I'm Nothing (The Family Book 2)(7)
“What were you doing here?” she asked.
“I came for some pizza, and some company.” He stroked her hair, and as the minutes went by, Zara started to relax against him. “Did you borrow the money from him?”
“No. I’m trying to repay the debt that my dad started.”
“For this place?”
“Yeah. See what I mean about my future? This place is dead, but my father kept on wanting to keep it going. I hate pizza.”
“You can’t stay here alone.”
“What do you mean?”
“Lucien is going to be pissed.”
“You shot him.”
“I know, but when he’s all nicely fixed up, he’s going to come after you, and after your mother. You’re going to have to move in with me.”
She gasped, looking up at him. “That’s insane.”
“It’s not.”
“You don’t know me.”
“No, I don’t, but I just saved your life, and your dignity. Let me help you?”
“Why?”
Tonio thought about it. Why did he want to save Zara? She didn’t owe him anything, nor did he have anything with her. “Let’s just say I’ve got a lot of making up to do, and I don’t want you to get hurt. Let me help.”
“I’ve got my mom.”
“She can come, too. I’ve got a place for her to stay. She’s not staying in my apartment.”
“But I am.”
“Tell me, do you want to be around your mother?”
Zara bit her lip then shook her head. “No.”
“Then you can stay with me, and I’ll make sure your mother is taken care of.”
****
Later that night, Zara stared around at Tonio’s living room at three very large, fierce looking men who appeared to be ready to commit murder. Tonio, Jake, Donnie, and Luiz were scary as hell during high school, but now, yeah, she was crapping her pants.
“Lucien works for us?” Luiz asked.
“Yep. He’s a West who deals with loan sharks. He’s the face, and sends men out to collect money. We have a drop off every Friday where we collect.” Donnie frowned. “What was the debt?”
She didn’t like him looking at her. These men were all dangerous. “Erm, my dad borrowed money. I’ve got the details here.” She reached out, grabbing a stack full of papers. “It’s all explained there.”
Donnie grabbed the paperwork and started to look through it.
“Fuck, this is not how we handle shit,” he said.
“What do you mean?”
“Your father borrowed over fifty thousand. This just isn’t it though. We monitor the money, and Lucien actually documented a smaller loan, and he’s been pocketing the rest of the money that you’ve been paying him. What the fuck did your father need that kind of money for?”
“He lost the house, and he had to redecorate the whole of the pizza shop.”
“Fifty thousand is a lot. This kind of cash flow is not what we’re into,” Donnie said. “Cleaning money?”
“No. Lucien handles small loans. Anything between a thousand and ten to keep people afloat. This kind of money requires someone of a higher rank to sign off on,” Tonio said. “This looks like some sort of money-laundering, too. Was the agreement different than you thought?”
“No. Lucien told me all my dad had to do was make weekly payments, and that within five years it would be paid. My dad told me to continue with it.”
“Something doesn’t add up. Have you always had that pizza shop?” Luiz asked.
“Yeah, my dad had it for over twenty years.”
“Do you think it has something to do with the location?” Tonio asked.
What? Zara looked at all the men, wondering what the hell they were talking about.
“There’s a massage parlor next door, and about two blocks, there’s a nightclub,” Jake said. “It’s ideal to not only clean money, but it also means that Lucien can make a great deal on the side without The Family knowing about it.”
“Do you think Lucien’s going rogue?” Luiz asked.
“He could be,” Donnie said.
“He said The Family were not happy with our leadership. Maybe they’re hoping to overthrow.”
“How could they overthrow from a little pizza place?” Jake asked.
Donnie smirked. “Because it’s not just the pizza place. They’re cleaning money there, or they did. I want to know everything about the parlor and the night club.”
“You’ve got it,” Tonio said.
“I know the parlor shop does more than give out free massages,” Zara said. “We’ve had a lot of male customers talking about their massages. It’s not for therapy. It’s a front for a sex shop.”
Late at night people were not careful about what they said, or who they said it in front of. Zara had been sickened by what they had talked about.
“How do you know?”
“Because people ordering food talk, and when they’re all happy, they talk loud. I heard them. I can’t believe I just paid fifty bucks for anal. They even have a chart on spitting or swallowing.” She wrinkled her nose. “It’s gross.”
“A chart?” Tonio asked.
“You know, like a menu of what they are willing to do for how much. From what I remember, swallowing costs extra.” Zara now shuddered. It was crude, and she’d hated that the parlor was next door. She’d never seen any of the women there.
“Do you think it’s a front?” Luiz asked.
“Selling women?” Donnie asked. “Could be. We took out many of their businesses, but it doesn’t mean that there aren’t more.”
“What about if it’s something else? Laundering money, cleaning it? People get a nice massage, look the other way,” Tonio said.
“We’re constantly finding how dirty our parents were, I’d say it’s possible. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lucien didn’t take advantage of the situation,” Luiz said.
“Does your father know anything?” Donnie asked, turning toward Jake.
Zara watched as the blond one shrugged.
“I can find out.”
“See what you can do. I want to know everything.”
She tensed up as Donnie turned toward her. “Why did Lucien attack you?”
Her cheeks heated. “I’d rather not—”
“I wasn’t asking.”
“Donnie, enough. Imagine if it was Paige.”
“We’re being attacked left, right, and fucking center. This piece of shit thinks he can start hurting people, take our money, and think we’re not getting away with it. Killing our parents caused an uproar, and if we don’t get a handle on it, we’re the ones that are going to six feet under. You got it?”
The two friends stared at each other, and as the seconds passed, Zara couldn’t handle the tension.
“He wanted my virginity.”
All four men turned toward her, looking confused.
“Lucien. He said I was too ugly to sell, but he’d never popped a cherry. He was willing to wipe the slate clean if he could pop it. I refused. I was grossed out. He was old enough to be my dad, and it was so gross. He lost his temper, and that’s when he started to attack me, saying he’d take it anyway.” She shuddered, wrapping her arms around her waist. Just saying the words didn’t help her at all. Speaking it out load made it all the more real.
“I never liked Lucien,” Luiz said. “He was a spineless bastard.”
“Well he’s now got a hole in his foot. If there’s backlash, he’s part of it, and he won’t stop either,” Tonio said.
“It looks like we know what we’re doing for the next couple of weeks.” Donnie turned to look at Tonio. “Do you think you can handle it?”
“Yeah, why not?”
“You’ve been locking yourself away with your father’s computer.”
“I can handle it. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”
Donnie glanced over at her. “I take it you get the drill?”
“Drill? What drill?”
“You talk, you say anything to anybody, and we kill you.”
“Yeah, it’s not going to happen.” She zipped her lips.
She watched as each man walked out of Tonio’s apartment. Rubbing her arms, she turned to the large window and stared out over the city. This was the kind of luxury she had only ever dreamed about. Crime clearly did pay.
“Your mom has settled in. She knows to keep her mouth shut as well.”
“I imagine so. Tonight wasn’t the first time Lucien has paid a visit. When my father was alive, I remember him being there as well.” She rubbed at her arms, not turning to face him.
“You don’t have to be scared.”
“I don’t?” She turned to look at him then. “I witnessed you beat a man, and nearly shoot him.”
“But I didn’t kill him, which is actually an improvement for me.” His hands were inside his pockets, and he looked so relaxed, so calm.
“Thank you,” she said.
“What for?”
“For saving me. I can’t think of a worse thing to happen to a woman, and you stopped it. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come for me.”
His stomach growled. “Yeah, I didn’t get that food. Don’t worry, I have noodles, which helps all stomachs.”