Chapter 12

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"So, Konrad is a problem?" Eliza asked, nuzzling her face into my side.

I hummed a yes, staring up at the ceiling. Eliza had taken the news of Konrad buying the shares pretty well. Too well. I think deep down she was pleased that there was a chance it could be taken off our hands. She didn't understand the consequences if that happened.

"Yep, he's been buy shares of businesses and shutting them down. If he continues, who knows that it will mean for the Mafia," I told her, brushing my fingers along her arm.

"Would he do that?" she asked, "Would anyone simply buy up businesses to ruin the Mafia in another city?"

I shrugged, knowing a good example of crazy, "We know someone that was irrational enough to think that he could control the other Mafia's in New York."

She hummed a yes, shaking her head. Oh yes, she remembers.

"Okay, so he's brought shares in the docks. What happens now? Do you confront him?" she questioned.

I wasn't sure. Perhaps if he gave me the opportunity too.

"I don't know," I answered honestly, "Which one isn't the suicide mission? Not do anything and let Konrad walk all over me or, confront him, admitting that I know of his plans. I would be putting a target on my back – let alone yours."

She huffed, shaking her head, "I can take care of myself."

I frowned, shocked by her statement, "Excuse me? Since when?"

"Since..." she trailed off, "Okay fine, but still. You can't keep worrying about me, you'll get yourself killed."

I smiled. Never.

"I need to talk to Harald," I told her, seeing that as my only best option, "He and I hold the majority of the shares and if we stick together, Konrad won't be able to gain full control."

"What's worrying about that sentence?" she teased, sensing my lack of faith.

"All Harald needs is the right price," I exclaimed, not hiding my annoyance, "If Konrad gives it to him, he will sell and Konrad will own more shares than I do."

Eliza sighed, shaking her head, "How much are the shares even worth?"

"Not a lot," I admitted, lifting my arm and dropping it in a pointless effort to fight the truth, "but that's the genius in his plan. Buy the shares while the docks are still in constructions, convince other shareholders to sell to him and shut it down before it was ever completed. Not to mentions stabilising us. Do you know how many business opportunities would be opened to us once the docks were running again?"

"What are you trying to convince me, Patrick?" She asked, "That Konrad is evil or what good idea rebuilding the docks is."

Both, I suppose. But the docks were a good idea. It opened up business opportunities in China, Japan even Australia.

"Whatever I do, I need to act fast," I sighed sitting up, forcing Eliza to roll off me.

Just as I through my legs off the side of the bed, I felt Eliza's grip at my wrist.

"Hey, where are you going?" she purred, inches from my face.

Her eyebrow raised as evil clouded her eyes.

I smirked, "I'm going to go fight a demon, protecting the world around me."

"Oh yeah," she giggled, wrapping her arms around my neck, allowing the blanket to drop from her body, "What about the obligation you have to your wife?"

I frowned, teasing her, "Which one is that?"

"Making sure she's well pleased of course," she said simply, jumping closer to me.

"I thought I did that last night," I said, taking her by the waist.

"Uh-Huh," she giggled, knocking our noses, "Now she wants it again."

Now, that's what I was talking about.




"Good morning," Eliza announced as we filed into the filled kitchen.

The boys – even Nikola were already up and drinking coffee, each one of them giving me a knowing look. Sometimes I wish for the days that people could barely look me in the eye.

"Your very chirpy this morning, had a good night?" Nikola asked, interested.

Eliza's head turned to me, giving me a cheeky wink, "It was good by the end of it."

Alberto, Antonio and Piero snorted into their mugs, reading between the lines. I gave them a warning look, before they got any ideas to continue this further.

I frowned, when I caught Alberto scowl at his brother and Antonio's cheeky grin.

"What's going on?" I asked them, crossing my arms and eyeing them like they were naughty children.

Antonio smiled, proud like he just won the jackpot, "guess who's horse won its race."

"Your joking," my eyes went straight to Alberto's glare.

I guess he did win the jackpot, very much at his brother's expense.

"Congratulations, Antonio," Eliza smiled, brushing his arm.

"Okay guys, he won a few bucks on some nag," Alberto snapped, slamming his mug on the bench, "it's not like it won the Melbourne Cup."

As the others laughed, my gaze turned to Garrick, reminding me of my quest. I got his attention and without letting the others catch on, I gestured to the void. Gulping his last mouthful of coffee, he placed his mug down and followed me out into the void.

It didn't take long for him to get the picture.

"The little shit!" Garrick hissed, starting to pace in front of me.

His reaction wasn't quite what I thought it would be.

"You know I always hated Philly," he ranted, "Does that little punk seriously think he can get away with this?"

I shrugged, "Seems so. We need to be smart about this. We need our wits about us."

I had no idea why I was the one trying to counsel him, normally it was the other way around. Why was Garrick so – Oh crap. Konrad was apart of a life that he would much rather forget. No doubt, it had brought back unwanted memories. I couldn't have him working on this.

"Garrick, if this is too much –."

"What are you doing?" he stopped, halting like a deer when it heard the click of a gun in the distance, "Are you giving me the if this is too much, you don't have to speech?"

I opened my mouth to tell him no, when I stopped myself. Of course, I was. I knew the best road was to be honest.

"We don't talk about it –."

"We don't talk about a lot of things," he snapped, "your father, her. I'm not taking a step back from this."

"I know, I know," I stopped him, before we got into an argument, "Fine, you can help me by –."

Ring, ring. Ring, ring.

I groaned at the ear piecing sound of my stupid new phone. It was almost enough for me to throw this one across the room.

"Hello?" I snapped into the speaker, watching Garrick's eyes widen.

"Morning, Patrick."

My blood ran cold. Konrad.

Garrick frowned, clearly confused. I mouthed, Konrad, watching his face turn hard.

"Hello Konrad," I spoke, forcing my voice to be normal.

I couldn't let Konrad know that I was onto him. I knew Garrick was eager to hear what Konrad had to say, he had become fidgety and kept switching his hands from his hips to his chin.

"Just give me a minute, I'm just having breakfast," I told him casually, watching Garrick frowned again.

I gestured him to go upstairs with me jogging behind. Konrad was patient and remained silent until we were safely inside the closed door of the study.

Putting the phone on speaker, I sat it on the desk and signalled Garrick to remain quiet.

Taking in a deep breath, I mastered my cheery voice, "So Konrad, what can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to see if you and Eliza had any plans tonight?" He asked, his voice sounding genuine and friendly.

What the hell was his game?

"Nothing that comes to mind, what did you have planned?" I asked, leaning on the desk.

"Well, seeing that we're now business partners, I thought you should see some of the business I own," he suggested, causing me to frown.

My eyes found Garrick's confused face. Everything inside of me told me that I couldn't trust him, but the opportunity was too good to refuse.

"I own a boxing gym in Navy Hill, you and Eliza should come. It will give us a chance to talk," he told me, causing my suspicion to grow.

"Well, text me a time and address and we'll be there," I said, going against my natural instincts.

"Okay, great, see you then," he sounded both too surprised and too pleased for my liking.

Without staying another word, I hung up on him.

Garrick was quietly for a moment and I knew he was rather going to agree with my decision, or explode.

"You're not going alone," he ordered, not taking no for an answer, "this guy is as slippery as a snake. I don't trust him as far as I can throw him."

"Neither do I," I agreed, rubbing my neck, "but this could be an opportunity to find out more. Confirm my suspicions and put a stop to them."

"With Eliza in the room?" He pointed out, something I had forgotten, "he said the gym was in Navy Hill, that's in the Bronx. That's The Mayor's territory."

That was a problem. Xavier Moore wasn't the Mayor of anything. He thought himself like a god because he controlled the gangs in the Bronx. As if scum needed a leader.

The problem with people like Moore was that they built them up to be high and mighty but refused to take responsibility for their actions or follow the code of honour. Moore thought he could get away with anything in the Bronx's and that's what made him a dangerous player.

"Moore won't touch us," I tried to reassure him, while calming my own nerves, "he wouldn't dream of it."

Garrick didn't say anything, allowing me to think.

"I would be more interested into why Konrad would buy a business in that part of town. A boxing gym of all things. They're not even profitable," I cried.

"Maybe it's his personal interest," Garrick suggested, not trying to be helpful.

"What's his game, Garrick?" I asked hopelessly, trying to ignore my insecurities, "just to shut down New York, or something else?"

He frowned, "what else could there be?"

Well, it was nice meeting you, Eliza

Likewise

I hope we meet again soon

"I hate to think."


"Patrick, I don't think this is a good idea," Eliza told me, as she stood in front of my spot on the bed, "he knows your catching on to him."

I shrugged, I didn't have a reasonable comeback.

"We'll be walking into a trap," she cried, nibbling on her fingernails.

"Eliza, he just wants to show us his boxing ring," I reassured her, leaving out certain details.

She didn't need to know about The Mayor quite yet. At least not until I got her in the car first.

"You don't even trust him, why are you agreeing to this?" she asked, sounding helpless.

"I don't trust him because I don't know what his game is," I corrected her, "But this is my opportunity to find out more. Find out his plans, get some proof."

"How much proof do you need?" She questioned.

I sighed, forcing myself to admit the truth, "I spoke to Harald earlier and he said that he's not willing to confront Konrad without some hard evidence that he is trying to shut down the Mafias in New York. At the moment, it's just my speculation and gut feeling. This could be my only chance to confront him."

She frowned, "are you really going to confront him?"

I looked at her helplessly, "I don't know."

At my response, she sighed, flopping down next to me.
"So, you have no plan?"

"Not one."

"And we're still going to go?"

"Yep."

We shared a look that said everything. We were going on a suicide mission.

Wanting to calm her down, I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and tugged her closer.

"If things start to go wrong, we'll leave, I promise," I told her, making her groan, "Besides, I'll have Garrick and Alberto watching over you the whole time."

"And who will be looking over you?" she asked, with that know-it-all face.

I narrowed my eyes at her, "I'm not the one that needs the babysitter."

She scoffed, "Yeah right. Someone needs to stop you from doing something stupid."

I frowned, "When have I ever done anything stupid?"

She sighed, counting her fingers, "opening your month when your opinion isn't needed, keeping it shut when you shouldn't –."

"Going out to clubs when you shouldn't, speaking when you shouldn't and betting things you shouldn't. Baby, I can give you a list as long as your arm of all the things you've done, I don't think you should be pointing the finger."

"In my defence, not all of those things were entirely my fault," she claimed, tapping her finger on my nose.

"When?" I demanded, knowing that I would be surprised if she could find even one.

"Well, that night  at the club started when you were being a bastard," she told me, causing air to get stuck in my throat.

"Yes, and who was getting herself into trouble by listening to people's conversation and wearing her pyjamas where everyone can see her," I growled, getting closer to her lips.

"And I thought you weren't jealous," she purred, her breath sneaking into my mouth as she spoke.

"Well, I guess that makes me a good actor," I confessed, caressing her soft cheek, "I wanted to put my hands all over you, then I wanted to kill you."

She giggled, "You were always the romantic."

I chortled, feeling that heat start to spread.

"Well, we've got a few hours before we have to start getting ready. What do you say?" I asked, jumping closer to her and taking her by the hip.

"Are you going to kill me afterwards?" she teased, tugging on my collar.

I chuckled, "No, I'll just lock you up and only take you out when I feel the need."

"Oh really?" she cried, jumping back, "I see how it is."

Just as she went to walk away, I snatch her arm and pulled her to the bed. Her screams and giggles filled my ears as I climbed on top of her, claiming my prey.

"Now, now, play nice," I warned, "And I'll treat you right."

She giggled, reaching up to cup my neck, "just shut-up and kiss me."

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