The Don: Sebastiano (Stud Mafia #1) (15 page)

“Get him out of here and in the car, now,” I ordered. “Can I leave that in your capable hands,
Capo
?” I asked as I made my way up the stairs. I needed to get out of that room. I had just killed one of my own men. All I cared about was that it needed to be done.

I am, after all, just like my father.

A monster.

“I’ve got it covered, Don,” Riccardo replied as I walked out the door. 

***

Vincenzo was in the same position as when I saw him before I went down to the basement. It was now one o’clock in the afternoon. He turned and looked at me with expectation in his red-rimmed eyes. He’d been close to Guido. The betrayal would have hit him deep.

“It’s done,” I told him, knowing exactly what he would be wondering. 

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t stay…I just…” He turned back to the window, staring out at the grounds.

I patted him on the back as I passed him. “It’s understandable. He was like a fucking brother to you. I get it, Vincenzo.”

He nodded but didn’t say another word. I needed a fucking shower. I had blood and saliva all over my hands and face. I never anticipated dealing with Guido would have taken that long. I stopped in my tracks before leaving the room.
I could not go through there. If Sierra was still in the house, there was no way I would risk her seeing me like this.
 Hopefully, she had already left for the day.

Shit.

Looking at Vincenzo, I could see he needed a distraction just as much as I did. “Vincenzo, you got any car keys on you?”

He turned to me with a frown. “Yeah, why?” 

“Good. I need you to take me to the club. I’m planning to be there for a good few hours. We both need to relax; you up for it?”

“Fuck yeah. I need a good fucking release,” he said as he marched out the glass French doors, which led out to the garden. 

***

Once at the club, I left Vincenzo in the bar as I went straight through the back to the showers usually used by the girls. Most of them didn’t always like going home smelling of the men they’d given extra benefits to, so they appreciated the showers when I had them installed. They may do this job by choice but it didn’t mean they enjoyed it. It didn’t take me long to shower and I was soon back to my usual presentable self, dressed in my standard dress pants and shirt, feeling somewhat human again.

I caught sight of one of the club’s favourite strippers, Cherry. She was taking Vincenzo into one of the private rooms as I took a stool at the bar. Poor bastard, Cherry was probably what he needed.

“I haven’t seen you in here for a long while, Boss.” Ronnie’s syrupy voice tore my eyes away from the door Vince had closed. Ronnie was the best manager I could have. The girls trusted her and respected her. Ronnie was as tough as fucking nails, too, taking care of all the girls and ensuring they were well looked after.

I had the best security and bouncers employed at the club, but Ronnie was more likely to jump in swinging a fist or the baseball bat she had hidden under the bar. She’d be quicker than any of the security guys would. She slides a glass of scotch along the counter and it stopped directly in front of me. 

“Thanks, darlin’,” I said, accepting the drink. I took a healthy mouthful and placed it back down on the bar. “I’ve not needed a distraction for a while.”

She raised a brow at me. “And now you need one, a distraction?” 

I looked around the bar, taking in the pole dancer strutting provocatively on stage. I stared at the topless waitresses walking around, giving the punters something to look at and distract them from their own miserable lives. 

“I thought you already had a nice piece of arse at home. I’d think she was a pretty good distraction for you.” Ronnie’s statement made me wonder why I even thought I needed to come here.

There was no way I wanted Sierra to see me splattered with Guido’s blood; otherwise, I would have showered back at home. Before Sierra, I would normally have come here, had a few drinks and fucked one or two of the girls to take my mind off my crime- ridden life.
Why the fuck had I come here when I had a hot, willing woman at home?

I knew why. 

I didn’t want to use Sierra. That was why.

She may be my plaything, but that didn’t mean she was there to be used. Looking around at the girls, I didn’t want to fuck any of
them
, either. Something must have shown on my face because Ronnie grinned as she took my empty glass away.

“I thought as much,” she said cryptically. 

I stood up and headed into the office.
I might as well get some shit done while I’m here. I can easily waste a few hours before heading home and facing Sierra. I wasn’t ready to taint her yet.
 

Riccardo found me in the office a couple hours later. “I’ve set up a meeting with Antonio. He’ll be out back in ten minutes.”

“You have the package for him?” I asked, referring to Guido.

He nodded.

“Good. Let’s go then.” I stood, grabbing my suit jacket off the back of the door on my way out.

Antonio pulled up as we walked out. He was fucking early. It didn’t matter and I didn’t give a shit; we didn’t need to set anything up. This wasn’t a trap; it was a simple hand-off. He was getting his informant back. 

Vincenzo stepped up behind me as we watched Antonio exit his car with two of his own men. “Nice to see you could make it, Vincenzo,” I snapped.

“Sorry, Don, that Cherry was very thorough,” Vincenzo volunteered.

“I bet she was,” Riccardo muttered under his breath next to me. If we weren’t having this serious hand-off, we would have all been laughing. Unfortunately, the situation was too dire for it to make us even crack a smile.

“Thanks for coming, Antonio,” I said as he stopped a few feet away from me. 

He nodded toward Riccardo. “Your man said you have something that belongs to me.” The smirk on his face told me he knew exactly what it was. Fucking arsehole.

Riccardo gave me a questioning look, and I gave him a nod. He and Vincenzo walked to the back of the car parked alongside Antonio’s. Soon enough, they pulled out Guido’s body and placed him in the open boot of Antonio’s car. 

“Wow. You actually killed your own guy,” Antonio said, sounding surprised as he watched his guys close the boot on Guido.

“He was your guy in the end. That made it pretty easy,” I answered. Riccardo and Vincenzo came and stood at either side of me once again.

“I bet it fucking hurt knowing he was calling me Don.” Antonio had to stab the knife into an open wound. He knew exactly how to push my buttons; he always did.

“There is only one thing you need to remember, Antonio, and remember it well.

“I. Am. The. Don.” I paused purposely after every word. “
You
are nothing. This city is fucking mine,” I spat venomously as I glared at him. I had somehow moved closer to him, mere inches apart. 

His men started to reach for their weapons, but I knew they wouldn’t stand a chance. My men would have theirs drawn on them in a flash. Riccardo was ex-military and he always had my back.

Antonio laughed. “Tell me,
Don
.” He used the name as if it was a dirty word. Like I was filth. “Does your new squeeze know what happened to your father?” 

I lost my shit at his reference to Sierra, so I grabbed him by the collar and threw him down on the ground toward his car. “Don’t you start throwing threats at me, Antonio. I have a hell of a lot more on you and you know it. Now, get the fuck off my property before I decide to finally put a fucking bullet straight up your arse.”

His men tried to pick him off the ground before he shrugged them off. “I can fucking get up myself, you useless pieces of shit.”

The three of us stood and watched them drive away before any of us spoke. 

“Ready to head home now, Don?” Riccardo asked. 

“Yeah,
Capo
, home sounds good,” I said as I made my way to the car.
I have a willing woman waiting for me at home, and I am going to claim her.
 

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

SEBASTIANO

I walked up to Riccardo’s car and stopped, turning to Vincenzo before getting in. “Are you okay to drive?” The state he was in before we arrived, he more than likely needed a few drinks. I was already one man short. I didn’t need Vincenzo wrecking his car by drinking and driving and probably ending up in hospital in the process. 

“I’m good, Boss. I had more Cherry than alcohol,” he said. Cherry was a good fuck, and I had no doubt she was a better choice of distraction over the whiskey he’d been drinking.

I accepted his answer with a nod and slid into the car next to Riccardo. 

“What a mind-fuck of a day,” Riccardo noted as he tore out of the car park.

“Fuck. What was he thinking? Do you think he was a one-off? Out of everyone, I would have never questioned Guido’s loyalty. How fucking wrong could I get?” I really didn’t know who I could trust anymore. Guido had been with us for a long time. I loved that kid. I pulled him from the gutter and made him a part of my family. What made him turn on me? Surely, it wasn’t money. I paid my men more than they needed. 

“I have no fucking idea what the stupid bastard was thinking. He had to have known how it would have ended. I don’t think we’ll ever know what was going on in his fucking head, Don.” He suddenly fell silent as he navigated through the streets of Sydney, probably trying to get into the mind of a dead man. It wasn’t going to happen no matter how hard we both tried.

Just as we pulled up to the long drive of the house, Riccardo broke the silence in the car. “I think he was a one-off; none of the other guys are crazy enough to pull a stunt like that. Especially now they’ve seen Guido’s outcome. They’ll all be loyal to a fault after this.” 

“I hope you’re fucking right. I don’t want to have to end one of my men’s lives again. It brought up too many memories of my father. Hell, it makes me remember I’m just like him,” I admitted as I exited the car.
Riccardo is the only person who knows me to the bone. He’s the only person I can trust with my thoughts.
 

He grunted. “You’re nothing like him, Don; you know this, so stop being a fucking dick.”

As I entered the foyer, I was greeted with the smell of Nonna’s carbonara, my favourite dish. That woman knew how to spoil me. I bet we’d be having my favourite dessert, ricotta pie, too. 

“That better be Sebastiano. He knows how much I hate my food going to waste, especially when it’s one of his favourite dishes,” I heard Nonna mutter from the dining room.

Walking into the dining room, I saw we had a full table. Not only was Paulie an unexpected guest, but so was Zio Joey, my father’s brother.
Brilliant, just what I need to finish off the day from Hell with.
Everybody except my uncle stood as I walked in the room. I didn’t feel much for traditions right then so I waved my hand, gesturing for them all to sit. 

I made my way to the head of the table, kissing Lorena on the head as I passed her. 

“Ciao, Daddy,” she said in greeting. If only she knew what I had done earlier, I didn’t think she would be so happy to see me.

“Buonasera, bella. I hope you’ve had a good day?” I enquired, leaning down and planting a kiss on Sierra’s lips and then Lorena’s cheek. I didn’t even know who was left to watch the girls and the house today. I usually left Guido, but well, that wasn’t an option anymore. 

“Paulie was great company. He took us to the movies and didn’t even complain when he was out-voted and made to watch the chick flick.” I watched her flick Riccardo a glance before turning her eyes on Paulie and batting her eyelashes in his direction. She did this all the time, played my men against each other, trying to get a rise out of Riccardo. 

“It’s not the first chick flick I’ve had to sit through. Sierra always manages to trick or bribe me into watching them,” he said, trying to make it less of a big deal. He gave Riccardo a wary look. 

Riccardo ignored the conversation, taking his seat with his usual stony-faced look. He was obviously not bothered in the slightest.

I said grace before serving Sierra the first spoonful, passing the serving dish along after serving myself. I squeezed her thigh in greeting under the table and she grinned up at me. I couldn’t bring myself to smile after such a shitty day, so I trailed my hand higher up her thigh to tease her before focusing on the meal before me. 

“So, Paulie, do you have plans tomorrow? I was planning a trip out; maybe you could be my escort,” Lorena said, throwing a wink his way across the table before placing her fork in her mouth provocatively. 

Paulie cleared his throat.

“Paulie’s busy tomorrow. You’ll be stuck with me!” Riccardo snapped before Paulie could answer. I was certain Riccardo was meant to be doing some club business for me tomorrow. Maybe I had have things mixed up.
I didn’t fucking care. At least he was keeping Lorena from getting involved with Paulie. I had no time to be dealing with that shit. 

“That’s a shame. We could have had some fun. We’ll have to take a rain check.”

Paulie glanced across at Lorena who sat opposite him, shock written on his face. He cleared his throat and scooted his chair back.
She better not be playing footsie under my fucking dinner table. 

“So, has today been a busy one for you, Sebastiano?” 

I ignored whatever was going on between Lorena and Paulie to answer my uncle’s question. “You could call it that. It’s definitely been a long one.” 

“Some would say deathly long.” His dig answered the question that had been gnawing through my head since I first saw him sit down at the table.
Why the fuck is he here? He knows about Guido and he’s going to have fun picking off the fucking scab, that’s why. Fucking brilliant. 

My Zio Joey despised me. He has hated me ever since my father’s death. My father deserved to die; he broke my mother and no man should get away with that. Ever. 

“That’s one way to describe it,” I answered vaguely, hoping to stop the conversation there. No one else seemed to be taking a blind bit of notice; they were all too busy with their own conversations.