Page 20 of Unworthy Ties
The mere thought of having sex with Gabriella had my dick twitching in my pants. It had been forever since I had gotten laid, and it was hard having a hot wife that I couldn’t fuck.
But I couldn’t be thinking about that right now. I had finally got a lead on Maximo’s case. It was a small one, but at least it was something. I had recovered corrupted video footage from one of the nights his shipments had gone missing.
Sitting in my office, I pressed the play button on the VCR. Grainy footage flickered on the small television screen,illuminating the dim room with an eerie glow. I couldn’t believe that with all the technology we had, this place still kept its security footage on tape.
The film was silent, but I didn’t need sound to understand what was happening. Two of Maximo’s men loaded crates into the back of a van.
Nothing had gone wrong yet.
Suddenly, one of the men stood still, turning his head as though he had heard something. After a moment, he resumed his work, but his movements showed unease. Even in the poor quality of the footage, I could see the tension in his shoulders.
Without warning, a dark figure burst into frame, tackling one of Maximo’s men to the ground. The other reached for his weapon, but a second attacker appeared from the shadows, delivering a swift kick that sent the gun skittering across the pavement.
The two attackers took Maximo’s men out swiftly and silently. I slowed down the footage as I leaned closer to the screen, trying to make out any identifying features of the assailants. They moved with practiced efficiency, their faces obscured by masks.
They finished their job quickly, efficiently loading the crates into their own vehicle. Just as they were about to leave, one of the men rolled up his long-sleeve shirt and exposed his forearms. A familiar tattoo caught my eye—a stylized serpent coiled around a dagger. It was the symbol of the Viper Syndicate, a notorious biker gang on the east coast.
I had a bone to pick with one of the members. And now, to my fortune, I had a reason to act on it.
I grabbed my cell phone out of my pocket and called Felix. He answered on the second ring, sounding somewhat annoyed.
“This better be good. One of the hottest girls in NYC is coming to my place tonight.”
“Well, cancel those plans,” I responded. “I need your help.”
Felix groaned on the other end of the line. “Come on, man. Can’t this wait until tomorrow? You have no idea how long I’ve been trying to sleep with this girl.”
“Well, it can wait another day then. I’m doing something for Max and I need your help.”
“Maximo?” Felix scoffed. The two hadn’t been close friends growing up—Felix thought he was stuck up and Maximo found Felix too impulsive. “Why would I help him?”
“Because I’m your brother and I’m asking nicely. Also, consider it payment for the night I helped you in Las Vegas.”
If it were possible to hear someone recoil through the phone, I swear I heard Felix physically wince. “Low blow, bro. Fine. What do you need?”
“Meet me at the 3rd Street warehouse.”
My phone buzzed. A text from Felix:
Girl’s pissed. You owe me a bottle of Macallan 18.
I rolled my eyes and shoved the burner phone back into my jacket, my eyes flicking to the paused frame of the tattoo. The serpent’s fangs glinted even through the grainy pixels.
My beef with the Vipers was petty. It was too small to start a fight over, but big enough that I hadn’t forgotten it. One of the lower ranked members, Rex, and his friends came into one of the bars we owned. They were being rowdy and disrespectful, harassing the servers and threatening other patrons.
Normally, I would’ve beaten the shit out of them right there. But we had had a very important client over that night, and I couldn’t risk causing a scene in front of him and his wife. So, I had to swallow my pride and just let security escort them out with no repercussions.
I looked forward to getting some payback.
“Seriously? You just want to go mess with the Vipers on a Saturday night?” Felix said. “And they sayI’mthe irresponsible twin. Let’s call Vincenzo, at least—”
“I don’t want anyone else to know I’m doing a favor for the Salvaggio’s.”
“Tch. You thinking about switching what family you work for, or something?” Felix crossed his arms and glared at me from the passenger seat.
He was referring to the four families in power on the East Coast. We worked for Ettore Moretti, who was not only a Don but one of our best friends. Maximo was set to be Don for the Salvaggio’s once his father died, hence the conflict of interest.
“Calm down, Felix. I’m not switching families; it’s just a one-time thing. You know how tight things have been lately now that Leone’s gone. We need all the allies we can get.”
