CRAVING FOR THE ENEMY

SADIE'S POV

"Some things never change".

I think that was meant as a comforting statement, but as I stood in front of the Brodo Bar and Restaurant on a particularly hot and humid New York day, it was nearly terrifying. There was a new, modern entrance, and a fresh coat of paint, but the bar looked exactly as I remembered it. It had been in the Avenetti family for years, and these walls held a lot of memories for me. When I was young, we would have family dinners here, sharing laughs and stories with the Avenettis, and when I got older, it became a popular hangout for Brandon and me and all of our friends. Standing in front of it again was like being transported in a time machine. This entire town was like that for me.

Far Rockaway was part of New York City, but was on the coast in Queens. The Avenettis pretty much ran the entire area, and by the looks of things, that hadn't changed. They liked to do their business out of the lime light, which was why this entire thing with the FBI was laughable.

Now here I was sent by Herrera to spy them and tell him everything. He thought they were using this bar to run their product out of, but they were way too conservative for that. Steven, the leader hadn't climbed the food chain by being careless, and he kept his operations on a tight ship. Instead of only using cover businesses like other mob bosses, he used stockyards and ranches for the big product because the scent of the livestock threw off the dogs. I hadn't shared that with Herrera though, As much as I wanted to see the Avenettis fall, I still had a bad taste in my mouth about all of this, so there was some information I kept close to my chest. With any luck, I could stay here a few weeks and fulfill my obligation to Herrera and then get the hell out. And if I was really lucky, I could avoid Brandon during that time.

With a deep breath, I tightly clutched my purse and headed inside. I could almost feel the wire I was wearing burning into my skin, like some sort of brand, calling me out for the horrible betrayal I was about to commit. I was basically selling out the people who had raised me, who had been my family at one point, to save Adam and myself. I didn't have any other choice, but the closer I got to actually following through with this, the worse I felt.

My hand shook as I reached for the handle to the door, eyeing the help wanted sign in the window. Once I opened it, there would be no going back, and I would be in this for the long haul. As if I was ripping the band aid off, I gripped the handle tightly and jerked it open, causing the glass on the door to tremble and drawing the attention of the few patrons in the club. So much for laying low. The amount of attention I was already drawing in here made that a distant possibility.

I diverted my eyes from the onlookers and made my way towards the bar. Unlike the outside, the inside had been completely renovated, possibly even gutted, and I could hardly recognize it.

Everything was in various tones of chrome and bronze and abstract art pieces hung from the ceiling. It looked much more like an upscale club than the hometown dive bar I had left all those years ago.

A few groups were scattered about, including two men sitting on the bar stools in suits. One of them sized me up, his eyes trailing over every inch of my body, as if he could undress me with his eyes. A part of me wanted to turn and run, but I didn't want to show any fear. I had a job to do, I was playing a part, and I could handle a little bit of sexual scrutiny if it meant I could get through this.

"Can I help you with something, doll face?" The skeevy guy gave me a wide grin, continuing to stare at my chest.

"I, uh... I'm here to interview for the job." I said plainly, locking eyes with him.

"The job is filled, just haven't gotten around to taking the sign down yet." Another man emerged from behind a door, hidden behind a few cases of whiskey. I knew it was Alex long before he set the cases on the counter and glanced my way. Alex's eyes widened as he did a double take.

"Well, I'll be damned." He let out a sharp laugh. "Sadie Sorento. It looks like it's my lucky day."

"Hi Alex." I gave him a restrained smile. It was hard not to rush towards him and engulf him in a hug. It had been years since I had seen him, and even in this state, I couldn't deny that I had missed his friendship. He was my age and we had inseparable as friends even before Brandon and I started dating.

"Don't just stand there!" He put his hands on his hips, grinning from ear to ear. "Get over here!" Alex took several steps towards me and threw his arms around my neck. "God, it's good to see you! You look incredible! How long are you here for? Does Brandon know you're in town?"

I gave a nervous laugh as he fired off a million questions, not even waiting for an answer. "Uh...no. Brandon doesn't know, and I'd like to keep it that way, at least for a little while." I broke away from his embrace as he narrowed his eyes at me in confusion. "I'm not sure how long I'm staying."

"Dante, Jav, this is Sadie, an old friend of ours." He introduced me to the two men who had been sitting at the bar when I walked in.

"Nice to meet you." They said, nodding at me and turning back to their own business. It seemed once they knew I was with Alex, they realized I was off limits.

"You as well." I faked the smile.

Alex slipped behind the bar and grabbed a bottle of whiskey off the shelf, pouring it into two glasses and sliding one my way. "Have a drink, let's catch up. Are you hungry? Our chef just got in, but I'm sure we have some stuff left over from last night. Did Adam come with you?"

"Oh no. I'm not hungry, thank you though." I shook my head, draping my jacket over the barstool and sitting down across from him. "Adam didn't come, he's in school right now, and it was kind of a spur of the moment trip."

"It's hard to believe he's old enough to be in college now. He and Eli both. How is he doing?" He shot back the full glass of whiskey.

"He's good." I tried to hide the exasperation in my voice. "He's studying business at the University of Denver. He loves it. How's Eli?"

Alex let out a sharp laugh. "Just as crazy as ever. About to graduate, if he can make it through the next few weeks. You just missed him he was in town this morning, but had to head back." He said refilling his glass.

"Oh, I would've loved to have seen him." My smile was sad. It was like being back in this bar flooded me with the good memories of my time here and the Avenettis themselves. I couldn't help but think about how different my life would be right now if my parents were still here.

"Well, if you stick around long enough, I'm sure you will." He grinned hopefully.

"We'll see." I shifted my weight, taking a sip from my glass. It had stung at first, but was going down smoother now. "It looks like you've done pretty well for yourself." I gestured to the bar. "This place looks great."

"Thanks, Sadie." He smiled proudly, with his hands resting on his hips. "It's been a little pet project of mine, but things are really coming together. I'm here whenever I can, but that can be tough sometimes ever since Brandon took over."

"Brandon... is the Don?" My throat cracked, barely able to get the words out. It wasn't like this was any surprise. I'd known this day would come my entire life, but that didn't make it any easier to hear.

Alex nodded. "It won't be official until Dad retires, but he's already moved into position when dad was gone."

"Wow." I sat staring into my drink, completely speechless. I knew I should be happy for him- this was his dream after all-but for some reason, it felt like someone had sucked the air right out of my lungs. It only made my job that much harder, putting a much more personal face to it. "That's... that's great."

Alex picked up on my discomfort with the conversation and gave me a sympathetic smile, changing the subject. "What brings you back anyways?"

"I can't come home to visit?" I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly, swirling the glass of amber liquid in my hand.

Alex's smirk was accusatory. "Home? This hasn't been your home in years. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to see you. I know Brandon will be, too. It's just the last time anyone saw you, you swore you'd never be back."

And I thought I never would. "If I had any other choice, I wouldn't be." I it my np. "I just... I'm here because I need a job. Adam and I have been surviving, but now with his school loans, we're really stretching. I thought I could come back and get one of the shop owners in town to hire me for a few months, but it turns out they are all under Avenetti rule now and won't hire me without consent." I rolled my eyes playfully. Queens was a tumultuous area of New York and many of the shops paid the Avenettis for protection. I knew my story was plausible, no one would want to jeopardize their partnership.

"Sadie," Alex let out a heavy sigh. "If you and Adam need money, you know dad would give it to you. Hell, I'll give it to you. You're family. You don't have to come crawling back here begging for a job in my bar. All you have to do is ask."

"I don't want dirty money, Alex. I want to make a living the honest way." I hissed, throwing back what was left of my whiskey.

"Okay, okay." Alex held his hands up, immediately backing off and realizing he had struck a nerve. "But this job is nothing fancy, I just need a bartender."

"I can do that; I even have experience." I nodded enthusiastically. I had moonlighted as a bartender when Adam and I first moved out to Colorado and I was trying to graduate nursing school.

Alex arched his eyebrow curiously. "And you don't know how long you're going to be here?"

"A few months? Through the summer? I don't know, I didn't have time to put much thought into it."

"Well, the job is yours if you want it. I just think there might be easier ways to..."

I glared at him, cutting him off before he could get the rest of his thought out. Not only was I completely against the idea of taking money from his father, I really just needed to place myself in the innerworkings of the group. They may not run product out of here, but I had a hunch they ran meetings and organizational things through the bar. It was my best shot at finding out the information as quickly as possible.

Alex stared back at me, weighing my offer. So far, it seemed like he believed me, or was at least willing to entertain the thought. "Well, I'm desperate as hell for the help, and I love the thought of having you around. Why don't you come back tonight and give it a trial? Are you staying close by?"

I nodded. "I've got an apartment a few blocks away."

I could tell Alex was running through all the details of my story right now, I just had to pray he wouldn't question them. He wanted to press me for more, but he knew I wasn't going to volunteer anything else right now.

"Great. It really picks up around eight. Does that work for you?"

"That's perfect, I'll be here." I smiled, relieved that things were going as planned so far.

I had stayed at Brodo talking to Alex long enough that by the time I left, it was dark outside. I had told Herrera that I wouldn't need a car because this was New York we were talking about. Everything I could ever need was in walking distance, and the apartment we had picked out was just down the street from the bar. As I walked home though, I was starting to rethink that decision. I was as exhausted mentally as I was physically after my conversation with Alex, and all I could think about was falling into my bed for a short nap before having to get up and do it all again.

I was playing a part, one that took all of my effort and energy not to completely give away.

I should be thrilled. I had accomplished exactly what I had set out to do, and everything was working perfectly so far, but that didn't stop the overwhelming knot of guilt building in my chest. I hated lying to Alex the way I had, especially when he had been so willing to help me the second he heard we were struggling. He hadn't even pressed me on what was going on or what I had been doing for the last several years, he just welcomed me back with open arms as if I had never left.

What was wrong with me? I hadn't even seen Brandon yet, and I was already questioning all of this. Why did I think I could come back here and not feel like an absolute traitor for what I was about to do? This wasn't just anyone. As badly as I wanted the Avenettis to pay for what had happened to my parents, they were still my family, too. No amount of time or distance could change that. I couldn't even let myself go there though. They may be good-hearted, but they were still mixed up in some terrible things.

I had to put all of my personal feelings to the side if this was going to work, and I had no choice but to make it work. Adam and I both depended on it. If I couldn't give Herrera what he wanted, both of our lives were over, and everything we had been through over the last few years would be in vain. Nothing could come in the way of that, and I needed to keep that at the forefront of my mind.

The wind had chilled me to my bones on my walk home, so instead of a nap, I opted for a hot shower. The pounding water on my back felt heavenly, and I stayed in it until the water had gone cold. I sent a quick text to Adam to check in and started getting ready. He was back at school, under Herrera's watchful eye, and he had no idea what I was about to do. I hadn't told him, knowing he would try to stop me and take responsibility for everything that happened. I wasn't against him taking responsibility for his actions, but he made a mistake. That wasn't the person he truly was, and there was no way I was going to let this one mistake define his entire life. Especially when I had been fighting so hard to keep him away from all of this. If all went according to plan, I could get the job done and get home before Adam really even knew what was going on. Protection for Adam while I was gone had been part of my deal with Herrera, and I slept a little easier at night knowing that if Rivas and his men came after him, Herrera was there. That was at least something and had no choice but to trust him.

****

The next day once I was ready, I called a cab, not willing to brave the cold again even for the few blocks it would take for me to get to Brodo. It was show time.

Alex had been right. By the time I arrived, the place was packed. There was an hour wait for a table, and the bar area was standing room only. Alex was behind the bar himself when I walked in, and I waved sheepishly once he made eye contact with me.

"Sadie! Hey!" He grinned, coming out from around the bar and giving me a hug. "You're just in time. Things are about to get busy."

"Busier than it already is?" I laughed, arching my eyebrow at him.

Alex chuckled, shaking his head. "You haven't seen anything yet." He nodded towards the other guy behind the bar. "Ro, take over. I'm going to get Sadie settled and then I'll be back down."

The guy grunted, continuing to move at record speeds concocting drinks and collecting cash. "Come with me." Alex gestured towards the back staircase. I followed close behind, not wanting to get lost in the crowd. He led me into an office, shutting the door behind us to muffle the noise and music from downstairs.

One of the men from earlier was sitting in the office, pouring over security tapes as if he was looking for a needle in a haystack. "Dante, you remember Sadie, right?"

"Nice to see you again." He nodded.

I smiled politely. He was the creepy one.

"Here is a uniform for you." He said, thrusting a pile of clothes at me. I sifted through it, realizing there wasn't all that much to the uniform. A pair of short, jean booty shorts and a low cut, midriff white tank top. I let out a sharp laugh, glancing back up at Alex. Did he really expect me to wear this?

Alex grinned, picking up on my feelings. "Hey, I told you it wasn't glamorous. Why don't you change up here and then I'll introduce you to Rolo? He's behind the bar and you'll be helping him out tonight."

"Sounds great."

"There is a bathroom back there, and you can leave your stuff in one of the lockers. I'll be back in a few minutes to get you."

"Will do, boss." I smirked as Alex walked out the door.

Dante looked completely wrapped up in what he was watching on the surveillance tapes, so I took the clothes and slipped into the bathroom. I wasn't sure exactly what I had been expecting when I agreed to take a job as a bartender in a club like this, but I hadn't worn an outfit like this in years. When I pulled the shirt on, my boobs were nearly spilling out of it, but I had a sneaking suspicion that that was the goal. There was no way I would be able to hide my wire in this thing, so instead, I tucked it tightly in my purse and sent a quick text to Herrera to let him know we'd need another plan for tomorrow. I shook out my curls, touching up my make up in the mirror until I was satisfied with my appearance. I looked like a slutty teenage beauty queen, but I guess that was all part of the act. I had to sell the fact that I fit in here, and this outfit would certainly help.

I came out and Dante glanced up momentarily from his computer screen, a grin plastered on his face.

"Well, look at you." He stood up, sauntering towards me. "You certainly look the part."

"Uh, thanks." I blushed uncomfortably, grabbing my jacket to cover myself up until Alex got back. I backed up until my heel hit the wall "I think I am going to go find Alex."

"Not so fast." Dante planted his hands on the wall, trapping me between them. "You may have Alex fooled, but don't think you can waltz in here without some kind of explanation. Who do you work for?" He hissed, his hot breath reeking of alcohol.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't..."

"Shut up." He put a knee between mine, forcing them apart. "If you don't work for anyone then you won't mind me searching you for a wire."

"That's not necessary. I'm not wearing a wire..." Dante grabbed at my chest roughly, yanking the shirt open and causing me to cry out in pain. "Get off of me." I clenched my jaw, trying to shove him away.

Dante only seemed encouraged by my resistance, cutting me off abruptly. "Aw come on, angel. If you don't have anything to hide, it should be a problem." His hand trailed down my neck. Where the hell was Alex?

My body trembled as I tried to figure out what I could do. I could knee him in the balls, but who knew if I would make it down the stairs before he caught up to me. And then what? I would blow the entire operation. I wasn't just going to sit here and let this happen though. This bastard had another thing coming.

All of a sudden the door flew open and Dante backed away like a reprimanded puppy.

"What the hell is going in here?" A voice snarled from behind me. It sent chills down my spine as I realized it wasn't Alex. There was no mistaking that voice. I turned around slowly, coming face to face with the best and worst part of my past.

Brandon stood in the door way in all of his glory, shaking with rage.