The Cartel Queen

Chapter 2-The Conti Triplets

TWO MONTHS AGO

Antonio (Tony), Nico, and Leonardo (Leo) Conti, the Conti triplets, are standing in the main area of their headquarters. A warehouse they use for their 'shipping business'. It is really a cover for their mafia criminal enterprise. On one side of the warehouse is a sitting area with a TV and gaming consoles. There is a nice comfortable couch, a fridge and a microwave. The other side has an office. Through the small window on the office door you can see three large mahogany desks. One for each of the brothers. In the main part of the warehouse, Mafia workers sort through boxes with AR-15 and Steyr Aug A3. Gun running is a big business for the Conti brothers.

Caron, one of their most loyal soldiers, drags a screaming businessman in front of the brothers. His hands are tied up, blood and dirt stain his light blue plaid button-down shirt. It was obvious that he had been beaten. Caron simply wears a black t-shirt and black jeans." He doesn't have the money boss," Caron says, throwing the man down in front of the brothers. Toni picks the beaten man up by the collar of his shirt. He drags him over to an open area covered with a shipping tarp.

All three Conti brothers are well-built. Although they are identical, how they wear their looks and personalities couldn't be different. They have the same etched jawline, deep brown eyes and dark brown hair. Their skin is olive, denoting their Italian heritage. Being 27, they are in the prime of their lives.

Leo dresses simply. The deep V-neck t-shirt he is wearing bulges under the pressure of his massive muscles. He always pairs this look with a pair of black jeans and combat boots. Wearing his hair in a buzz cut is simply easy and not for style, although the look suits him well. Leo is the only one of the triplets with a 5 o'clock shadow, mostly because he is too lazy to shave every day. His tattoos are a mess, some small flash pieces in between large black and white designs. They cover the majority of his upper body. Most of them were done on a whim and not by reputable artists. He lives his life by the act first think second mentality.

Tony is fit, well-built, but not overly muscular like Leo. All his clothes are the height of men's fashion. Today he wears a tailored gray suit with a light blue shirt and a flowered tie. His hair is buzzed on the sides and longer on the top, slicked back neatly, not a strand out of place. He is dangerously charming and suave. He has carefully chosen tattoos, placed inconspicuously, so that they are easy to hide.

Nico wears a red plaid shirt and blue jeans. He is the least muscular of the three, but is still athletic. His wild and unkept hair flows around his ears. The art piece on his arm is a full sleeve tattoo, done by the best tattoo artist money can buy. It is easily hidden by his long sleeve shirt. A dragon tail creeps out from his wrist and wraps around his finger. Nico is methodical and uptight. There is a plan, and when things don't go as planned, Nico does not like it.

Toni throws the man down on the tarp, looking into his eyes." So, you don't want to pay us our money," he says, a menacing tone in his voice. Keeling down to the man he says "I understand your wife has an inheritance. Perhaps we could go ask her."

The man tries to escape. He places his feet under himself and tries to push away but Leo places his large foot on the man's chest, pushing him down hard.

"No, please." He begs "don't tell my wife. She's pregnant. Please."

Leo pulls out his 9mm Glock 17, holding the gun point-blank at the man's head. He fires, sending a bullet through his brain. Grey-matter, bone and blood are scattered all over the tarp. An iron-like smell fills the brothers' nostrils, reminding them of the death they just caused. Looking down, Leo sees that his clothes are covered in the man's fluids. A small drop of blood sits atop his left cheek.

Nico looks at the mess, shaking his head. He takes a picture of the corpse, texting it to Caron. "Now go get me my money, don't come back until you have it." Caron leaves, taking two mafia soldiers with him.

Leo and Toni wrap up the cadaver, motioning for two workers to come dispose of it. They drag the body out of sight. Not one of them feeling remorse for the death of this man. Murder is the cost of business. Leo runs to the office and quickly changes his clothes. He comes out wearing exactly the same outfit.

The next thing they know, Krissy Ares enters. She is wearing a tight, body-hugging dress that shows her clearly pregnant belly. Her long pink nails match her lipstick and her blonde hair is styled in long blown out ringlets. She is wearing three-inch high heels.

"Leo, baby!" She exclaims, her voice nasally and grating "You didn't answer your phone. I had to come all the way down to your shipping company to find you. Its disgusting in here." She walks closer to the three men, Toni and Nico step in front of their brother casually, yet in a protective way.

"These must be your brothers!" She squeals. They are identical triplets. Of course, they are brothers. "I'm Krissy, Leo's baby momma." She places both her hands on her stomach and smiles sweetly.

Leo pipes up, his voice almost a growl, "That is not my baby, you are a gold-digging bitch."

Krissy crosses her arms. "Don't be such an ass, Leo, this baby is yours. If you keep this up, I will go to the police and tell them you forced me to have s*x, and now you won't take care of your baby." She sneers, not backing down.

"Get a DNA test now, prove it is mine." Leo roars back at her. Toni and Nico now position themselves closer to Leo, in case he decides to hurt her.

Krissy, now smiling mischievously, says "I don't need a DNA test, I know it is yours, Leo." She does nothing to hide her willingness to manipulate him.

He stares at her through his brothers. "I'll give you a hundred thousand to f**k off and never come near me again." He steps closer to her, but Tony stares him down, threatening him with his eyes.

Smiling through her teeth, Krissy says "tsk tsk, bad boy. You think you can pay me off. If you put a ring on my finger, then I will get a DNA test when the kid is born. Those are my conditions."

Leo lunges at her angrily, Nico and Toni stopping him. Leo yells profanities at her as Toni and Nico drag him to the office. Slamming the door loudly behind them, Tony snarks "what the f**k Leo? That girl is pregnant with your baby."

Leo snaps back, the anger is evident in his face. "It's not my baby." He leans back on one of the desks.

Nico replies "Are you sure Leo? Absolutely sure. You use protection every time?"

Leo stares at his brothers, irritated that they would question him. "Yes Nico. I am reckless, not an idiot."

Nico turns to face Leo. "How am I supposed to know? You two f**k anything that walks." He waves his hands over his brothers.

Leo smiles at his brother, knowing that Nico is the least adventurous with women. "Well, I know it's not mine, Nico, because I remember the b***h. She was drunk and probably high. I took her back to her place and didn't even get an orgasm out of her before she passed out. I jacked off in her bathroom and left. She probably got herself knocked up, and I was the only number she had saved. There wasn't even penetration."

The look on Nico's face runs between disgust, frustration and confusion. He didn't understand why his brother would have even tried to have s*x with a woman who was so heavily drunk.

"I could shoot her." Leo says.

Tony stares him down. "No Leo, you cannot solve this problem by shooting her." Leo looks visibly disappointed.

Leo sighs, rubbing the back of his head, "I'll ask her to marry me. She can stay at my place in the city. And then, when that baby is born, I will get a DNA test to prove that she is a gold-digging liar." He takes a breath and then yells "f**k!" slamming his hands on the table. "I won't touch the f*****g cunt. Disgusting bitch."

Tony nods at him, thinking about that solution before saying" Propose to her Leo. Don't let her negotiate. No matter what happens, Leo, don't agree to anything without me being present. Don't sign anything."

Nico pipes up. "I knew this would happen. One of us has drama with his girl, and it radiates into all of us."

Leo snaps "She is not my girl. She is a psycho bitch."

Nico retorts "None of this would happen if we could just find one woman."

Tony smirks at his brother, responding with a nonchalant comment of "says the man still dating the same girl from high school."

Leo takes out his phone, swiping through his dating app. He holds his phone up to his brothers, showing a picture of a woman with dark blonde hair, holding a cat. "How about her? She's pretty." He says casually.

Toni rolls his eyes and Nico just sighs, "I am allergic to cats, Leo."

Leo leaves the office, walking right past Krissy. She chases after him, almost waddling to catch up in her high heels. She really should be wearing more supportive shoes for how pregnant she is.

Leo looks over at her and says "You will stay in my city apartment. I will give you a ring. As soon as that baby is born, I will get a DNA test done by my people. If I find out that you are trying to manipulate me, I won't hesitate to put a bullet in your head." Krissy nods, trying to grab Leo's arm.

He pulls away angrily saying "Don't f*****g touch me, you don't have consent. Try that again and see how much of my money your baby gets when you are in prison." Leo strolls out of the warehouse casually. "Oh and I will still f**k who I want." He says, staring into her eyes. He has no love for this woman, no emotions, nothing.

Nico and Toni watch on. Toni asks "How long until he kills her?"

Nico says "two months, tops."