hating that I had to explain all of this yet again. “Those people out there on our balcony. The more of them that are indebted to us or that have some kind of soft spot for us...the more of your kind of work we can get away with.”
The servers’ kitchen doors swung open as Pablo and Felix pretended not to listen to or understand what I was saying. They didn’t have to like it, but they knew I was right.
I could see Pablo’s eyes glaring at something in the kitchen before he turned to me and said with a smug smile, “Speaking of Don Martino, I see his daughter has made herself right at home here.”
It was a typical tactic of theirs. They couldn’t change the reality of what I was telling them, so instead, they chose to challenge me on something else they might hold more traction on.
“I gave her a job,” I huffed. “She’s treated just the same as any other staff member, if not more strictly so. The other workers don’t like her. I assure you she’s not having a good time.”
“Still, it’s awfully kind treatment for a prisoner,” Felix scoffed in agreement with Pablo.
“She’s not a prisoner. More like a slave. I’m not even paying her.”
“A pregnant slave?” Pablo chortled. “You’re almost convincing enough to fool me into thinking you’re just as cold-hearted and ruthless as your reputation claims. But, no. I know the truth...which is that you’ve always had a thing for Don Martino’s precious daughter. It would be the ultimate revenge for you, wouldn’t it? To stake claim over his most prized possession?”
I rubbed my fingers around the bridge of my nose, feeling tired with their constant attempts at bickering with me. That was the downside of working with your brothers.
“Maybe at one time that would have been a fun scenario. But look at her now,” I nodded toward the kitchen doors with disgust. “She’s ruined. Knocked up...doesn’t even know who the father is.”
“Maybe that’s ideal!” he teased, trying my patience. “You’ve always had a phobia of children. Perhaps the solution is to not be the one creating them!” The two of them erupted in laughter. “I can see it now...ol’ step-dad Alberto!”
I didn’t let my anger show through on my face. I stayed perfectly still and composed, letting them howl on in laughter like banshees. But once it had gone on long enough, I stood very calmly and in one swift movement pulled my pistol from its holster and fired it at the ceiling. Pablo and Felix flinched and kept their eyes closed for a long time, as if they expected to be shot dead right there on the spot.
“I am no more afraid of creating life than I am of taking it,” I stated plainly with a grin. That’s when our guests came rushing back into the room, white as ghosts. They hadn’t seen what happened, and they did their best to play it off. They pretended not to notice the smoke lingering in the air or the newly added holes in the ceiling, joining a myriad of old ones.
“Ah! Friends!” I greeted them warmly, as if nothing had happened. “So good of you to join us again! Did you enjoy the view from the balcony?”
“Uh...yes...quite impressive,” one of them stammered.
“Splendid. Well, have a seat. Let me get you another round of drinks.”
I let them settle in and slowly forget about the gun that had obviously been fired. They dared not ask what happened while they were gone, but every so often their eyes would glance around to the corners of the room as if they expected to see a body lying there. These sorts of unanswered questions only worked to our advantage. It kept them on edge. It helped ease all of Pablo and Felix’s worries. These people would appear to be our friends, but deep down they knew who we were, and they knew better than to cross us.
“So, I am very interested in this property we discussed earlier,” I leaned forward to say after a while, once everyone appeared somewhat calm again. “If it’s not currently in use, I would love to take it off your hands. I have a few uses in mind for it. Or, if nothing else, I would like to resale it eventually. I am in the market for real estate to flip.”
“I’m sure everyone is eager to own something that once belonged to a Milano,” one of the men offered graciously. “But...I’m afraid the