Indecent Pawn: What price is too high to pay for another person’s debt? (3 page)

“No Derek, I wasn’t…” The sound of his hand making contact to her face again made her break down more.

“LIAR!”

“NO, see…” She attempted showing her special area but he didn’t want to hear it.

“You think I want your ass after you have been with another.” A few more slaps later she was shoved into the basement area with no gentleness present.

“No Derek, PLEASE…” She pleaded for him to show her mercy. With one last cold glare he shut the door in her face and the lock turned sealing her fate. There was no telling when he would let her out. One thing she knew for sure is that she had better figure a way out of this farce of a marriage or she couldn’t be sure if the next time things went just a tad bit further. She needed a way out.

“Tony, we have a problem.” Antonio heard his right hand approach his desk. He had been in his office all of five minutes before problems started to make themselves present. Truth is problems never seemed to take a break in his line of work.

“What else is new Gio?” He answered back with a bored expression. The Chicago skyline seemed more intriguing than business at the moment.

“Three hundred and fifty thousand in the hole with no apparent plans of repayment so far. New enough?”

“What poor sap was dumb enough to be in debt to me for that much?”

“A Derek Myers. A bet gone wrong on the fight this past Saturday. According to records he has a bad losing streak but somehow pulls out of it. This time however he is avoiding the boys like the plague.”

“…”

“How do you want to handle this?”

“What assurance do we have? Collateral?”

“That’s the thing. There wasn’t any. He works for you already. Paolo approved the loan towards the bet because of his references.”

“Bring Paolo to me.”

“He is already in route as we speak.”

“Good.”

Antonio Mucciono was a thirty-six year old boss. He worked his ass off running the many aspects surrounding the family business to insure they remain successful. Having taken over the business at an early age because of his father’s passing, he would be considered as seasoned in the business. So many different names were used to describe his many dealings. Mafia, crime world, or organized crime… Truth was that they all fit and he found no shame in the facts. Luckily he was well-respected and feared in the same token. Being a pussy was out of the question and bullying wasn’t in his vocabulary either. Antonio preferred clean, nondiscriminatory business whether it was illegal or legit.

“Good afternoon Don.” Paolo greeted Antonio upon entering the office. Antonio had gotten situated behind his desk waiting for his worker to make his presence known. Going over several stacks of paperwork finalizing different business ventures, he was growing tired of waiting.

“Paolo.” Antonio greeted with his no nonsense face ready to get right down to business. No beating around the bush. “What do I want to know Paolo?”

“Don…”

“…” Antonio shook his head to put a halt on his beginnings of excuses. “You of all people should know I have the patience of a baby bird. I want answers nothing more.”

“Derek Myers held some beneficial references when borrowing and placing the bet. By him being an executive at Mucciono Security, it seemed to check out. I assumed you knew of this investment.”

“And why would you assume something like that?”

“Samantha was one of his references.”

“Samantha?”

“Yes Don. Since you made it possible for her to work downstairs we sort of called it quits. Spending time with other associates within the company has called her to act differently. She brought him into the establishment and vouched for him. Saying that he was seeing her cousin and they were having a tough time. Said that he was good for it through you.”

“I don’t even remember this Samantha besides you begging me to hire her.”

“I was under the impression you two had…” Paolo trailed off.

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?”

“Actually she has been with a few of the boys.” Gio added with a nasty taste in his mouth.

“Send for Samantha.” Tony ordered in a quiet tone. He was never quick to anger. It took a lot for him to lose his temper. That may have been one of the reasons he was feared so.

“Did you not see the need to verify any of what she or he said?”

“When I told her I would need to verify her allegations she said that you were held up in a business matter and didn’t want to be disturbed. Because it was so late and the bet was to be placed within the hour, I let it slide. It was a careless error and I take full responsibility for my part Don.”

“Please don’t take my kindness for weakness. Just because I am letting you go doesn’t mean that there won’t be consequences for not doing your job thoroughly. However if this job is too stressful for you or you feel you are having a hard time with business versus pleasure, maybe you should take some time off. Turn your duties over to someone else.”

“No Don… I apologize for my error. My word, this will never happen again no matter who vouches.”

“Good see to it that your word is your bond.”

“Yes Don.” Paolo quickly left the office like a fire was lit in his ass.

Antonio didn’t have the patience for liars because if they will lie, they will definitely steal. Someone stealing from him would be automatic death but he always allowed room for the proof to be in the putting. Never did he like going off the deep end before getting all of the facts. That was how his grandfather once ran the business. With an iron fist and no tolerance for disrespect. His father somehow changed the rules just a bit for he felt that the business was almost too cut throat. Mean, deceitful, manipulative, and downright destructive in their business dealings. Never gathering facts just piling on the dead bodies and pushing others into the roles. Not knowing fully if the new people would work out either. Antonio was big on giving a person enough rope to hang themselves. Once the rope had run out then he would step up to the plate to handle things once and for all. Always with a warning nonetheless. Whether they heeded to the warning, well that was up to the individual.

The family business consisted of a legit security firm housed in a large high rise built by their construction company. Where Antonio spent most of his time at though was in the construction area. They did major buildings and structures. The security firm was the largest in the Midwest with ties all over the world. Although it also dealt with small security systems and such, it mainly dealt with larger projects. Large companies that required heavy safekeeping for their databases and also their buildings within itself. They created as well as sold the hardware and software to keep so many safe. On the strong hand side they distributed men for the jobs that required a more personal touch.  On the illegal side of the business is where the more dangerous individuals were sent out to rectify matters.

In the business that they worked in there were times when it called for a more skilled hand to handle matters. People and situations needed to be extinguished like pest control. A gun for hire in so many words. In the crime world business was business and not all business was upholding the law. Antonio prided himself for having some of the best trackers that are so slick with their skills that the intended target had no clue they were around until it was too late. They moved like ‘Ghosts’ or a mist, in and out before anyone had a chance to blink. Hidden in the shadows as if they really didn’t exist. That’s the way he liked it so there was no coming back. No room for remorse. No room for excuses. Desperate people made desperate promises. Instead of submitting to the inevitable they tend to want to make pointless promises of fixing whatever has gone astray.

“You called for me Mr. Mucciono?”

“Samantha.” He acknowledged her presence. “Please have a seat. There seems to be some things we must go over.”

“Thank you.” She was a very graceful beauty for sure. Too bad he didn’t lead by his dick.

“How long have you worked for Mucciono Security?”

“Three years sir.”

“Do you like working for Mucciono Security?”

“Of course sir. I have learned so much.”

“Very well. Forgive me for being ill-prepared but what is your job exactly?”

“Oh sir. I am the main receptionist for the sixth floor. The security department sir. Answer phones. Take messages. Transfer calls. Things of that nature.”

“So you aren’t a matchmaker? An arrangement maker?”

“I’m sorry sir. I don’t understand.” She said nervously.

“I have been informed that you introduced an associate of yours to Paolo to place a bet. It that correct?” The surprise that flashed across her face was quickly replaced with determination.

“Yes sir. That’s correct. Mr. Myers was interested in placing a bet on the fight. I understand he won pretty big.” Samantha smiled. From behind his desk he could tell the woman worked off of her charm. The way she crossed her leg one over the other he knew her art was seduction. Both men’s eyes followed her long legs and then looked at each other with a knowing smirk.

“It seems you have been ill-informed young lady.” Gio said void of emotion.

“Oh. How so?” She batted her long lashes towards the once silent onlooker.

“You see…” Antonio stood from his seat adjusting his jacket and walking around to that side of desk. Leaning against the front of it he watched as the woman perused him with her eyes. “Your little friend is into a three-hundred and fifty thousand dollar hole with me.”

“Oh…uh…No that can’t be right.”

“Are you calling me a liar?”

“No sir. I only meant…”

“Did you also tell Paolo that I could vouch for the roach?”

“Sir…”

“I’m doing my best to be patient with you but you see I don’t do well with procrastinators or liars. So if I were you I would choose my words wisely.”

“Oh my god.” Samantha started to lose her calm. “I apologize for that lie but Derek assured me that no one would ever know. You see I only wanted to help him for he is in deep with some other guys out of Vegas. He told me that he won what he needed and paid whatever he owed back. I’m so confused.”

“Don’t worry that confusion won’t last much longer.”

“Oh my god. I am so sorry it won’t ever happen again.”

“You’re damn right it won’t.”

“So I’m fired?”

“I need all the information you have on Mr. Derek Myers.” He ignored her question.

“Yes anything.” She went forward rambling all of his information to him.

“You may leave and for clarification, you’re not fired just yet. There are some things I need from you first. Until the time I see fit to explain what I need from you, I must advise you that this meeting was strictly confidential. If anything is so much as burped out of this room you won’t have time to say ‘excuse me.’ Am I clear?”

“Y-yes sir.” Scrambling from the chair she almost met the carpeted floor with a resounding slam.

Antonio never saw himself as a hard ass to say but there called for times when he needed to exert himself in a certain light. He wasn’t married and at his age a lot of his older associates thought that was a recipe for matchmaking. If they could somehow convince him to give their daughters or any eligible young lady in their lives the time of day, that would give them the key to the city so to speak. It would be like an arranged marriage for royalty.

Countless times he has been approached by another boss insinuating how beautiful or what an asset their offspring would make being his companion. Antonio would always come back with the same ole line, ‘he wasn’t ready to settle down.’ So far, that seemed to work. In all honesty, he just hasn’t come across the one woman that made him second guess being single. Point blank, period. So many fine specimens to choose from but none held all the qualities he required in a spouse. Even if he had to be alone for the rest of his life, so be it. There was no way in hell he would settle for anything but his soul mate.

There were plenty of bed-warmers that would do the job of his missing mate for now. Even after years of frolicking with whatever available set of legs ready for his tension release, the idea just wasn’t as appealing anymore. Not only did his name alone carry a lot of weight, his appearance wasn’t bad either. Standing at six foot three inches tall, muscular build thanks to his generous time spent in the gym, Antonio was a force to be reckoned with. Dark hair with sprinkles of gray traveled through his side burns down to his beard and goatee, enhancing his rugged facial features. Dark brown eyes that could easily pass for black when he was angry, perfect pointy nose, and slightly full kissable lips made up the entire strong package for one of America’s most eligible bachelor. At least that’s the way he was described in the business issue of the magazine shoot he was just a part of a little over a month ago.

Being such a successful business man had officially ruined all of his chances of ever finding a woman that wanted him for him. And not what he represented. According to the world he was nothing more than a very powerful businessman with ties all over the United States as well as some ventures in Italy. Of course speculations circulated about his underground business dealings but as far as he was concerned, out of sight out of mind.

Plus having the best attorney’s, politicians, and so forth funded by the Mucciono foundation anything that would surface quickly dissipated for lack of proof. Nothing in him would allow him to be ashamed of the things he is so fortunate to have and be a part of. At one point of his life he always strived to be different, didn’t really want to follow in his father’s footsteps or those before him.

His ultimate dream was to become a lawyer so therefore that is what field he chose to study. Despite the expectations that were laid out for him as soon as he was old enough to understand, his father fully supported his goals. While he endured grueling hours in school and extravagant adventures during his time away at school, his father’s health was dwindling.