Page 1 of Consigliere’s Revenge

Chapter1

Lorenzo

The private clubon the top floor of The Larussio Casino thrums with a seductive beat. I sip on my scotch and contemplate plans for a revenge that we will rain down on the De Rosas with all the brutality that the Larussios have to give.

The monsters who hit our casino during a family wedding were always going to pay dearly for injuring so many and killing six of our cousins. After kidnapping my youngest cousin and the boss’ baby sister, though, when we get through exacting our revenge, they are going to wish they had never even contemplated crossing a Larussio.

The server stops by the table reserved for our family to check in on my drink, but I’m still working on the one in front of me. All of a sudden, the lights of the club dim. The conversations become a little more hushed.

The panels in the ceiling open, patrons wait with shallow breath as the gilded cages lower, and the dancers inside each of them begin their little show.

A pretty blonde in nothing but a G-string and sexy red heels sways seductively overhead. She gives me a red-lipped Marilyn Monroe type of smile, her breasts bouncing invitingly, as she winks seductively and then spins on a pointed toe to let me see her ass.

I shift the sleeve of my suit coat back and glance at the gold and diamond watch on my wrist. There is still plenty of time to wrap up business plans and then unwind the night with her.

Every woman in the club knows the consigliere of the Larussio family has come to town. There are no shortages of available and willing women. They can smell the prestige and influence from a million miles away. It’s not like I haven’t seen it before. Different city, different women, same damn thing.

A consigliere title means wealth and power. The man who helps guide the family’s strategy and consults with the boss and underboss to ensure the orders to the capos are strategic and sound. Responsibility for aligning operations with our forefathers’ vision for the notorious crime family puts me in a powerful position, and these women are drawn to it like a magnet.

I watch the sultry blonde dance for a while. Might as well make the most of it because it sounds as though I’ll be making Vegas my home. At least until we’ve sent a clear and concise message to the De Rosas and every other family in the United States who may be thinking about taking a swing at the Larussios for encroaching on their territory.

I tip my scotch glass in her direction, and when the server returns with another drink, I scroll a note for the dancer. “Give this to the blonde in front of me,” I tell her, interested to see if she’ll writhe under my cock as sexy as she does in her cage.

The server nods. “Absolutely, Mr. Larussio.”

I glance toward the door as Dominic walks toward me in a fresh black suit with Emelia-fucking-De Rosa on his arm. The look of determination on his face is one that I’ve come to know from the underboss of our family. He’s going to do what he wants, when he wants, especially where this woman is concerned. He reaches me and introduces the woman as though De Rosa’s spoiled little daughter isn’t our enemy’s prized possession, instead of his own.

I extend a hand because there’s no use getting into a debate about it in front of her. “Nice to meet you, Emelia. I appreciate what you did for my cousin and the family.” It’s not a lie, because I do appreciate it, but that doesn’t change anything. She’s still the enemy’s daughter, and whether Dominic and Salvatore see it now, she’s part of the play in the future. I glance around at a few eyes that have shifted to our table, all probably wondering about the same thing.

Alliances...

They mean everything in the criminal underworld. Seeing the enemy’s daughter hang on the underboss’ arm saysfuck youto not only her father but any of our customers who come to us because they don’t want anything to do with the De Rosas. They all want to know one thing.

Is our family at war with the De Rosas or in bed with them?

And strategically, each has its own advantages depending on the customer. It’s my job to navigate those things and create a path forward after the doubt Dominic has just placed in the minds of the most notorious criminals and highest payors to our family around.

I turn to Dominic. “You’re creating quite the buzz.”

Dominic grins, wraps an arm around Emelia De Rosa’s waist, and leans down to kiss her, shattering anyone’s illusions that they are not a couple. “Now they will have something to take to the tabloids,” he tells me.

My jaw tightens with irritation at my cousin and his stubborn streak. This brings an entirely new level of complexity to an already flammable situation. What I don’t want is for the De Rosas to get goaded into any other actions that puts us on defense instead of our own plan of attack.

The heat of someone watching us draws my eyes to the most striking woman I’ve ever seen. She has sleek, shiny bright auburn hair. It hangs over the black sweater dress that hugs her curves beautifully, ending just above her calves. Her feet are adorned with the most intricate and delicate-looking strappy black heels at least four-inches high.

She is the epitome of class and elegance all wrapped up in the sexiest little package I’ve ever seen.

The pictures I’ve seen of this reporter in the local newspapers do not do her justice. I turn to Dominic who probably has no idea he’s being watched by the sharp-tongued reporter with a hard-on for splashing crime family members through the mud. “Oh, I’m pretty sure they have everything they need without anyone bringing it to them. By the time we’ve finished breakfast, it will be on every social media outlet around the globe.” I tip my glass toward the redheaded reporter, wondering how the fuck she was able to get into the elite and private top floor club of the Larussio Casino, and I’m determined to find out.

The heat of her gaze causes me to look up into the deepest blue eyes, warming me with their color. I avert my eyes and send a message to one of our capos.A woman with long red hair, wearing a black dress is in the PRIVATE upstairs club. How did she get in?

Most eyes are still on the show, which will only last a few more moments before the cages lift the dancers back into the ceiling. The customers may like the entertainment, but that’s not where we make our money. Just a little treat every hour on the hour for our elite patrons who come to town to lay their money down. And to keep them hanging around, mindlessly spending more money than they intend until the very next show.

I've lost all interest in the blonde dancer overhead who does everything in her power to entertain the crowd. My eyes are focused on the redhead who’s openly observing Dominic and his latest little conquest as they make their way back to the elevator.

I swallow back the rest of my scotch and put my glass down with a thud. Life as the consigliere to the Larussio Crime Family will be very different working with Salvatore and Dominic instead of our great-uncle.

And life just got a whole lot more interesting…

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