A Beautiful Crime

Chapter 15

Constantine POV

"You weren't at the deal last night," Tao Haung, the leader of The Triad, and my newest business partner for the gun trade, says with dissatisfaction.

"An important matter arose." I keep my tone cool and even. My eyes daring him to question me.

He leans back in the cushy restaurant chair. Our table overlooks the Harbor. A Harbor that had just transported over ten million dollars worth of gun and ammunition without none knowing the wiser.

Haung smirks at me. A hint of mischievousness lighting up his dark eyes. "Does this important matter have a name being Carina Fiore?"

My blood instantly boils as violence enters my bloodstream from the mention of her name on someone else's lips.

I cock my head to the side, remaining impassive when I feel anything but. "Who do you think you are to question me, Tao?"

His smirk remains firmly in place. He's a cocky son of a bitch. And he has every right to be. The amount of success he has at his young age is to be admired. Twenty-eight years old and swimming with the great white sharks without fear.

But no matter how successful Tao is, he will never be more powerful than me.

He shrugs a shoulder. "Gossip spreads amongst us men, too, Constantine. You know this," he reminds me as if we have history of being great friends. Never mind the fact I've just met him in the flesh today. "You danced with her at your own gala."

I raise a cool brow, taking a swallow of my brandy. "And?"

Leaning in he says, "And you don't dance with anyone. You're discreet with your women. Her, she was on full display. Claiming her so soon? Or is she just a pawn to get what you want?"

If I was boiling before I'm steaming now. Visions of red dance before me as I imagine Tao's pristine designer white crisp button down bathed in his blood.

Straightening myself in the chair, broadening my shoulders and giving him my best known menacing stare I threaten coldly, "Call her a pawn again and your next breath will be your last."

He holds his hands up in surrender, eyes waving in the white flag. While Tao may be feared amongst his own men no one is quite feared like me. "My apologies, Constantine." His expression becomes somber. "Then the rumors swirling the girl must be true."

Rumors. I didn't realize we weren't men and suddenly we've turned back time to be preadolescents. "Careful what you say regarding her, Tao. Last warning." If I have to hear one more person refer to her as an Ice Queen I'm painting the city red.

Tao's eyes narrow, trying to read me as best as he can. But I've done laid my cards on the table. Threaten what's mine, say a word against what's mine, come anywhere near what's mine and you die. "I won't apologize twice, Constantine," he then warns me. "We've all heard the whispers of Savio gifting you his daughter in exchange for an alliance."

Savio and his big fucking mouth. His greed will be his end one day. And soon.

"I've agreed to business with you Constantine because I am not a stupid man, but I am wary of Savio being involved with the affairs." He voices his concern rather boldly. The only person who can question my business affairs is Rico. Soon, Carina will be apart of the business, but she hasn't even accepted the darkness inside her. How can I expect her to rule the underworld with me? Prattling on he says, "He's cunning and sleazy. An Italian mob traditionalist that hasn't tried to at least adapt to modern times." He's right of course. Savio is a pure Italian mob traditionalist straight from Sicily. His way of thinking is still stuck in the mid 1900's. Tao has every right for his reservations, but he has no right to voice them to me.