Chapter 3 MEETING THE MAFIA BOSS

Adriano was on his way to Mexico to close a deal when he got a call from Godfrey informing him that his brother had been found dead in his club. Adriano always knew Diego's love for women would cause a lot of problems for him, but he never thought it would result in death.

His little brother might have been a lot of things-stupid, a womanizer, unreliable, childish-but he didn't deserve to die, not like that.

Not only had that woman dared to kill his brother, but she had also disappeared with his briefcase containing two million dollars.

Adriano had sent his brother to the club that night to close a deal on his behalf since he had urgent business to take care of in Mexico and had to fly out that night. But, as usual, Diego got carried away by the sight of a beautiful woman.

Adriano had planned to make his revenge quick: go to the woman's house, take his money back, and return the bullet she put in his brother's head into her pretty little head. But it got a little complicated because he found the woman's sister, and apparently, her sister had no idea about the murder or the money. So he had to take the sister as leverage.

Adriano sighed as he rubbed his temple. He had to find another way to raise two million dollars to pay the cartel for the weapons they supplied. And now, he would have to sell his nightclub to raise the money.

A knock came on the door, and Godfrey, a fat man with a tiny goatee, walked in. "Boss, you sent for me?"

Adriano motioned for him to take a seat. Godfrey complied.

"Have you spoken to the buyers yet?" he asked.

"They think three million is way too much for the club, especially after the fact that someone died here. They're scared the police might come sniffing around," Godfrey replied.

Adriano stroked his stubbled cheeks. He hadn't had time to shave since his brother was killed. Adriano had made sure to keep the murder of his brother under wraps. Police were bad for business. And when rival cartels find out, they may take it as a sign of weakness. The manager was the one who found his brother, and Adriano made sure he was paid handsomely to keep his mouth shut.

But something like this couldn't be kept under wraps for too long, and Adriano knew this.

"Boss, why don't we sell the prisoner to Brayo's cartel? That would buy us enough time to raise the rest of the money without having to sell the club. Diego loved this club," Godfrey said, his voice softening at the last part.

Diego sure loved this club. He had even been saving up to buy it from Adriano. That was the only good business idea Adriano ever heard from his brother. The club was a serious money maker.

Adriano poured himself a drink and downed it in one gulp. "It's not a bad idea." Even though he had planned to use Rita to lure her sister out, Adriano really wanted to meet the woman who was brave enough to seduce his brother, kill him, and make away with his money. He was almost sure she was sent by a rival cartel to infiltrate his club.

The moment he lays his eyes on her, he would squeeze out every bit of information from her and his money and then dump her strangled body in the middle of the road for everyone to see. That will send a message to any gang trying to mess with him again to think twice.

But selling Rita meant that her sister would remain in hiding. It's not like she would be stupid enough to waltz back into his club after what she has done.

"What about Mexico?" Godfrey asked.

That was another problem all together. Padrino was on his neck, the deadline was already approaching. That was why he was heading to Mexico. He hoped to buy more time.

Adriano poured himself another drink and downed the brown liquid. He cleared his throat as the liquid burned his throat on the way down.

"I am handling it," Adriano replied. He will handle it once he has finished all unsettled business here.

Godfrey did not seem convinced, but Adriano couldn't care less. Godfrey knows better than to question him.

"Anything I can do to help?" he asked instead.

"You can bring me the woman who killed my brother," Adriano snapped and immediately regretted it. "Have a drink and then you can leave," he said in a softer tone.

For the rest of the day, Adriano had to deal with the incessant calls and making burial arrangements for his brother. He still had not made an official announcement to his cartel about the passing of his brother. He had hoped to catch the woman that killed his brother and bury her head alongside his brother's corpse. It was only fair.

By the end of the day, he was drained and just wanted to head hope take an ice bathe, have a decent meal and then rest.

When the a knock came on his door he grunted in annoyance. "What is it this time?"

Godfrey pulled the door open slightly and tucked in his head. "Boss, someone is here to see you," he said.

But Adriano was in no mood to entertain anymore visitors. "Tell them to come back tomorrow," he said with his gaze fixed on his phone.

"You would like this one," Godfrey insisted.

Adriano raised his eyes from his phone and found a small smile on Godfrey's face, the kind he usually had whenever a prey fell into his perfectly crafted trap. "Alright then," he replied.

Godfrey left and shortly after, a knock came on his door and a slender woman in an awful baggy jeans and a faded hoodie stepped into his office. She had an unsure look on her face but still held her chin up in defiance. She had a little fire in her eyes, a fire that reminded him of himself thirteen years ago when he was in the streets and struggling to provide for himself and Diego. A fire that made El Padrino pick interest in him.

The woman was not his usual kind of woman, even though she had blond hair which he loved in his women. He quickly pushed the thought away.

"What do you want?"he growled.

"My name is Serena and I want to talk about the man that died in your club," she blurted without flinching, as though she talking about something as simple as asking for a job.

Realization dawned on him as Adriano rose to his feet. Who could have known that she would be so stupid as to waltz into his club?