restaurant. His second cousin, Franco Rossi, sat at his left, while his female bodyguard stood tall and alert behind him. Antonio's own bodyguard stood behind his right shoulder, also ready should the need arise for his services.

Leonardo Spinella sat across from Antonio, a lackey on each side of him, and four of his own bodyguards looking smug at their greater numbers. Leo was pretty sure he had the upper hand, but he knew Antonio deserved a certain amount of respect due to his position as head of the organization.

"That's unfortunate. But I should remind you that we do now have the backing of Senator Stone, so—"

"No. You don't," Antonio cut the man off. "You should've known better than to go behind my back. What were you thinking?"

Franco's bodyguard had been dutifully watching the room, staying alert for any possible threats to her charge, Mr. Rossi, but when she saw Mr. Spinella noticeably pale at the implied threat, she readied herself, as she recognized the first signs of desperation entering the man's eyes.

This was her first encounter with Mr. Carlotti, and she was beginning to realize that his reputation as a ruthless crime lord didn't do him justice. She could see the glint in his eyes. He was playing with the man.

"Senator Stone has most definitely agreed to—"

"Senator Stone is dead by now. So, I will ask you again. What were you thinking?"

Leonardo lost the last bit of color remaining in his cheeks. He darted his eyes around and could feel the prickly sensation of fear-induced sweat sliding down his sides and back. He felt little beads of water grow on his forehead and dabbed at them with his suit jacket's cream-colored handkerchief.

"I meant no disrespect. I just thought—"

"No. You didn't think. And how could your disobedience show anything but disrespect and contempt for me and my family?"

"Sir..."

"Ah, now you try to show respect."

Antonio was thoroughly enjoying himself. Leo was about to piss his pants. Unfortunately, he had pushed just a little too hard. Leonardo dropped to the floor and his four bodyguards took that as his signal to open fire.

Franco's bodyguard had her guns out before the first of Leo's men could clear theirs from their holsters. She jumped in front of Franco just as she was taking down the third man. Antonio's guard brought down the fourth, and then immediately put slugs through the two shocked lackeys and the cowering man under the table. Antonio clapped his hands.

"Beautiful! Beautiful! Franco, where have you been hiding this one?"

Franco grinned at his cousin.

"Ah, well, she just came to my attention a few months ago. She was a courier for Emiliano. One of my boys took a liking to her, but he was rather rude about it. She flattened him, so I took her as a replacement. She has the fastest reflexes of anybody I've ever seen," he bragged.

"Ah, I think I might know someone who's faster," Antonio countered.

His bodyguard stood a little taller at what he thought was a huge compliment.

"I'd be happy to test my skills against your man any day, Mr. Carlotti," the tall woman offered.

She knew she could beat his brute silly.

"Ah, Eduardo? No, no, I was thinking of someone else." Eduardo lost his puffed up demeanor, as Antonio continued. "But I don't think I want to see you two fighting. Why waste talent like yours? No. I think I will send you for training instead."

Antonio watched his cousin's face fall, as he realized he had just lost his prized possession. He knew better than to argue about it, too. Antonio grinned.

"Well, that was pleasant. And... What was your name?"

"Erica Raineri, but everyone calls me Rain," she replied.

"Well, Rain, you'll be hearing from one of my people very soon. Goodnight, Cousin," he added to Franco, and then left, with Eduardo trailing behind him.

They reached the crime lord's personal limo, and Eduardo made sure to open the door for Antonio. He waited for the man to get settled before closing the door and getting in on the other side. Antonio hit the intercom switch near his right arm.

"Cruise Seventh Street. Stop at the first tall brunette you see," Antonio ordered his driver.

"Yes, Sir," the driver replied.

It had been months since Antonio had picked up any women from that area, so it was unlikely that the current streetwalkers would remember him. Even if he was recognized, Antonio wasn't too worried about it. He'd just try another neighborhood.

In less than half an hour, the driver had pulled them over in front of three women: a short redhead, a medium-sized blonde, and a tall brunette. Antonio rolled down his window and grinned at the young women.

"Good evening, ladies," Antonio offered charmingly.

"Hey baby," returned the redhead warily.

"Nice ride," said the brunette, as she practically climbed through the open window.

The blonde just smiled shyly. She was probably new.

"I seem to have gotten lost, and my driver hates to ask for directions. Would you like to help me find my way?" Antonio asked the brunette who seemed ready to jump into his lap.

"Sure baby," the brunette replied, but the redhead pulled her back and gestured for them to walk a few steps away so they could talk.

"We'll be right back," the redhead told him snidely.

Antonio almost lost his charming smile at the complete disrespect she was showing towards him, but he'd learned long ago that patience was a virtue. Waiting for others to make mistakes had kept him ahead of his rivals for many years.

The redhead glanced back at the handsome man sitting in the limo, and then focused on her dark-haired friend.

"Shel, you can't possibly be thinking of going with that guy," the redhead started.

"Why not? Look, he's obviously rich, Joni. We'll make a fortune!" Shel said enthusiastically to the redhead.

"Yeah, he's rich, which means if he's gotta come here to get some pussy, then there's somethin' seriously wrong with him. Think about it," Joni implored.

"Oh, come on. This is just like in Pretty Woman. What if he falls in love with me, and we live happily ever after? You want me to pass up a chance like that?" Shel asked.

"Maybe Joni's right, Shel. I just get a weird feelin' about 'im," the blonde said quietly.

"You get a weird feelin' about everyone, Gina," Shel derided the girl. "Come on. We could make enough money to not have ta work for a week. Come on," Shel pleaded.

"Nah, girl. I'm not goin'," Joni said decisively.

Gina shook her head in negation as well.

"Fine," Shel said harshly, trying to hide the hurt of having both her friends turn against her. "See if I come back here to help you guys when I'm off livin' the high life."

Shel turned on her heel and stalked over to the limo. She dropped her angry expression and put on her best come hither look.

"Hey baby. My friends have a prior engagement, but I'm all yours," she said seductively.

Antonio smiled and opened the car door for the woman to get in. She deliberately brushed against his legs and pretended to lose her balance, partially falling into him and grazing her hand over the hard bulge in his pants.

"Oops, sorry," she said unapologetically.

Antonio grinned, as she settled into his lap. He hit the intercom switch.

"Take me home," he ordered.

Eduardo did his best to disappear into his seat a few feet away from the amorous couple, as the two got to know each other a little better. Almost an hour later, the car stopped and the engine cut off. The driver side door opened and closed, and a few moments later, the door next to Antonio opened.

"We're here, Sir," the driver told him.

"Good," Antonio said, as he stepped out of the limo, and then helped the young woman out.

"Oh my God! Look at this place! This is where you live?!" Shel said excitedly, as she finally got a look at the enormous mansion illuminated by numerous floodlights.

As Eduardo hopped out of the other side of the car, Antonio turned to his bodyguard and driver.

"Be back here in a few hours. You'll have a delivery to take to the docks," he said cryptically, as he glanced at the woman.

The driver nodded solemnly.

"We'll be ready, Sir," Eduardo said quietly.

Antonio turned back to the woman, who was still gawking at the gigantic house.

"Come on. I'll give you a tour," he offered.

They went in through a massive front entrance, and Antonio took them up a staircase that curved around both sides of the main lobby and up to the second floor. After a somewhat lengthy walk down several hallways, they stopped in front of two large white doors with solid gold doorknobs.

Antonio pushed open one of the doors and led his guest inside his large office before closing and surreptitiously locking the door behind her.

"Wow. This place is amazing! What do you do for a living?" Shel asked curiously.

"It's not important," Antonio dismissed.

He stepped forward and forcefully brought the woman's lips to his own. Shel managed to push herself away from him after a few moments of struggling.

"Whoa, slow down, Romeo. We got all night, right?" she questioned a little uncertainly.

"Shut up," Antonio ordered and moved forward again.

Shel took a few steps back, and Antonio grinned when he saw the fear in her eyes. Shel suddenly realized her friends' suspicions had been right.

"Um, you know, maybe you should just take me back to..." Shel began, but Antonio's lightning fast backhand sent her spinning to the floor.

"I said shut up!" Antonio yelled, completely unconcerned about being overheard.

When the extravagant mansion had been built, Antonio had made sure to install the best soundproofing available. It kept the noise of his sexual encounters from being detected by anyone outside the room, so he could enjoy the screams of his victims without worrying about who might hear. Though Antonio had complete confidence that his staff would never betray him, he didn't want an overzealous bodyguard interrupting him because he thought Antonio was in danger. It ruined the mood.

Shel tried to crawl away from the maniac, as she felt her right cheekbone begin to swell painfully. She wasn't sure, but she thought he might have broken the bone.

"You better crawl your ass back over here, bitch," Antonio said menacingly, as he watched the woman trying to get away from him. "Or do you need to be taught a lesson in obedience?" Antonio grinned at the thought.

He lunged forward and yanked the woman back up by her hair, so they were face to face.

Shel looked into the cold eyes of the man she'd briefly hoped would save her from a life of prostitution and began crying in despair, as she realized her fate had been sealed the moment she'd climbed into the limo. Panic flooded her body, and she struggled to get away, but Antonio was much stronger than she was.

"No! Let me go!" Shel screamed in terror.

Antonio smacked her across the face again, causing her lip to split and a gush of blood to pour from the cut.

"Why? We got all night, right?" Antonio mocked her, as he tossed her cruelly against his desk.