Page 8 of War
Yet, Darren’s only goal was to get under Eli’s skin.
Just like any hater, Eli simply ignored Darren. He paid the man no attention at all. The moment he acknowledged Darren, Darren officially lived in his brain and Eli didn’t have time for that nonsense.
Nevertheless, just like any hater, the quarterback conspired to get Eli’s attention and Eli felt Darren was going to retaliate in a big way.
Anger threatened to make Eli look like a fool and he needed to stay on guard. If Darren was going to do anything, Eli needed to come back harder and most importantly, smarter. He had too much at stake for Darren to play nilly-willy with his livelihood.
He just hoped it was a price he was willing to pay. “Nicky,” he said over the phone as he placed a call to his oldest brother, “that friend of yours that helped out last time…do you think they’ll be available again?”
~~~~~~
“Well, the bad news is since the videotapes showed Simone threw the first punch, Faith can claim self-defense,” Darren’s attorney, Ronnie Ware, sat in Darren’s home office. He was an older black man with a close-cropped hair cut and goatee. He was a regular pundit on news shows talking about celebrity crime stories. “The good news is the D’Amatos are willing to put all of this behind them with no scandal.”
Darren blinked at Ronnie. Once. Twice. “What does that mean exactly?”
“They’re willing to pay to make sure you and Simone shut up,” Ronnie replied, “I told their attorney to make an offer and he’s currently working on a bid. I’ll hear from him shortly.”
Darren breathed hard through his nose and sat back in his chair. Therefore, that’s how the D’Amatos were able to do their dirt and no one knew a bad thing. Pay them off and go about their business. He won’t be that easy. “I’m not for sale.”
“Oh, I think you want to entertain this offer, D. The D’Amatos could have filed charges against Simone and that would’ve looked very bad if word got out in her role with the family. There’s a reason why Eli never mentioned her by name ever.” Ronnie sternly warned. “You may not care about your reputation, D., but Simone cares about hers. No one is going to go to an event planner who helped ruin someone’s marriage. What bride is going to trust her?”
“I know her past and she regrets her role,” Darren defended, “a lot has changed since what happened between her and Eli back then. She wants to move on.”
“So does Eli,” Ronnie added, “he’s also requesting a DNA test to ensure he is Elena’s father.”
“What?” Surprise flashed across Darren’s face. “This is news.”
“He’s always questioned if he was Elena’s father and now he wants to confirm before he makes visitation and child support arrangements.”
“Fucking beautiful,” Darren shook his head, “didn’t have a problem knocking her up but has a problem with being Elena’s father?” He rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll talk to Simone about a paternity test. This will settle everything once and for all.” A knock interrupted their meeting and Darren called the person in.
“Mr. Matthews?” His Cuban maid, Eloisa, replied. “You have a visitor. Mr. Chavez.”
“That’s my next appointment, Ronnie.” Darren stood up and shook the older man’s hand. “Thank you for stopping by.”
“I’ll keep you posted,” Ronnie gathered his suitcase and jacket. He paused and turned to Darren. “I meant what I said about the D’Amatos, D. You don’t want to fight them. They have many friends in high places that will make things difficult for you and Simone.” He left.
Darren’s lips pursed at the information. Who could the D’Amatos possibly know? All they ever hung out were Z-list reality stars, forgettable rappers, and a sprinkle of A-listers. None of them he would consider remotely powerful.
His thoughts were interrupted when his private investigator, Juanes Chavez, walked in. He was a stocky, older man, who resembled an ‘80s news reporter that was permanently stuck in time.
“Juanes, great to see you!” Darren beamed. “What do you have for me?”
The private investigator opened his file. “Absolutely nothing.”
Darren’s face became ashen. “You’re kidding me?”
“Other than parking tickets, the family is clean like freshly-laundered money.” He slid the file over to Darren. “They have no dirty secrets or hidden tales. They all lead very private and quiet lives.”
Darren studied the file that contained a dossier of each D’Amato family member. He knew their daily routines, where they liked to go shopping, even their hobbies.
He knew their schedules, the children’s’ names, ages, and birthdates. The various charities the family has supported, and vacation getaways they went on.
Nothing scandalous.
All boring.
He shook his head and tossed the folder aside. The D’Amatos were untouchable. Some ingrates that got lucky off a lottery winning some years ago literally had no dirt on them. Every Google search turned up nothing but positive feedback and experiences with the family.
“Thank you for your help.” Darren reached into his pocket and pulled out a large wad of cash. He handed it over to the man. “We’ll be in touch if I need anything else.”
“Pleasure doing business with you.” The man nodded and left.
Darren stood up and stared out the window of his mansion. The D’Amatos have carefully avoided all scandal. Even with the problematic NYPD, people still spoke fondly of Arturo. No one had anything bad to say about the family.
“The family,” Darren thought aloud, “no one has anything bad to say about the brothers. No one ever talks about their wives.” He thought about the next move he wanted to make. The reveal came to easily to him and he debated how badly he wanted to pursue it. Simone would be upset, but she would understand. Hell, after the beating Faith gave her, she might go along with the idea.
It was a potential nasty scandal and Darren’s name would be in the news for that more than any passes he will make. It was a small price to pay in order to put the D’Amatos in their place and let Eli know who he’s dealing with.
It was time to make some calls. The first one was the most crucial. “Yes, can I be connected to Eli D’Amato?”
