1. Franco

Chapter 1

Franco

This is ridiculous. Marco cannot simply get everything he wants like a petty little brat. This is supposed to be an arranged marriage for me, for our family, but it seems he's seen my wife-to-be and is now claiming her for his own.

I cannot let this stand.

"You can't simply take what is mine," I say to him, standing in his office.

"I can and I will. I am your Don." Marco doesn't look up at me.

As my older brother, he is the Don, but I've always thought we've seen ourselves more as equals. Lately, though, his head has grown big.

"The arranged marriage was for me. I've heard rumors of her beauty. Just because you've seen her doesn't mean you can swoop in and take her away." I pour myself a glass of whiskey and pour one for him as well, putting it on his desk.

"Rumours do not do Aria justice. She is more beautiful than all the wonders in the world. "

I frown. "Marco, let's settle this fairly. In a way that the odds are fifty-fifty in either of our favor."

"What do you suggest we do? Arm wrestle?" He chuckles, sipping his whiskey. "I don't have time for this. Our supply runs are being heavily monitored. I need to come up with a way through the feds."

"A poker game. At a neutral casino. The first person to a thousand dollars takes the bride." I down my whiskey. "Unless you're scared."

"Scared of being beaten by you? You're mildly okay at poker, little brother." He looks into my eyes and then stands. "Fine, let's make this quick. But when I win, I don't want to hear another peep out of you."

"Fine." I smile, picking up his glass of whiskey and draining it. "May the best man win."

I walk out of his office and out of our family mansion. I climb into my car. We both know we're going to the Phoenix for this game. It's our favorite gambling spot. Am I nervous that he'll beat me? Maybe. It's a fair chance, at least.

I watch as he gets into his McClaren, and I let him pull out first. Always be a gentleman, my mother would say; always be a gentleman.

My brother has been leading our family for two years now since my father retired. I know he's under immense pressure, but recent successes have made him reckless. Not to mention that hot temper of his. I'm more afraid of him losing it if he loses the game than if he wins .

Still, I've heard of Aria's beauty, and I can't simply let my brother take what rightfully belongs to me. We pull up to the brightly lit casino and let the valets park our cars. I walk with Marco into the building and signal to the host that we want a private table.

While we wait, servers bring us a glass of their finest whiskey. It helps to be the regular big spenders. Besides, we provide… "security" to this fine establishment. I sip on my whiskey and wave away one of the call girls who are placed in this area to flirt with the men. I have my eyes set on a prize, and I need to focus.

Marco chuckles as a call girl pays attention to him. He flirts with her, kissing her neck as she giggles.

He doesn't deserve Aria.

The dealer comes to the table and gives us both ten thousand dollars worth of chips. "Gentlemen, is this a private game?"

"Yes?" Marco says. "One round. All in."

"Very well."

The dealer dishes out the cards, and I glance at mine. Two pairs. It's a decent start. The dealer sets up the cards in the middle. Texas Hold 'Em. We both push our chips to the middle of the table, and our eyes meet.

Once the dealer is done, Marco looks at me. "What have you got, baby brother?"

I look at the cards on the table and throw my cards down. "Two pairs."

Marco chuckles and throws his cards down. "Straight. I win. "

I clench my fists under the table, and Marco inclines his head. "Don't feel bad. We settled it fair and square."

"Aria was promised to be my bride. Now, you take her from me." I stand up. "That's hardly fair, Marco."

"Well, you wanted to wager on her, and you lost."

"You left me no option." I thump a fist on the table.

Marco stands up, a full head taller than me. "Be careful, baby brother. My patience for you only goes so far."

We stand there, staring at each other, when I feel my cell phone start buzzing in my pocket. I take it out and answer it. "What is it?"

"It's Jerry, boss. We caught him leaking information to the cops," one of my men, Donald, says.

"Where is he?" I look at Marco.

"Down in warehouse thirteen. We've got him tied up. What should we do?"

"Nothing. I'll be there shortly." I hang up and look at Marco. "We have a snitch that I need to deal with."

"Go deal with your snitch because I have a job for you when you're done, one I'm going to enjoy watching you do." He downs his whiskey. "Deal me in for another round. I'll play the house."

"What job?" I ask curiously.

"You' re going to be my future bride's bodyguard." He chuckles. "Genius, isn't it."

I purse my lips and sigh. "Sure."

I turn and leave, going straight to my car and getting in. Warehouse thirteen is on the other side of New York City, but I don't mind. I drive there leisurely. It's not like Jerry is going anywhere anytime soon.

I pull up to the warehouse and straighten my jacket. I take my gun out of the glove compartment and holster it to my side before I go into the warehouse. "Donald. What is it with snitches lately?"

"I don't know, boss. You'd think they'd learn their lesson when they hear about the others."

There's a muffled screaming, and I realize Jerry is gagged.

"Take the gag off, Donald. The poor man can't speak." I pull up a chair in front of Jerry and sit down.

Jerry shakes his head. "I'm not a snitch. I swear, Franco. The cops stopped me, but I didn't tell them nothing."

"Donald, what's your version of the events?"

"The cops did stop him, but we overheard him telling them he's going to give them one of our supply routes." Donald flicks Jerry on the side of his head. "Sounded very cocky and sure of himself."

"He's lying, Franco. Lying because he's jealous of how close you and I are."

"You and I are not close, though, Jerry," I say, tilting my head. "Now, I don't see why Donald would lie to me. Maybe your memory is just a little bad. Maybe we just need to jog it."

"No, Franco, please."

Donald hands me the pliers, and I kick my chair over as I get up. I grab Jerry's hand and clamp the pliers on a fingernail. "Were you going to tell the cops where my supply routes run?"

"No... No... I swear it," he sobs.

I start pulling on his fingernail, and after a moment of resistance, it starts to pull away and Jerry shrieks in pain. Once it's off, I hold it up for him to see. "This little piggy went to market."

I drop the nail on the floor and clamp another.

"Okay, okay. I was going to give them a smaller route. One that wouldn't affect you," Jerry sobs. "I'm sorry, Franco, but they threatened me. They had dirt on me. They'd busted my boy with drugs, and I had to say they were mine. I was in a corner."

I drop the pliers. "There, don't you feel better for being honest?"

Jerry has tears streaming down his face, and I sigh. "Now, what are we going to do with you?"

"Forgive me," he begs. "Please. I'm begging you. I have a wife and two boys. I just wanted to do right by them."

"By betraying me?" I roar, getting right in his face. "We could have got your boy out of trouble. We could have used our connections to help you. Instead of coming to me in your time of need, which you didn't mind doing before when you were having troubles, you betrayed me."

Jerry blubbers, and I take out my gun and shoot him in the kneecap.

He shrieks over and over again, screaming in pain.

"He's giving me a headache, Donald," I say, handing Donald my gun.

Donald puts the gun to Jerry's head and pulls the trigger. "What do you want me to do with the body?"

"Sink it in the Hudson," I say. "Make sure it doesn't resurface."

Donald hands me my gun back, and I holster it. "Reach out to our connections in the police department and figure out how much information Jerry has given them and over how long. We may need to mix things up a little for a while until the heat dies down. Send Jerry's wife and kids out of town. Permanently. Somewhere nice where they can start over without him."

"You're too good, boss." Donald snaps his fingers, and two of our men come to free Jerry from his binds.

"I know, one day, it's going to land me in trouble."

I walk out of the warehouse and go straight to my car. I get in and slide the gun into the glove box. I start my car and drive back to our family mansion. I need to prepare for Aria's arrival if I'm going to be her bodyguard. Trust Marco to come up with a hare-brained idea like that. He just likes to watch me suffer.

I get back to the mansion and motion for two of my top guards to follow me. "I want six men patrolling the garden outside Aria's room at all times. Two men in the hallway. One is to wake me if she leaves her room if I'm not with her. Do you understand?"

The men nod and hurry off.

"Brother," Marco says as he walks in, his arm around the same call girl from the casino. "This is Lily."

"Hi," she says shyly. "Your brother offered to show me around."

"I'm sure that's not all he offered you," I say quietly, shaking my head. "Aria is on her way."

"This won't take long," Marco says. "Come, Lily. The most important part to show you is my office."

Jesus. He doesn't even take her to the bedroom.

I go out front and light a cigar, inhaling deeply. Soon, I can hear the banging on the table echoing throughout the house, Marco's grunts and Lily's little supposed yelps of pleasure.

It's disgusting. His wife-to-be is arriving in less than an hour, and he's fucking some call girl in his office. He had better change his ways once he's married, or our father will have it out with him. My father has been loyal to my mother for over fifty years. He thinks marriage is sacred. He would not approve of Marco doing this.

I smoke my cigar to its end before I find a maid. I end up finding Claira.

"Aria is going to be staying on my side of the mansion until the wedding," I say. "Can you arrange the guest room for her quickly? She'll be here within the hour."

"Yes, sir," she says, hurrying off.

I look around as the rest of the staff put out fresh flowers while dusting and mopping the floors. The mansion is going to look very welcoming for her.

I've heard how beautiful she is. I can't believe I've lost out on marrying such a beauty over a poker game. But to be honest, Marco was never going to let me have her. He is jealous and spiteful, even if he does claim to love me as his baby brother.

I go over to his study, the noise of them fucking growing.

I bang on the door, "Oi! Hurry it up. She's going to be here soon."

"Fuck off," Marco roars and Lily's yelps get louder and more frequent.

After a minute, I hear Marco grunt, and I pull a face. Disgusting.

He opens the door after another minute, doing up his pants. "Pay Lily and send her on her way. I need to shower."

Lily comes out looking worse for wear, and I motion for her to walk ahead of me. "What's your price?"

"A thousand."

I take out the cash and count it out for her. "An extra five hundred to keep your mouth shut about this."

"I won't tell a soul," she says.

I click my fingers. "Weston, take Lily back to the casino."

"Yes, sir."

I stand out the front, waiting for Aria to arrive.

*