The smell of cigars and the view of smoke come from his office as I hear him call my name once more. The sound of my heels echo off the walls that neatly display the Giuliani family portraits. I make my way closer to his door, as the smoke thickens in front of me.
Frankie Giuliani Jr. "The Don" is a powerful name that many fear and everyone steers clear of. However I don't fear Frankie, or as I call him "Honey". He's been my partner since I was young- he's all I know. And though he is known to be over protective, jealous, and hot-headed, he takes care of my every desire and makes it well-known that I have control of many aspects of the business.
The Giuliani's have a large following that protects the family business and they will do anything to ensure nothing goes sideways. The Mafia is exactly how one imagines it: drugs, alcohol, money laundering, murder (when deserved and necessary). Though many don't realize the upside: money, loyalty, a consistent adrenaline rush, and most importantly- the power that you hold.
"Kitten! Get in here." Honey calls me once more with that stern, cold tone in his voice. I know that tone all too well- he wants to talk business.
I step into his office and he's sitting at his walnut colored desk with his arms resting on his lap. He has the top three buttons to his white button up shirt unbuttoned, however it's neatly tucked into his black trousers. His hair is tousled to the side and jet black, bringing out the warmth in his dark brown eyes. His beard is neatly trimmed and lips full, as I watch the cigar leave his mouth and settle in the ashtray.
"There's my girl. The hell took you so long?" He asks me, though quickly turning his attention back to Tony.
Tony is Honey's "right-hand man". He's been in the family longer than I have. He has proven time and time again that he is loyal to the Giuliani family, so they have him manage our drug shipments.
"I was about to leave to meet the Gallo boys, as you asked of me yesterday." I roll my eyes in irritation as he's carrying on with Tony.
"Oh yeah, good. Well I need you to carry him with you." He points at the door with the cigar in-between his fingers.
I turn to the door and an attractive man is standing there in a form fitting suit. He has light brown eyes with short dark hair. His face displays a small smile that leaves me unsettled, as I'm not used to anyone in our line of business looking so kind and friendly.
"Good evening Kitten." He says with a deep, but calm tone.
"Who the fuck is this?" I blurt out, confused as to why I'm having to carry this stranger with me. I may do a lot of things, but babysitting a grown man isn't one of them.
"That's your personal bodyguard. I want to ensure I have eyes on you at all times and that you're protected. I don't want any back talk, understand?" Honey says with his eyes squinted at me. I feel he's trying to read my reaction.
I walk to the gentleman, only leaving a few inches of space between my nose and his. "You tell me what to do- you're done. You tell him what I do- I'll kill you. Do I make myself clear?" I feel the frustration in me elevate as I have another person on my back, except now it'll be every second of every day.
"However you want it." He responds without hesitation.
I'm taken back, however amused at his response. "He'll be fine." I say to Honey as I turn to the door and make my way into the hall.
I check the clock on the wall and realize I need to leave to meet the Gallo boys. I notice a few of our guys standing around the bar talking. As I approach them, they stand up straight and turn toward me.
"You two- let's go." I say to a couple of them who nod, grab their guns, and walk toward me without any questions asked.
"Where are you going?" My bodyguard asks. He is already beginning to annoy me.
"I have a business meeting." I continue walking toward the front door with the guys alongside me.
"I'll be accompanying you this evening as well then." He says with a confident energy.
I immediately spin on my heels to face him. The guys move to the side, ensuring they're out of my way. "I want you to listen to me good, you best stay out of my way or this will be your first and last day. Do you understand?" I reach around him, grabbing my gun from the entry table and make my way out of the front door.
We pull into an abandoned parking lot. There was no one in sight the whole trip here. "The middle of nowhere" describes this place perfectly. I grab the bodyguard's wrist to check the time on his watch.
"They're late." I say as I begin tapping my fingernails on my gun. I grow more and more impatient with every "tick" I hear from his watch.
"Boss- over there." One of our guys announces as he points at the windshield.
I look out of the window and see a black tinted SUV approach ours. They flash their bright lights twice to confirm it's who I'm expecting, the Gallo boys. Our driver steps out of the car and walks around to open my door for me to step out.
My heels click on the concrete as I begin walking toward their vehicle, my guys following closely behind me. The air is cold and the wind feels like needles piercing my skin. I have two objectives and that's to get our stuff and get the hell out of here. These guys are known for torturing women, so I already have a nasty taste in my mouth. As I near them, three doors open and I see all three brothers step out. They walk to the front of their SUV, leaning on it as if they are on a relaxing vacation. Let's hope for their sake they're on their best behavior today.
"Kitten! Long time no see love." He throws his cigarette on the ground and blows the smoke towards me. How pretty his face would look in a morgue keeps going through my mind. "I'm surprised Frankie let you out of the house! The only man I know that lets a woman handle business dealings." He continues with a shitty grin on his face.
"Well Honey couldn't make it, so unfortunately you're stuck with me." I step forward with a forced smirk. I slide my hands in my pockets, though I want to reach for my gun and shoot him right in-between those blue eyes. "Let's make this simple friend. You know why I'm here and you're very aware of what I need to leave here with-." I'm interrupted by a burning sensation of a slap on my left cheek. It takes me a moment to register what this idiot just did, but when I do I feel fire ignite in my veins.
"You should have stayed in his lap- not in his business sweetheart. I'm not doing business with a bitch." He says sternly, as the other two brothers laugh and await my response. I look at him through the tops of my lashes, as he just put the stamp of approval on his death sentence.
"You realize the mistake you just made?" My smile widens as I hear my guys behind me grab for their guns. I hear three shots fire and all three Gallo brothers fall to the ground. They look past me and I turn to see what they're gawking at- it's my bodyguard with his gun out and pointed in their direction. My other guys are staring at him just as puzzled as I am.
"Only I can touch her." He pulls the trigger again and again, firing shots that end them completely. "I'm sure they have drugs in their car, go grab what you can." He directs my other guys and they hustle to the SUV. I'm startled at his actions, as I was sure I just met some nice guy at the house that would never make it a day in the mafia. Though he just ended three guys without any orders to. I'm impressed- I'm never impressed.
We make it back to the house and the guys run inside with the drugs and money they found from the Gallo brothers car. As I begin walking up the steps, I feel a grip on my wrist.
"Hey." My bodyguard says softly. I lock eyes with his, feeling this odd electricity sensation from the spot on my wrist he touched. "Apologies for killing your business partners back there. I should have waited for your sign."
I roll my eyes and give a faint smile. "It's okay, I was going to kill them anyway."
"Good." He returns the smile and stands in front of me scanning my face. I realize he is quite attractive and his smile is a bit dreamy.
"You're not so bad." I interrupt my thoughts of him. I realize my voice is getting more and more high pitched, so I clear my throat and redirect the conversation. "You haven't screwed up yet is what I meant. You still have plenty of time to do that I suppose."
"Kitten, what's going on here?" I turn to see Honey standing at the front doors with his arm leaning on the frame.
"Nothing- we're just talking." I take a step back from the bodyguard, as I realize we're standing quite close.
"Talking about what exactly? Shouldn't have anything but orders discussed between the two of you." His voice is sharp and his eyes filled with irritation.
"Honey- stop." I order quickly, becoming annoyed at his obvious jealousy.
"I assume business was cared for?" He asks sternly, sliding his hands into his pockets. I can see beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
"Yes, it was." I respond, before turning toward the bodyguard who nods in agreeance.
"Good. I need to have a word alone with ole pal here. Let's chat in my office. You're dismissed Kitten." He says with a snarky attitude and locks eyes with me the entire time I walk into the house.
My curiosity peaks and I quickly walk into the half bath that is located directly in front of Honey's office. Why does he want to talk to the bodyguard for when business was handled? And why is he acting out of sorts? I hear Honey's voice near and I can tell they've entered his office. I lean on the wall next to the bathroom door to eavesdrop on their conversation. I pull my long blonde hair to the side to expose my ear.
"Have a seat pal." I can hear in his tone he's pissed, but I'm unsure what for? "I made a small business into an empire- you know that? I've worked tirelessly to ensure anything that is associated with the Giuliani name is protected and cared for. I aim for perfection, you see? And when something of mine gets misplaced, unorganized, or in this case out of line- I address it immediately." I look around the wall and can see Honey leaning on the desk speaking to the bodyguard who is sitting in a chair, with his ankle resting on his knee. "If I ever see your eyes move past hers again, I'll end you. Understand? She's a beautiful woman, I get it. However she is mine, and mine alone. She wouldn't dare go anywhere or entertain anyone else. You see, the thing about Kitten is she's like a broken heart that needs blood pulsing through it to survive. I became her blood- without me, she's good as dead. You'd be better off talking to that brick wall beside you." I push my back, back against the bathroom wall and feel disgust forming in my stomach. I can't survive without him? I look around the corner and see his back towards the door, so I quickly step out of the bathroom and head to the common area at the front of the house before he spots me listening.
An hour and a few glasses of wine later, I'm approached by none other than the bodyguard himself. I finish my glass of wine and the smoothness of it coats my throat.
"Kitten, the Don said it's almost time to go. There's some business that needs to be handled at Club Spade." His tone is now neutral and he seems distant.
"Is that all he said to you?" I ask. Though I know the true answer, I know he'll never repeat what Honey has just told him.
"That was all. You may want to freshen up. We're leaving in twenty minutes." I roll my eyes at his response and make my way upstairs, with my glass of wine in hand.
I take down a low cut black mini dress from the closet to throw on. It has small white polka dots and forms to my body. As I shake out my long hair, I grab some fishnet tights out of the top drawer of my oak dresser and slide them over my feet, pulling them up past my thighs. I slip on eight inch black heels that strap around the ankle and pair it all with a three gem, tear drop necklace that dangles to my cleavage. Simple and comfortable for a night out at Club Spade.
Club Spade is Honey's property where we manage many deals at- usually deals that are business opportunities. It's off the radar, so we never have to worry about the FBI or DEA butting their nose in where it doesn't belong- they don't know about Club Spade, and we don't overly share our ownership of it.
When we arrive, I take off my coat and hand it to one of the guys who hangs it up neatly on the coat rack. The guys walk to our reserved section and sit in their normal spots alongside Honey. Honey relaxes in his black oversized cushioned chair that overviews the club. Club Spade is lit with fuchsia colored lights that put off a relaxing and modern vibe.
"Come here baby." Honey calls me and I walk over, taking my seat on his lap. He wraps his arm around my waist, holding onto my hip as he begins discussing business with Tony.
"He hasn't sold anything in a week, boss. He's either selling for someone else or he isn't trying. He was one of our top guys." Tony pushes his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose.
"Seems no one else is having trouble selling. This should have been handled by you Tony- I shouldn't be dealing with this petty shit." Honey shakes his head and his attention shifts to a gentleman that walks in nervously.
"Don! My guy! How are you?" The man asks as he walks up to shake hands with Honey, however Honey ignores him.
"You're not producing pal- what good are you to me?" Honey jumps right into business, and I can feel his grip tighten on my hip.
"Oh come on Frankie, you know I'm loyal! I've just had a rough patch here lately. If I can go to a different part of the city, I think it'll do me good." The man nervously picks at his shirt waiting for Honey's response.
"You want me to praise you for being loyal? That's bare minimum. What the fuck does this look like to you? A therapy office? I have a business to run and if you aren't producing numbers, then you're not adding value, If you're not adding value, then you're worthless to me." Suddenly I feel Honey lean forward and I hear his gun go off. The man falls immediately gripping at his chest and blood begins running on the floor. "Jesus guys, clean that shit up! It'll mess up my rug!" He leans back in his chair and starts back discussing business with Tony as if nothing happened. He takes a puff off of his cigar and blows the smoke in the opposite direction of me.
"Honey, I want a glass of wine." I interrupt. He holds his pointer finger up.
"I'm busy baby." He dismisses me and continues his discussion with Tony.
I grow irritated with his behavior this evening and turn toward the bodyguard who is standing beside me watching everything going on. A wicked thought enters my mind. If Honey wants to ignore me, I'll ask my new bodyguard for his assistance. I'm sure that'll get Honey's attention. "Can you get me a glass of wine please?" I ask with a slight smirk and a softness to my voice.
A tight grip forms on my thigh and Honey pauses his conversation with Tony. "I don't want him getting you drinks, Kitten." His eyebrow is raised and his jaw clenched. The exact reaction I was expecting.
"He's only had to kill one person and he's been here twenty four hours- let him do something productive." I wink at the bodyguard and turn back to Honey.
"Fine- one glass." He nods in agreeance, though I can see he isn't pleased.
"What color wine?" The bodyguard asks as he begins walking to the bar.
"Red." I tell him and refocus on what Tony and Honey are discussing. Listening to them, it sounds as though there have been some rumors of someone crossing over the border and selling on our turf. I can see Honey's knuckles whiten with frustration.
"Here Kitten." The bodyguard returns. The beautiful glass with my favorite deep red wine is a wonderful sight.
I take the glass and begin to sip on it when Honey pops the side of my thigh lightly, signaling for me to stand up. I slide off his lap and him and Tony move to the front table. I sit on the arm of the chair he was sitting in and finish my wine, watching all the people dancing on the dancefloor. The section we sit in is restricted to anyone but us, so the only communication I have is with people within the Giuliani "family".
"Hey bodyguard. Can you grab me another glass?" I ask as I am still partially zoned out and amused, watching all of these innocent people living their normal lives.
"No. Boss said to cut you off after one. After the three you had at the house and the one I grabbed for you here, I think you've had enough." He says aggressively.
"Excuse me?" I ask, unsure he's aware of who exactly he's talking to and how the hell he knows I had three glasses of wine at the house.
"He was clear with his order. You've had enough." He continues.
I slide off the arm of the chair and step toward him. "What did I tell you before? You don't tell me what to do. And he does not tell me what to do." I nod toward Honey's direction.
The bodyguard grabs my glass and tosses it to one of the guys who gets rid of it. "You sure about that? He seems to have control over everything you do." He scans me up and down.
I stare at him blankly, unsure of how to respond. What did he just say to me? "Know your place here Bodyguard." I mutter to him. "Honey!" I yell over the music and he turns toward me. "I'm going to the bar." He nods and continues his discussion with Tony.
"One glass of red wine, please." I say to the bartender who quickly pours me another. I love watching wine being poured into a glass. It's serene.
"Kitten. I need to have a word with you." I turn slightly to see the bodyguard standing next to me. I grab my wine from the bartender and then give him my full attention.
"Go on." I say sarcastically, however I'm a bit irritated though curious what he wants.
"Why do you let him treat you the way he does?" He asks clearly, catching me completely off guard.
"You don't know anything about me and Frankie." I respond quickly and take a sip of wine.
"I know he treats you like shit. He treats you like you're his pet. He asks you to jump and you ask how high." He leans against the wall and I can sense his irritation. What is with this guy?
"Frankie is going to do what he want to do. He owns everything and everybody. He rescued me off the streets when I was a teenager. I was dealing for a little cash just to get by and happened to sell on his turf by mistake. Tony and them caught me that night and instead of Honey killing me, he took me in and made me his. I owe him everything." I feel a sense of gratitude toward Honey wash over me. I remember that freezing cold night when they picked me up well, and how scared I was.
"What about your parents?" He's completely engaged in my words, although I'm unsure of his interest in all of this.
"My parents are dead. I have no family. He brought me in and showed me what a family was." I take another sip of the wine and feel the warmth soothe my body. I turn away to avoid any further discussion with him.
"So you voluntarily stay and deal with his shit? What does he have on you to make you stick around? This isn't an ideal situation for any one." He takes a step toward me and I feel a bit vulnerable. I'm not sure if it's because I'm irritated with Honey or I've had one too many glasses of wine or if it's a mix of both, but I continue.
"It doesn't matter. No matter where I go, he'll find me- even if I wanted to leave. Once you're in this life, you're in." A faint smile crosses my face.
"I'm hired to protect you- any means necessary. You understand what I'm telling you?" I look up and notice the seriousness that is displayed on his face.
"That doesn't apply to him." I say and immediately regret talking so much.
Honey seems to always know when I'm up to something, because moments later he calls me. "Kitten! Where is she?"
"We need to go up front." I say as I make my way back to Honey.
The club is busy- there are people everywhere. When we get back to our area I see Honey sitting back in his chair, except I see two women sitting on the arms of it giggling and talking to him. He is leaned back with a cigar in one hand and a glass of whiskey in the other. I walk toward him with the bodyguard at my side and I feel anger rise within my chest.
"You smell that?" I ask the bodyguard who is looking at me puzzled. "I smell whores." I turn to the girls and snatch their drinks from their hands. "Go away before I put a bullet in each of you." They quickly jump up and skip out of our section. "You're just going to let them use your lap as a chair Honey?" I say with jealousy and spite.
"Innocent fun." He slowly shakes the whiskey in his glass before taking a gulp out of it. His eyes shift back and forth from the bodyguard to me. I can see the wheels in his head spinning trying to detect anything that is "off" between the two of us.
"Let's go. We have business to tend to in the morning." I say disgusted and out of patience. I'm fed up with his nonsense for the night.
"You heard the Queen, let's go." He announces to the guys. I grab my coat off the hanger and we all walk out of Club Spade, making our way to the house in the darkest part of the night.
I'm in our bathroom upstairs where I begin taking off my jewelry. I begin recapping the night and regret talking so much to the bodyguard. I hardly know him, but I allowed myself to be vulnerable. I never do that! I'm pissed with myself. The bathroom door flies open and when I look up the bodyguard is standing in the doorway. Great... Just what I need.
"What the hell are you doing in here?" I ask, startled that he's still at the house so late.
"I didn't realize anyone was in here. Are you okay?" He asks with concern.
"Yeah, I'm okay. But you're not going to be if he catches you in here." I say as I lay my necklace on the bathroom counter and cross my arms.
"I apologize for startling you." His eyes remain focused on mine. I can tell there's something on his mind he isn't saying.
"Is he letting you stay the night?" I ask to break the silence. My eyes get distracted as they trace his bare skin. He doesn't have on a shirt. I try looking away, but glance down to see that his body is toned and his chest and arms are muscular.
"Yeah, he wants me here full time." He interrupts my gawking.
"Your bathroom is down the hall." I point my head in the direction his bathroom is, keeping my eyes away from him before I really get myself into trouble or make him uncomfortable.
"I'll head for my shower down there then. Goodnight Kitten." He closes the door behind him and I take a minute to collect myself before going to bed.
I get switched into my robe and walk down to Honey's office where I find him working, as he's not in our bedroom. "When are you coming to bed? I want a massage." I say as I knot the tie to my robe.
He looks up at me and stands from his chair. He walks around his desk and pulls my robe, where my body is close to his. The air is eerie. He begins caressing my lip with his thumb as the rest of his hand rests on my cheek and jaw. "You looked great tonight baby." He smiles softly before grabbing my chin with aggression. "But you best watch how you behave. He's here only to watch over you. I will end him and cut you off if I see what I saw tonight again. Do you understand?" His grip tightens. "You're my girl. Until death, remember?" I nod my head and he releases my face. "Good girl. Now don't embarrass me again. Go to the bedroom- I'll be in shortly."
My blood is boiling, but I remain calm. I turn around to walk out of his office door, trying to avoid cursing him out as I know it wouldn't benefit anything.
"Oh and Kitten." I reluctantly spin on my heels to face him. "You know I love you, right baby?" His eyes are beaming into my soul as they await a response.
"Yeah I know." I say with a forced smile. I turn around and begin telling him to go fuck himself in my mind at least a hundred times on my way to the bedroom to await his presence.