Page 24 of Demon's Angel

It was useful him knowing what he did. If I step up as Hell suggested, it wouldn’t be a short-time affair. Which brings me back around to eliminating the threat to Theo.

“I didn’t suggest we wouldn’t off Angel eventually,” Bomber smirks, showing he’s on the same page. “But we wait until he least expects it. We go head-to-head with him about the kid, he’ll be watching out for us comin’. Get that shit sorted, Prez and Vi playing happy family, then we off him. Prez can step away then.”

I find myself nodding. Yeah, a few months. A year. I could do that.A platonic relationship just for show? Hell, no.My fist slams down on the table. “No way, Brothers. We find another way around this. I am not getting hitched. There’s no way Violet would agree to it.” Christ, sure she’s a pretty girl, nice pair of tits I wouldn’t normally turn down, good rounded ass that a man could hang onto. But she’d see it like incest, and that’s how I should look at it, too. She’s Nathan’s sister, for fuck’s sake, not some hangaround looking for a good time.

If she wasn’t, would I be considering it?Of course I wouldn’t. Yeah, my dick’s more than interested, but one fuck, maybe two, is as far as I’d go, I’ve never had a yearning to be saddled with a wife and kid.

“What alternative are you proposing, Prez?”

I swear my father gets a thrill each time he calls me that. It’s not just pride his son has risen through the ranks, it’s relief he’s no longer in the hot seat. Narrowing my eyes, I think fast. “I’ll try and get a meeting with Don Lucio. See if he can bring pressure on Angel.”

“Prez, I love ya,” Thunder starts, “but that’s just going to raise a red flag. You know what these families are like. You doing that admits the kid is Angel’s and isn’t going to help Violet’s case. The only way to get them to back off is for it to be claimed by someone else.”

I’m starting to hate that they refer to Theo as ‘it’.But I’m not crazy enough to admit it. But my temp VP has a point. “I need to meet anyway about the product floating around. That gives me an in. Ask them politely whether the increase in product is down to them, and if so, will they please stop dealing in or around our premises. Or words to that effect.” I smirk.

“You’d face that head-on? They’ll just deny it, Prez.”

“Yeah, they will, Bomber. But it seems a good way of getting them to show their hand. Could be new dealers not aware of our old agreements. At least let them know we’re aware of what’s going on.”

“They’re deliberately stepping on our toes,” Mace observes, seeming adamant the Silvestri are to blame. “Flexing their muscles, testing our strength.”

Hell is nodding at the end of the table. “I agree with Prez, and what the rest of you have said too. Don Lucio’s not the best poker player, and his reaction would be interesting, to say the least. If they are deliberately coming into our territory, then they’re the ones declaring war. Want me at the meet, Demon?”

Seeing the meeting is a go, I decide fast. “Hellfire and Thunder,” I propose, seeing as my dad’s offered and his relationship with the don goes back years. “Thunder, set up the meet, and the three of us will go. Yeah, Buzz?”

“You’re assuming Angel will be present?”

I nod. “It’s likely. He’s not only the underboss, but if the rumours are correct, the son being groomed to take over.”

“Maybe even hisconsigliere, Lucio’s counsellor, will be there, or one of his trustedcapos.” Hellfire shakes his head as Mace shows him his pack of smokes.

Buzz hasn’t finished; he waits for Hell to stop speaking, then says impatiently, “So you have Angel as a captive audience. Of course, he won’t know we have Violet and the kid. Are you going to bring it up? Come right out and tell him to back off?”

My hastily constructed plan hasn’t gotten as far as that. I speak my thoughts aloud, “I’ve met Angel before. He’s not someone I care particularly about one way or another. We all know the type of shit the Mafia’s involved in. Don Lucio comes across as more of a gentleman; Angel loves nothing better than getting his hands dirty. Earned his nickname from the up-close-and-personal wet-work he likes.” While the don would order a hit from afar, Angel would carry it out himself. Or would in the past before he was promoted. “What worries me most is their other side-line.”

It’s Mace who puts it into words. “Trafficking.” His eyes meet mine. “Hate we turn a blind eye to that shit.”

“Couldn’t stop it, Brother.” Thunder’s brow furrows. “Too many of them, too few of us. Could, and have, thrown the odd monkey wrench in the works when we heard of somewhere women and kids were being held, but on a large scale? Nah. And if it wasn’t the Silvestri, it would be someone else.”

Thunder’s right. Cad’s managed to discreetly pass on info a couple of times to the cops. Feds have come in and the Mafia’s lost one of their houses. But while none of us like it, there’s too much money to be earned for people like us to step in and stop it for good.

“If that’s what he has in mind for the kid…” Liz breaks off. His hand smacks down on the table.

“He wouldn’t do that to his own blood?” Skull speaks for the first time, his eyes opening wide.

“Not sure how that would work. He gets custody, kid can’t just disappear.” I’m grasping at straws. There was a reason for Violet having taken such desperate measures, and I wonder if she suspects what Angel’s capable of. But then, even just knowing he’s a drug dealer, a pimp and a people trafficker would be enough to know he’s not the man to raise her kid. I raise my eyes. “Look, my intention is to get the measure of the man at the moment. I’ve avoided getting close in the past, but now the more we know, the easier it will be to take him down. This meeting is going to be about club business, not going to mention more than that.”

But Buzz is looking thoughtful, there’s something on his mind.

So I press, “What? You’re seriously suggesting we tell them outright Violet’s here? Show our hand?”

“Fuck, no. That would be war.” Rusty’s looking aghast. “Don’t want to give them a reason to fuck with us.”

I jerk my chin to acknowledge Rusty’s comment, but my eyes are still on Buzzard. He shrugs. “Could just get friendly-like, talk about families, and your woman and kid.”

It takes a moment for the penny to drop. When it does, I snarl, “I am not laying claim to Theo.”

Buzz’s sharp eyes meet mine. “Could lay the groundwork, that’s all. Put doubts in his head that he’s the dad.”

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