Game of Love : A Mafia Romance Read online

  Wes brought his hands together and bit the inside of his lip. I could practically read his mind.

  He was thinking that this was above us.

  “This is deep shit Ethan,” I remarked on the edge of a sigh.

  “It is. And I’m afraid it gets worse.”

  “How much worse?”

  “We’re not the only ones who knows Giovanni has the prints.”

  I bit the inside of my lip. “Who else knows?”

  “Again, we don’t know. Last week there was a raid at his warehouse facility in the desert. It’s where he does the usual transit of business. The place someone would look if they were looking for the prints. Four of his best men were killed in the event. We identified one of them as the guy who came up on surveillance when the prints were stolen, so it’s reasonable to assume that they could have all been in on it. Giovanni knows he’s being targeted for it, but like us, he has no idea by whom. So… there’s that to worry about. However, it provided the perfect opening for you because he needs replacements.”

  I could see where this was going and I didn’t like it. Being a replacement to work for a man like that was no easy task. Giovanni considered himself the Vegas king and his men were like knights. Close to him in every way. The application for the position was some type of death match.

  “You want me to become one of his knights?” I smirked glaring at him.

  Ethan nodded. “Yes. It’s the only way. That’s the only way we’ll get close to getting the prints back. You’re the best person all round with the skill to go in undercover, blend in and infiltrate. We need a professional hacker to hack the fuck out of whatever enclosure he’s keeping the blueprints.” He paused for a second and I could see the worry heavy on his face and his good eye. “Giovanni shares his secrets with his knights. Becoming one of them means that you’ll know where he’s keeping the prints. They’ll be one hundred percent guarding the prints with their lives, it’s worth… Let’s just say it’s priceless. The type of nuke that can come from that is something the government officials won’t even talk about with people below a certain pay grade. We can’t allow the blueprints with the fucking step by step ‘how to’, to fall into the hands of people like The Chameleon.”

  I groaned inwardly inclined to agree. There was that moral judgment pulling on me again. I did seem like the best person for this.

  Best because of that fucking word again.

  Thief.

  I was a thief. Professional thief. None of these other pussies could do what I did. What I did came naturally to me. It came from years of living to survive and the art of manipulation. I could absolutely blend in. Walk the walk, talk the talk and use my brain for the rest.

  “Xander, you know you’re the best person for the job. If you can do it just imagine the benefits.”

  “And, if I can’t? You’re not talking about that part.” I’d never done anything like this before so I couldn’t guarantee anything.

  “I don’t like to think about the negative. We just have to try.”

  Try… Jesus. This didn’t feel as simple as just trying.

  But I’d do it.

  “Alright… I’ll do it.”

  Ethan nodded his gratitude. “It’s not gonna be easy but it’s a window of a chance I want us to take. It means we can fix things before they get more out of control.”

  “Yeah, I get it.” I sighed.

  “One last thing.” He flicked the slide and the next image made everything fade from my mind.

  The image before us was of a beautiful young woman.

  Very beautiful.

  White blond hair adorned her head in long graceful waves and piercing blue eyes looked at me with what I could only label as desperation. I wasn’t sure why I saw that. I was pretty certain most guys would be enchanted by her beauty and stop with that before they started reading into any emotions. To me though… that was what I saw.

  Maybe it was because I’d lived my life feeling nothing but that.

  Desperation and desolation.

  “Who is she?” Wes asked. It was the first he’d spoken all evening.

  “That is Jia Marchesi, age twenty six, art graduate turned hotel manager,” Ethan answered. “She’s the boss’ daughter.”

  “Didn’t know he had a daughter,” I stated.

  “Like most mobsters, they keep women out of business. She works at The Grand Marchesi and she is always within his sight. She is not involved in this and is to remain so. Uninvolved. We’re only giving you the heads up because she is his weakness. The innocent on the playground that may get caught in the crossfire. Giovanni takes her wherever he goes. Although realistically, they stay central to Vegas. We need to keep her out of this as much as possible. Innocent though she may be, she belongs to him and may become a threat.”

  The beauty’s image was removed from the screen but not from my mind.

  I doubted that any man could look at her and forget.

  “You’ll get the brief with full details on everybody. We need you in tomorrow. There’s an audition for the replacement positions. Giovanni wants them filled with the best guys, which means the worst kind for us. You ready?”

  It sounded like a challenge.

  “I’m more than ready. I’ll get the job and take this son of a bitch down,” I promised.

  Wes nodded at me and smiled that smile that assured me he was in. I needed that because this looked like one hell of a job I might be a loner on for most of the time.

  But here was the chance to get some help in my pursuit for Balthazar. Then maybe, just maybe I’d get my life back.

  I just needed to do this.

  First things first though, I’d do some scouting around tonight. My style. My way of checking things out.

  Checking out the battlefield and the players before launching into battle.

  One hour later Wes and I parked up outside The Grand Marchesi.

  The first thing you noticed when you got to Vegas was the glorious array of luminous lights lining the strip. A cascade of red, gold, yellow, blue, green, purple and every color in between splashed against the night sky. As busy in the heavens as the streets were with people heading out to experience the adventure Sin City had to offer them .

  As like the other high-end hotels, The Grand Marchesi stood out in all its glory like a fortress. World famous for its elegance the luxury hotel and casino was on par with the Bellagio which was only a street away. Its multi-level building itself looked like a small island of neon and fluorescent flashing lights. White, solid walls and high ceilings supported by columns that looked like they’d been hand-picked from the finest architecture in Europe were just the start of what was to be admired.

  The Bellagio had the famous water fountain most people compared to a stage show. Giovanni had a fountain too. But it didn’t have water. He used fire.

  It was like a fucking pissing match and the king chose a fountain of fire that did it’s own show.

  We were parked in the space between there and the hotel’s entrance I couldn’t deny that it was a sight to behold and Giovanni really had invested time to make the building itself something to remember. The man owned over a hundred hotel chains and countless restaurants and other buildings. You could tell though that he’d put his heart here.

  “You know I’m totally doing this for you right?” Wes stated as we looked on.

  I chuckled. I didn’t know how many times he planned to tell me the same thing.

  “Yes, Wes. I know and I don’t need another reminder,” I frowned glancing ahead of us. Up the grand steps leading to the entrance were uniformed doormen dressed in red and black similar to playing cards, assisting patrons inside. The two door men looked more like ex-military guys than the average door man. It figured that Giovanni would have people like that though at his door.

  “Well you’ll be getting many from me because this is outside our remit and if you ask me much harder than the usual.”

  I completely disagreed. This was no harder than
trying to find Balthazar.

  “How can this be harder. In five years we haven’t seen hide nor hair of Balthazar.”

  “I know, but shit Xander, have you thought about this part. Giovanni is a mobster. They have their ways of dealing with people.”

  I was well versed in my encounters with mobsters. Very well versed and I knew what he meant.

  “I have to try Wes. I need help finding Balthazar and I can’t refuse help if it’s being offered. We don’t have the set up they do. I have to bear in mind that when I was in the team I knew what I was doing. We knew we’d see him at some point. Going it just the two of us hasn’t got us anywhere.”

  He sighed and looked defeated. He knew I was right.

  “I know and that is why I’m only doing this for you. But…what happens after Xander? You go back to being an agent?”

  It was a good question. I wouldn’t lie and say I didn’t miss the work. But, at the same time I wouldn’t deny there were times when I hated the life.

  If Claire hadn’t been there with me it would have been worse.

  Worse, being in a relationship and keeping my job secret. Keeping everything about my life secret. It was the way of the work. Being an SMF agent called for utmost secrecy.

  When I met Wes it took me awhile to tell him and I only did because I was no longer part of them. I also didn’t go into details. Just what I needed to say in regard to Balthazar.

  How Claire and I came to be wasn’t through work though.

  I met her when I was sixteen.

  She and Jack, her father, saved me from mobsters.

  Jack, was like a father to me. Treated me just like his own. We were a family. They were family. Just like everybody else, I was dead to him.

  Ethan was Ethan and yes he was right to say that we were friends once but there was Jack. The man I promised I’d take care of his daughter.

  I couldn’t face him after it all happened. I figured if I could find Balthazar it would be something. It would be justice of some sort.

  I looked to Wes, realizing I’d gone quiet and hadn’t answered the question.

  “I don’t know Wes… That wasn’t something I factored in.”

  “Well if they’ll help you and set up a team, I doubt you’ll be average Joe Xander.” He smirked. “Don’t worry man, I’m not asking because I’m worried about myself. I just wondered is all. I’ll still be around like a rash.”

  “I hope you will because there’s no team being formed without you in it. You’re my best friend and I trust you.”

  He nodded and gave me a serious look. “Good, then trust this… be careful Xander. Government is government, but mobsters have their own system. You had this guy’s name so I know you know he’s dangerous. Bail when you need to and I’ll be right there with ya.” He tipped his head in reverence. “Five years might have gone by and we haven’t found Balthazar, but it doesn’t stop us from looking and hoping for that lucky break. With this new team, you’re looking for a lucky break too. They just have better equipment and maybe know more people than us. Doesn’t make them better though. But I get it.”

  I pressed my lips together. He spoke truth and I was listening. I was. It was an avenue I was willing to explore though no matter what happened. It was risk. All of it was a risk and I was going to take it.

  “Thanks. Thanks for getting it.”

  He gave me a deep chuckle. “No worries. Anyway… what did you think of the girl?” His eyes lit up.

  The girl…

  Jia Marchesi…

  Like Ethan said, she wasn’t involved and I didn’t need to involve her, so while she had the kind of face I wasn’t likely to forget I wasn’t thinking about her because I wasn’t supposed to. Out of sight out of mind.

  “She’s twenty six,” I replied and he gave me an incredulous glare.

  “Okay, and when last I checked, that was well past the legal age.” He raised his brows. “Also, do I have to remind you of the nineteen year old.”

  I rolled my eyes at him. “She told me she was twenty five.”

  “And back then you were thirty two.”

  “Wes. Mission to focus on right?” This was so not the time to be talking about women.

  “Right.” He chuckled and motioned to the cascading steps that led up to the Marchesi. “Mission and mission’s pretty little daughter just walked into view.”

  I followed his gaze and saw them.

  There they were. Live and in living color before me.

  Giovanni and Jia Marchesi stood outside the entrance to The Grand Marchesi.

  Giovanni looked every bit the foreboding king I expected to see. Tall in height and personality just from sight with his silver streaked hair and bad ass older tough guy appearance. He reminded me of someone like Al Pacino and Sylvester Stallone rolled into one. From here I could tell he had a nasty streak though and that was just from looking at him at a distance.

  Jia was petite next to him, and I cursed myself from diverting my attention from the guy I was supposed to be checking out to checking her out.

  That image Ethan had shown us didn’t do her any justice. The real live version was the kind to steal a man’s breath away. She had a body made for sin. Serious sinning. The type I shouldn’t be looking to enlist myself in.

  The petite, willowy frame was eroticized by her large, fully rounded breasts I was certain she would have gotten a lot of attention for. Along with that hair that looked brighter under the lights. It was like looking at an erotic version of Tinkerbell.

  They seemed to be arguing. Giovanni said something to her and a frown creased her pretty face. He walked off and she chased after him. He got into the back of a limo and drove off leaving her standing there mid-speech.

  “Trouble in paradise,” Wes commented. “These rich people always think they have problems. I’ll bet she wanted a new handbag.”

  I continued to stare and shook my head.

  It wasn’t that.

  She wiped away a tear from her cheek and then another.

  Whatever it was caused her to cry and I doubted it was a handbag.

  Whatever it was, was none of my concern, yet as I watched her that desperation reached out to me. Luring me to find out what was wrong.

  “Xander…” Wes called me. He said my name like he’d said something else before. I didn’t hear a word.

  “What?”

  “You’re thinking something.”

  I was… I just hadn’t brought my thoughts to the forefront of my mind.

  I gazed back to her. She was still standing there on the steps. Still there looking on, watching the spot where the limo had been.

  Looked like there was trouble in paradise and I was about to add to it.

  Sorry beauty, your father just became a job to me. A threat. That meant I had to take what he had and eliminate him.

  I watched her turn and walk in the opposite direction toward the parking lot.

  A few seconds later when a yellow Porsche pulled out with her inside a really bad idea formed in my mind.

  A really bad idea.

  “Wes, how about I see you later,” I said to him.

  “What?”

  “Go. I’ll catch up with you later.”

  He frowned and got out of the car.

  I gunned the engine and followed the beauty in the yellow Porsche.

  No harm in doing some data gathering, even if the object of my attention looked like an erotic version of Tinkerbell.

  When she parked up outside a club called the Glass Bowl that air of this being a bad idea came back to me.

  I was kind of hoping she’d go home or somewhere like that. Not a club.

  I parked a distance from her, watching. The minute she stepped out and handed the car over to the valet eyes were on her. Of course she would have eyes on her. Even if people didn’t know who she was, that body of hers commanded attention. Mine was no less different to all the other men looking at her.

  I got out of my car, deciding I’d continue to follo
w her.

  I’d come this far, no point turning back.

  Work was work as long as I remembered she was off limits.

  Chapter Five

  Jia

  Great.

  I frowned and released a slow sigh as I read the text Anya sent me.

  The club lights bounced off my phone but I could see clear enough from her text that she wasn’t coming.

  She was standing me up again for the second time in the last five days. Both times were when I needed her the most. Although this time I really did feel like I’d hit the bottom of the fucking barrel and I’d either go crazy or allow crazy to get me.

  Pa was driving me insane.

  I was sure now he was hell bent on destroying my life. I really needed someone to speak to and my damn best friend had chosen to be with her stupid boyfriend.

  That fucking Mike deserved to have his dick chopped off. He was always cheating on her and I didn’t understand why she couldn’t value herself enough to end it with him. It was a constant cycle. He’d cheat and she’d find out. They would argue. I’d get my hopes up that she’d dumped his ass, and just when I thought she would, she’d take him back.

  That was Anya in a nutshell and I was sure this was another round like that. Yet, when Armand cheated she was the first to tell me not to give him another chance when he asked for it.

  One rule for me and another for her.

  Although, she was definitely right to warn me away from Armand.

  She’d never liked him and I was just blind. When he was trying to get with me, he wasn’t as vile as he’d been last night. He was nice, but that was men all over. Nice until they got what they wanted, then they’d show their true colors.

  I scanned over the text again:

  He wants to talk. Sorry I can’t make tonight.

  That was what it said and it only just came after I’d been at the Glass Bowl for an hour and had two cocktails. I wasn’t drunk but maybe on the verge of tipsy, and I wouldn’t have had that last drink if I’d known she wasn’t going to show. I didn’t like drinking while out by myself. Things could happen, and things had happened to people who drank too much when they were out by themselves.