Page 95 of Extradition (Mobsters + Billionaires 1)
“I wouldn’t expect him to. He doesn’t know he won.”
“He’s going to try to force your hand, get you to Brooklyn and keep you there.”
My eyes track the movement of his men around the room. “That was my assessment of the situation as well.”
“Our families have an agreement. We return your people to Brooklyn. You return our people to Manhattan. Easy.”
I shift, noting that his men have taken an interest in our conversation.
He holds up his hand, as much to me as to them. “You’re listed as a relative, not a member of your father’s organization. Relatives have always been exempt. I mean, who was I to prevent your nonna—may God rest her soul—from seeing Wicked seven times, am I right? Besides, you’ve never killed anyone in my family, and your quick thinking saved all of us a lot of heartache.”
I lower my head, listening intently.
“Still, this is a rather large inconvenience. Like most of the families, I ignored the general request. But now your father is contacting me directly. He’s specifically calling in the treaty between our two families, and I’m telling him it doesn’t apply. You can imagine how he’s taking that.”
“Not well.”
I grind my jaw, re-evaluating which of Luca’s guys I can take down quickly. Not a single one of them would go down without a fight.
He steps in close. “Let me be clear. I don’t care about the intricacies of the Portelli family dynamics. It’s none of my business. But you’re under my jurisdiction now, and he can’t just walk in and take you.”
“Your jurisdiction?” I ask, uneasy in the extreme.
“Yes,” he confirms without further explanation. “And I must apologize for the incident in Central Park. You handled yourself well, which is not a surprise, but the families involved overstepped. I recently made it devastatingly clear that you are to be left alone.”
I blink like a cow, finally sputtering out, “Thank you. Security’s been pretty intense. You’ve given me peace of mind.”
Luca’s smile is disarmingly genuine. “I’m happy to hear that. I do, however, have a warning for you. If your father blows everything up to get to you, if he brings the fight to my island, I will notice. And I’m not going to care who’s on the board if I have to clear it. Capisce?”
Mobster movies like to show guys who look like me, pinching their fingers together, saying capisce all dramatic-like. It’s kinda cringe if you ask me, and it’s why I never use the word—I’d be a whole-ass stereotype at that point.
But Luca says it delicately. Like you have to lean in to hear him say it.
I flex my fingers, willing myself not to look at Rand. “Any advice?”
“Yeah, you and your billionaire need to be more subtle. He’s looking at you like he’d bend over for you wherever. I don’t think the fine people in this establishment have it squared, but it’s clear as day to someone like me that he’s important to you.”
I run my hand over my mouth. We’ve been so stupid. I look Luca in the eye as I give him a sharp nod, knowing that a denial would be seen as disrespect. “Thank you for the warnings.”
“Of course.” His expression shifts and the hair on my arms stands up. “I do have a favor to ask in return. Two, in fact.”
Dread locks my muscles and squeezes the air out of my lungs. This is the real purpose of this conversation. I’m about to be in his pocket and there’s no way out of it. Maybe there never was.
I smooth my expression. “It’s only fair. What can I do?”
“I like where you’re going—making these tycoons sit up and notice the little guy. My sister’s like you. She doesn’t participate in the family business, but she’s a feminist. And she protects her own.”
Mobsters don’t talk about family members unless they’re equally mobbed-up, so I’m surprised he’s brought her up at all.
“She’s got a kid, twenty years old, sharp. He’s a genius, truly. He’s also on the autism spectrum. He’d be a real boon to anyone who hired him, but people don’t take him seriously because he can’t look them in the eyes. Has particular environmental considerations. My sister won’t let me address the administrators who keep dismissing my nephew’s skills. I don’t mind telling you that the inability to fix this for him makes me…itchy.”
I cover my shock as oxygen returns to my lungs. It’s one thing to mention a sibling, but it’s unheard of to discuss the particulars of the more vulnerable members of one’s family. This means he’s trusting me not to share this information with my family, who would absolutely use that knowledge to their advantage.
I’m probably staring at this point, mostly because I don’t know what his play is. I decide on parity.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t like that either. Got a young cousin who’s on the spectrum. Had a few conversations with her school administration so they’d make the accommodations she needs.”
Luca grins. “Thought I liked you. So, you see, my nephew needs a mentor. He’s a real numbers guy, probably someone Wolfe Athletics could use in their corner.”
