The Mafia's Daughter

Chapter 6 Meeting at club F

-Vincenzo-

-A year later -

Leon and I are getting ready for our meeting. I go to the lion's den. I agreed to an appointment with Riccardo Ferrante. In the not too distant future, he will take over everything from his father when that old man retires. Just like I take over everything from my father when he retires. I don't know what those old guys are waiting for, but it's time for the younger generation, we'll do better and we all want one thing: the Johnsons out of town and us as Italians back where it once started as a big family. No one even knows what the feud is about, so why not just stop.

Leon hits my shoulder and hands me my gun and I check it and put it in the holster under my jacket. You should never go out unprepared. I know I'm trying to build something good, but they remain unpredictable, especially the youngest two of that family.

Gio, my youngest brother, also doesn’t get this, as if they do not yet understand the consequences well. They think we don’t need to reconcile. But we do. We need to if we want to be the best again.

One thing I know for sure is that Riccardo gets as tired of this whole thing as I do. Always being on your guard, the many threats, having to react to everything because suppose someone else thinks you are weak. That's how we maintain it and that has to stop.

My dad is out of town and his dad is also out, so that allows us to talk, without them knowing. I take Leon with me, my support, He is my cousin and my best friend, but also Mauro my younger brother. Damiano also goes along and Marc. Two of my other cousins. Talk about preparation. I expect Riccardo isn't alone there either.

We will meet in one of his strip clubs. Business and women never go well together, but women who don't talk and are only beautiful to look at and then do business are fine. Leon, Mauro, and the other two boys seem to be looking forward to it. We have our club, Mauro is running it. So for beautiful women, we don’t have to go to Ferrante’s club. We can go to our club. But the change of scenery is nice for the guys.

Me not so much, I met a woman a year ago and she vanished in thin air after the attack on the Johnsons in Club Rexx. I’ve never in my thirty-one years I’ve met a woman as beautiful as Tina. I started to think the name is fake. No one has seen her, no one knows her, and she woke everything in my body up, every woman since then is just not interesting enough. No woman did it for me. She broke me for all others. I only got to kiss her and touch her, but man that kiss and the way her body moved against mine and her touch on my body. I can’t seem to forget her. She is perfect and until I have her, I will not find my peace.

"Ready brother?" asks Mauro as he enters my house with Damiano and Marc. I look at Leon who is grinning and I nod.

"Let's go," I say and in two cars we go to Ferrante's club. It's already starting to get dark.

Riccardo called this morning to ask if the appointment could be made for the evening, including food and if we wanted to linger after that everything was on the house. That he was offering, was a step, so I agreed to move the meeting. Normally I would not because I want to have the upper hand. If he moves the thing, then that means something is about to happen and I want to be prepared. But fine, after the meeting, all my single guys, can enjoy the women they never see again. So my boys can enjoy the show afterward. While I just stay for the fun and to tease them later.

When we park the car I see Luca at the door. He always looks serious and can never make a joke. He is a nephew of Riccardo, the one with a temper. He is what Leon is to me.

I smile and shake my head.

"Beautiful entrance that awaits.." Leon sighs annoyed and I laugh and shake my head.

"I don't care, it's about the content," I remember Leon. He and Luca are not going to be friends. And when I look outside again I also see Christiano coming out and standing beside Luca. As expected, Riccardo is not going to do this alone. We've tried this before and then we couldn't figure it out together. Hopefully, now we can.

“Bellucci, Welcome!” Christiano exclaims, more enthusiastic than I remember him to be. I Shake his hand and shake Lucas. After all the introductions, even though everybody knows each other, we go in. I get a glimpse of the inside of the club and a couple of women are practicing on the big stage, and a couple of women are on some of the tables in the club. We move upstairs and from above you can see the stage and the woman.

“I need this.” Mauro whispers. “What?” I ask him and he points to the open space.

“A lookout. My office is also upstairs. If I want to see the ladies, I have to go down.” He complaints. Christiano turns.

“It’s really good to have an open space. Ricco and I stand regularly just here, talking and watching. We don’t need to be on the floor to take care of things,” he explains, and Mauro nods.

“Let’s go in.” Christiano opens a door to a big room, a big table in the middle. Nicely set for dinner for a large group.

“How many people do you expect?” I ask Christiano and point to the big table.

“We invited a couple of ladies to accompany us over diner.” Riccardo walks in and offers me his hand.

“Welkom Vincenzo Bellucci.” He smiles. I take a quick look at Leon who rolls his eyes. But he shakes Riccardo’s hand politely.