For Cam (Chicago Syndicate Book 4) (7 page)

“This is the most important piece of advice I’ll ever give you, Cam,” James says as he chucks a few dishes into the sink. “Always trust your instinct. I mean your true instinct. Not actions that stem from insecurity or jealousy. But that gut feeling that alarms you when something is truly wrong or someone is not to be trusted. It may make the difference between life and death.”

“I will,” I say, realizing how nice it is to have
quiet
time with just family.

And I also recognize that I do like the ordinary things in life as long as I get to experience them with Adriano.

So we had it all for a few months. Prosperity, health, family, and true love. Until my gut instinct reared its head, and one person put Adriano and me on opposite sides for the first time.

Adriano

––––––––

A
fter three months of being
Capo crimine
of the Chicago Syndicate, I’ve finally found a way to balance my personal life and work life with Cam. I keep her in the loop as much as I can, which is unprecedented because a
Capo crimine
shouldn’t share this much with anyone. However, I’m not one to follow rules. The high ranking members always pull all the strings of the puppets from behind the scenes, and I’m boss. No one outranks me. Though, being boss is also a tricky position to be in because the extent of my power exceeds my expectations, which can creep into a person’s mind and alter them. Everyone fears or esteems the boss. Everyone kisses my ass, but Cam keeps me grounded.

Luckily, business is going very well. All my hard work has been worth it. In the media, I’m still portrayed as a successful entrepreneur. We have to be out in the open, so we hide in plain sight. Regular civilians don’t even realize how much criminal activity happens around them while they’re out having dinner or dancing in clubs. And most soldiers who do the street work don’t even know who I am because all communication lines go through the
Capi
. But one can never be too safe, and keeping Cam in the loop all the time hasn’t been smart. Nowadays, she has the tendency to meddle too much when I’ve ordered her to back off.

The dance club has been handed over to my Financial Director, Jeffrey, who’s also the director at Security Simplicity. From now on, Jeffrey and Tez – with Carmine’s supervision – will handle all financials after I’ve set everything up with Luca. Since my and Luca’s software company isn’t our most important venture anymore, I’ve been transferring employees who have already been carefully screened and are trustworthy from SS to management of the dance club. Drug deals have also been set up and are taking place in a secluded area on the underground floor. We make a lot of money, but a fortune is being spent paying people off, buying loyalty and discretion with money. 

While I’ve relished being boss, I do sporadically miss the simplicity of the street work because in my new role, I’m repeatedly playing mind games with every business partner and I have to oversee a huge venture.

Today, we’re testing the new security system at the club in command central, which is a room next to my office on the second floor.

Wade and the Syndicate’s hacker, Henry, who’s a technological genius, expanded upon the existing security system to ensure that no one can get in with weapons, and every inch of the club is covered with cameras.

Cam, Luca, Carmine, Tez, Jeffrey, and twenty main guards are in the process of being trained by Wade and Henry. One wall of the command center is covered with flat screens that display the feeds of the hundreds of cameras that are hidden in the dance club on the first floor and the sex club on the first underground floor.

Cam senses my gaze on her and turns her head, so I wink at her. At times, it’s difficult for me to keep my hands to myself, but when we’re in rank, we try to keep it professional and it works. But it makes me throb for her as well. Every day, she becomes more ravishing. Her graceful body is toned in all the right places from training, and she has an ass I want to sink my teeth into. Especially with those tight dresses she keeps wearing. I shake my head and focus on the present before my dick twitches.

Wade’s informing us, “I’ve installed alarm buttons all over the bar, in Adriano’s office, and in several other specific places. When one guard pushes the button, the earpieces will go online so that all the main guards can communicate directly with each other.” Then he turns to me. “No weapon can get past the security gate at the back entrance, and all your seventy guards, only five of which are new, have been cautiously screened. There are enough men walking around to diffuse any situation within twenty seconds. And I also got you more tracking bands, like the ones you used to take over Club 7, to track your guards.”

“That’s perfect,” I say, because I trust no one.

Wade carries on, “The door in the dance club that opens directly into the hall leading to the back entrance can now only be opened with a fingerprint. And just a few people are in the system. Adriano, Cam, Luca, Tez, Jeffrey, and the main guards. If more people need access to and from the back entrance, you can inform me and I’ll ensure they’re added to the system. Some doors, like the one to this security office and your office, have the same access system. Adriano, only you can access your office.”

“No, I need Luca to have access to my office too. And Cam as well. Luca and Cam are authorized to roam the entire building, and I want Cam to be able to escape if there’s ever trouble.”

Wade nods his head and looks at Henry.

“I’ll take care of that today. Maximum clearance for Luca and Cam,” Henry confirms, typing on his laptop.

“Any questions?” Wade asks the guards, and they shake their heads.

“Then we’re done here. Adriano, can I talk to you about Santino?” Wade throws on his suit jacket, and I notice that Cam’s interest is piqued immediately.

“In my office.” I proceed through the interconnected door with Wade, Luca, and Cam.

As Cam passes me, I brush my hand across her ass, and she smiles sweetly at me.

“What about Santino?” I inquire, resting on the edge of my desk as Luca sinks into the padded chair behind it.

“I still haven’t discovered anything irregular about him. His records are indeed too clean. Where’s he being held nowadays?”

“He’s still imprisoned in one of the cells on the underground floor,” I reply.

“You’ve just kept him for all these months?” Wade fails to hide his surprise.

“Well, I promised Cam I wouldn’t hurt him until I knew more, and I’m still in the dark.”

Cam pipes in, “If he’s simply a bodyguard, I don’t want him killed.”

“Why not?” Luca and Wade ask in unison.

I hold up both palms, letting her know that she’s on her own, because I’ve been asking her that same question over and over. It’s merely due to her guilt. Cam believes that without Santino, she probably would’ve never escaped Fat Sal.

“It doesn’t matter
why not
,” Cam retorts. “We’ve kept him alive this long, so you can keep digging. He’s not talking at all and hasn’t mentioned any aliases.”

“If he hasn’t talked after all this time, that means he’s probably been trained to keep quiet,” Wade remarks sarcastically.

“Are you suggesting he could be CIA or FBI?” Luca leans forward with both elbows on the desk.

“Not CIA,” Wade muses aloud. “FBI? It’s possible.”

“Keep digging then.”

“If he
is
undercover,” Cam states. “We need to find out what case he was working on, finding dirt on Sal and Club 7
or
getting to the Syndicate? If the Syndicate is part of an FBI investigation, then we have much bigger problems than Santino. Perhaps he’ll talk to me now if I act as if I’m going to help him. Months ago, he pleaded with me to run with him.”

“That’s because he’s fucking in love with you, which is enough reason for me to kill him,” I mention, disgruntled.

Cam rolls her eyes.

“And no, you’re not talking to him.” I point my finger at her. “You’re staying away from him just like you have been.”

I snatch her elbow and swivel her around, pulling her back to my chest and securing my arms around her middle. Then I kiss her on the cheek, and she realizes she’s not going to win this argument, so she relaxes against me.

“Anything else?” I address Wade, who isn’t taken aback by our behavior, because we only hide the depth of our relationship in front of the rest of the members, associates, and clients.

“Well, yes. You asked me to find you a trustworthy contact to hire escorts for the sex club, but there’s no one. Most are Russian or Ukrainian human traffickers who deal with slaves, and you don’t want that. There’s only the one I mentioned.”

Cam turns her head to me, and I clench my jaw, glaring at Wade.

“Then I guess we’ll have to contact her. I don’t want slaves. I just need professional escorts.”

Wade fishes his phone from his pocket and texts back and forth with someone. “Do you have time for a meet tonight at seven?”

I crane my neck to Luca, and he nods that we’re free to discuss business.

“Yes.”

“Who are you meeting?” Cam steps forward, out of my grasp.

It’s a question I’ve dreaded. “There’s only one Italian madam in the Loop. I’m meeting the one person who can get me well-trained personnel for the sex club that aren’t illegal or slaves, but women who want to do this and get paid royally for it. “

“So a pimp?” Cam prompts.

Wade and Luca both laugh, and Cam just looks confused.

“She’s actually called
The Sicilian Pimp
,” I explain.

“Oh, how classy,” Cam mocks but doesn’t push for more information. Instead, she checks her phone. “Let’s go out to eat, and then we’ll come back at seven?” Then she glances past my shoulder to Luca. “Shall I call Fallon and tell her that we can pick her up?”

“I’ll call her,” Luca responds.

“Joining us, Wade?” she asks.

Suddenly, I realize that Cam is searching for moments of normalcy more and more.

“What are we eating?” Wade wants to know.

“Mexican?” I suggest because neither of the other two can ever decide.

“Yes, I’m in the mood for some spicy food.” Without waiting for us, Cam strolls out and expects us to follow.

I shrug at the other two and catch up with her, entwining our hands.

***

A
fter dinner, we return to the club at six thirty p.m.

The room echoes as the crew readies the club for the night. Regrettably, my appointment shows up early, while Cam is still with me.

“Mr. Montesi,” an employee starts.

I turn around, along with Wade, Luca, Fallon, and Cam to see a long-legged, curly-haired brunette in a maroon dress approaching us.

“He knows who I am,” Serena mentions as she stops in front of me.

“Serena Bartoli,” I greet.

She edges closer and kisses me on each cheek. “Adriano Montesi. When the King of the Loop calls, I come.”

“Do you have what I need?” I ask, wanting to conclude this swiftly.

“I do.” She doesn’t back down, so I step back to create some distance, and her eyes thin.

Cam angles her body toward me and arcs a brow. Knowing Cam, she’s displeased with how familiar Serena is acting, but she keeps her composure.

“Then let’s talk business downstairs,” I say. “Wade, Luca, come with me.”

Luca whispers something to Fallon, but I don’t want Serena to know who Cam is to me, so without saying goodbye to Cam, I walk away – I don’t need her to interfere in this situation. For the first time since I’ve been boss, I leave her out of business.

I sense her stare at my back, and an unfamiliar feeling of guilt rises up, but I tamp it down and escort Serena to the elevator that takes us one floor down.

Heading down the hall, we enter the sex club, which is a spacious, round room with canopy beds along the wall and a bar in the center.

I keep my tone businesslike. “I need at least thirty women who can work here in the club, and there are also private rooms.”

“And the rates for the girls?” she inquires, glancing at the blue velvet curtain along the wall and the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

“Are negotiable,” I answer.

“But,” Luca adds, “they need to speak perfect English and no refugees, slaves, or girls who’ve been purchased from human traffickers. I want willing, professional escorts who’ll get rewarded generously for their discretion. We have high rollers in here.”

She smirks at me. “Then you’ve come to the right person. This is a decadent place. I have trustworthy women, and I’ll make a selection.” Her attention shifts from me to Luca to Wade. “With whom will I be doing business?”

“Luca and I will set it up with you tonight at your club, and then my manager, Tez, will become your first point of contact.”

“Fine. We can discuss rates after I’ve made a selection.” She offers her hand, and I shake it. “We have a deal, Adriano.”

“Deal.”

She addresses Wade in a sultry voice, “Thank you for reintroducing us, Mr. Wade.”

He dips his chin as they eye-fuck each other, and Luca and I smile.

In a rush, Luca whispers, “I can’t go tonight. I’m going home with Fallon.”

“I can handle it. She’s being professional, so it’ll be fine.”

Luca sends me an inquisitive look. “Does Cam know about you and her?”

“No, not yet.”

What I didn’t tell Cam is that The Sicilian Pimp and I have a past. I used to date Serena, and she broke my heart long ago.

Camilla

––––––––

I
stand there astounded as Adriano goes off with Serena without even acknowledging me. Her sugary greeting tells me there’s more between them than meets the eye.

“It sucks to be left out, right?” Fallon declares absentmindedly, also watching Serena sashay away with my man, but I ignore her comment.

“Who the hell is Serena Bartoli?”

A crease forms between her brows, and then her eyes widen. “Oh! She used to date Adriano.”

“What?!”

“Yes...Serena. Luca told me about her.”

Stunned, I gape at her. “She was important enough for Luca to remember her?”