Indecent Pawn

Chapter Thirteen

“It’s good to see you too.”

“Your father would be so proud of you.”

“Grazie zio.” Antonio relished in the small praise. “Where is Ernesto?”

“Ernesto had some business meeting he needed to attend to at the last minute.” Carmine huffed and then shook his head. “Knowing your cousin, he is chasing some skirt. How I wish he was as responsible as you.”

“…” Antonio didn’t know how to reply to the statement so he chose to say nothing.

“I don’t know where I went wrong with that boy.”

“Carmine.” Carlina saved him from yet another awkward conversational point.

“Calina cara. How are you sweet girl?”

“Carmine. I am doing wonderful and yourself?”

“Couldn’t be better.” Carmine noticed Allison as soon as she stepped into the room. “E chi è questa bellezza near?” He inquired who she was.

“Carmine, this is Allison Myers. Allison cara, this is my brother in law, Carmine Mucciono.”

“Pleased to meet you Mr. Mucciono.”

“You may call me Carmine and a pleasure it is to meet such a beautiful woman such as yourself. What brings you to our lovely country?”

“A work opportunity actually.” Allison answered. Antonio was pleased she was quicker on her feet than when she first arrived.

“I wasn’t aware we had dealings in the fashion industry.” Carmine joked. The guys instantly got where he was going with that.

“She is quite exquisite isn’t she?” Carlina gushed. As if a light bulb went off over her head, she giggled and blushed.

“This is going to be a long night for sure.” Antonio groaned.

Everyone sat down to dinner enjoying the company. Carmine and Carlina told embarrassing stories of all the boys when they were younger. Antonio, Gio, Roberto, and some others not present grew up together. They kept up all types of trouble from toddlers to adolescents. Especially when it came to the little girls running home crying of a broken heart to their fathers about the mean spirited boys. Of course the fathers of the devastated kids weren’t about to approach any of their parents out of fear for their own lives.

Allison was actually enjoying herself and for that Antonio didn’t mind his dirty laundry being aired. Even if smile on her face was at their expense, it brought her bit of peace. Although putting the pieces together to find out where the problem surfaced with the finances had to be put on hold for now, it was for the best. If someone in his organization or one that he does business with, bringing up his doubts about everyone’s books will only spark more fires.

*****

Chon was on pins and needles expecting a visit from Mucciono ever since he received his lunch. His overly sensitive obsessive compulsive disorder was taken to an all-time high seeing some cannibalistic stuff such as that. The intricate detail in removing a person’s face without nicks, overstretching took some skill and steady hands. There was only one person known for those type of messages or that type of skill and that was the ‘surgeon.’

He’d never seen the person in all of his years in the business. That hadn’t stopped the person from taking out a few of his scrubs. Some even say the ‘surgeon’ is a woman but those creatures aren’t patient. If it is one, she must be the last one in all the strong women’s line. Plus the scene of the crime had to be gruesome and to do a job like that, a woman would never be capable of something of that magnitude.