Here is the newest chapteeer. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

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Chapter 22

Matteo

Financial District, Manhattan, NY, USA - April 19th, 2021

The walls in my father's New York office are made of bulletproof, one-way mirrored glass. From the outside, the building is a towering block of black mirroring glass, reflecting the street back like a dark, endless mirror. From the inside, New York unfolds like a silent film, its chaos muted behind the impenetrable walls.

He's standing by the window facing the West of the Financial District, hands behind his back as he looks down at all the people making less than him.

"You said it was urgent?" I ask, referring to the message he sent an hour ago.

Finally, he turns around and walks to the desk to sit.

"And it still took you one hour to get here."

"I was in class."

"It's still online, no?" He asks, not happy that I didn't drop everything when he asked me to come in.

I grab a water bottle from the mini fridge then go to sit across from him.

"This semester only, yes." I wait a moment. "So, are you going to tell me what's up or are we still going to argue why I'm late?"

"The casino opens this weekend."

I nod. "I know, congratulations."

I know that he's been working with Paulo on opening a new casino in the hotel they own downtown, but I hadn't heard anything in months.

"There's more money coming in from drugs lately that our laundering systems can barely keep up with."

"Champagne problems, am I right?"

The joke flies right past him because his face is as stern as ever.

"A good casino can launder millions of dollars a month. And I want you to run it."

My lips part.

Managing a club is one thing. Casinos are a whole other game.

"Have you even thought this through? What do I know about running casinos? And who's going to babysit Luca?"

"He's going to work as head of security, under you."

Okay, this I like.

"I think you need a new distraction." He says then, and I go from being happy to completely pissed.

"A distraction from what exactly?"

"From acting like a dumb teenager because of some crush."

I push my chair back, ready to leave the conversation before I go off on him. I've only seen her once last week because Isabella invited her for lunch. There were five other people there, and we barely even talked.

"Sit down and shut up." his voice booms and I freeze. "You are done letting this girl cloud your judgement to the point where you forget where your loyalties lie."

My nostrils flare at the implication that I wouldn't be loyal to the family.

"I wouldn't betray the family, you know that."

My tone is darker than I intend, and it sounds almost like a threat.

"You're attracted to her, Matteo."

"Why didn't we have the same conversation about Ariana? What is it about Valentina that you despise so much?"

"Because you were using Ariana to keep you company. And you're not using Valentina, are you?"

"No."

"Because she means more to you than Ariana. You went and killed two Russians because they attacked her. You didn't even stop to think how that might impact our business and our safety."

"I would've done it for Isabella." I say, trying to convince myself more than him.

"That's different. Isabella is part of our family. Valentina is Russian. She's the next in line to take over the Levin empire."

It's the first time I ever heard him use that word. 'Empire'. He makes them sound like they're bigger than him.

Like they're a threat.

"How are they any different than what we are?"

He takes a sip from his drink.

"They were the ones who killed your grandfather."

It's not the answer I expected. It's not even a fucking answer. It's a cold hard truth that proves I've been lied to my whole life.

"You told me he died during a war."

"It's the truth. He did die in a war."

I suddenly understand what my six-year-old mind didn't: my grandfather didn't die in a war because he was protecting his country - he died because he used to be a gang lord. All I've ever known was my father running things, my grandfather I barely knew. And there is no one except our grandmother that ever talks about him.

"We were at war with the Russians, and they killed your grandfather." He pauses. "They killed people I cared about." His face hardens at the memory, and he disassociates for a few seconds.

"Matteo, her family murdered some of your family."

I don't know how to process what he's saying to me. It makes me physically numb.

"Are we still at war with them?" I ask, not really wanting to know the answer.

He hesitates before he finally shakes his head. "Not since 2008. They killed Luca's father, and that's when we agreed that we couldn't go one like this."

They killed Romeo's brother. The guy working in the restaurant that was shot point-blank when I was there, over a decade ago.

It doesn't make sense. "Why was Romeo on their side then?"

"He wasn't."

My blood goes cold.

"He wasn't a snitch?"

"No, he wasn't."

Now my ears turn hot and there's rage bubbling up in my chest.

"Why did you make me kill him then?"

"I didn't make you do anything, Matteo. You're the one who pulled the trigger."

"Yes, because I thought he betrayed us!"

"He did betray us, God damn it, but not by being friends with the Russians."

I want to say something else, but he continues. "He was planning on becoming a trusted friend to them so he could kill the children. They started vacationing in Sicily, and Paulo moved in with his kids close to them as a sign of good faith. Romeo went in to keep an eye on them, under the pretext that he could be bought to give them intel us."

The children.

Valentina and her brother.

"Did you send him there?"

"He suggested it. They didn't know he was this close to us, and they didn't know it was Romeo's brother they had killed in 2008 to send a message. They think it was just a random restaurant employee, who they used to show that they can come right into our home and take whatever they want. But Romeo betrayed the peace agreement in 2019, when he killed Aleksander Volkov."

My heart stops. "Raisa Volkov's father."

My head is following ten different threads at once as the pieces start falling into place.

He nods. "He went behind our backs and did it, then lied about it. He was a loose cannon, and we couldn't trust him anymore."

"Why did you wait so long until you killed him?"

"We found out a month before we sent you in. The idiot kept a journal." He shakes his head, disgust written all over his face. "Killing Volkov wasn't enough for him, and he was planning to kill Valentina first when she came to Sicily alone for her birthday."

The blood in my veins boils and he notices because his brows furrow, but he continues. "Children have always been off limits."

"Do the Russians know he was the one to kill their underboss?"

"No. They don't know anything. They think it was a car accident. And it's better if it stays this way."

"Then you didn't ask me to keep an eye on Luca because he could find out it was me. You did it because you think he'll try to kill a Russian?"

He nods. "I don't know how much Romeo told him about Volkov's death. But if he does something to the Levin family that can be traced back to us, you can be sure that they will start a war."

"What's wrong with me wanting to spend more time with Valentina then? You want the Russians to stay alive, don't you?"

The corners of his lips turn up slightly. "No, I don't care if they stay alive. I just care about us not being the ones who kill them. And you weren't 'helping her out', you were trying to protect her."

My face feels hot because I now realize that she did in fact not ask me to help. I did it myself.

"What's the difference?" I ask, coming back to what started the whole discussion in the first place. I can't process anything else that I just learned. Not right now.

"The difference is that you want her, Matteo, and the problem with desire is that it makes you weak, which makes us weak. Your job is to keep an eye on Luca to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. If that for you means keeping her alive, so be it. But do not avenge people who wouldn't do the same for you."

He looks into my eyes like he sometimes does, wanting to see whether I really understand what he wants from me.

"At the end of the day, your loyalty is to this family, not to the people who murdered my father." He shakes his head. "If you protect her from anyone else but Luca, then you're helping the very same people who wouldn't hesitate to hurt us if they got a chance."

I laugh. "Don't you think you're being a little dramatic?"

"I don't care who you fuck, Matteo. Not as long as it doesn't become a liability."

Silence settles as we both think about Valentina's family, but for different reasons.

"Does her family know about the two of you?"

"There's nothing to know. I don't think."

He points at me and just stares for a few moments. It's a pause long enough for the air to become heavy.

"Don't ever underestimate the Russians."

The gravity with which he says it unsettles me. He seems to be almost scared now, although I might be imagining things.

"You have no idea how powerful and ruthless they can be."

"Are you saying that they would win against us in a hypothetical war?"

"With the resources they have in America right now, no."

"What's the issue then? I still don't see what it has to do with my personal life."

He runs his palm over his face.

"The issue is, Matteo, that if they find out that you care for her, then they will get a chance to win. The only thing they lack is manpower, which, with time, can eventually be bought. So we cannot have that happen. You need to stay away from her. You're going to run the casino, Luca will be working there full time so you can keep an eye on him, and neither of you will have the free time to mess with any Russians. And that's final."

"I'm inviting her to the opening." I tell him just to spite him as I stand. "I will run the casino for you, and I will make sure Luca doesn't touch any Russians. But I will not let you dictate who I can or cannot be with. If you can trust me to launder millions of dollars coming in from drug trafficking, then you also have to trust that I am smart enough to know when I'm being manipulated by a woman."

He doesn't like what he's hearing, but I see his eyes change so I continue.

"Backing off and trusting me is the only way you can have me run the casino for you."

We both know that Redlight was a dump before I took over and turned it into a very popular club, which made money laundering easier. High foot traffic equals higher income, which equals higher amounts of money flying under the radar. Now that I thinkabout it, the casino wouldn't be that hard to handle. It's just a club with anextra zero on the balance sheet. Plus, giving some of our men stacks of cash tojust play with is a win-win.

He stands as well and extends his hand. It's his way of saying "fine" without saying it.

I grip his hand, and we shake on it, before we both sit back down.

"Don't get too comfortable with the men in her family." Is the last thing he wants to say on the subject. "They know who youare."

He pulls out a binder from the desk drawer and places it on the desk, ready to talk about the casino.

"They will sniff out your weakness. They are brutal enough to take advantage of their own successor." He opens the binder. "And make no mistake; they will use her against you."

***

Downtown Manhattan, NY, USA - April 23rd, 2021

The casino is in on the ground floor of the hotel, the golden glow of the lights spilling onto the sidewalk. The rooms on the first floor had been converted to offices, the biggest one belonging to me.

It's a step up from the office at the club, which is slowly being handed over to Marco.

The sidewalk is roped off from the street already filled to the brim with people and an endless line of sleek black cars queueing to drop off guests.

I've never seen so many New York socialites in one place, and I must admit that my father knows exactly who to invite depending on the purpose of the event.

I invited all my friends, of course, including other people from school who I knew were in New York. They arrive after nine, treating it as more of a night club outing than what it actually was. A way too obvious first attempt at money laundering by giving all guests one grand in chips.

Isabella and Vinnie are still not on speaking terms from the looks of it, but that doesn't stop him from pretending like everything is normal.

"Three o'clock." He says to me at the bar, referring to the two blondes in the corner who have been talking about me for the past ten minutes. They're both at least ten years older than me, and I find that to be a little pathetic.

We're facing the room filled with blackjack tables, spinning roulettes, poker and baccarat tables with red felt, and I feel proud to have the opportunity to turn this into a lucrative business.

"Not my type."

"You haven't had sex in over four months. Don't you think it's time?"

I turn to face him. "Time to what? Do you think I cannot live without-"

"Hey, last summer when we went into lockdown, you broke about ten laws to get laid."

"Hi."

Valentina's standing there, coat still on, smiling at us. She's by herself, late as always, with her bodyguard trailing a couple decameters away. He nods his head at me and walks over to the hostess to get his complimentary chips, silently letting me know that he trusts me.

"Where is everyone?" she asks looking around, and I take the opportunity to admire her.

The line of her jaw, her cupid's bow, and her eyes that flicker back to me, curious and expecting.

Is she asking me?

"Roulette." Vinnie answers at the same time she spots Isabella at the table next to the bar.

"Oh, I see Isabella. I'll go say hi."

She gives me another look before she's off.

"Get a grip, man."

I blink at Vinnie. "What?"

"You were so busy staring at her you didn't even realize she was talking to you."

"Don't make it weird."

He steps in front of me. "I'm not making it weird."

She walks back over after placing her coat on a random seat. Orders an Espresso Martini, which is new.

"No more Gin and Tonics?"

She laughs. "Not yet."

My eyes trail over her head to the two women who are still there, still talking about me.

Valentina follows my line of sight.

"Hm."

"What?"

"It really is all ages."

"I bet she's rich." She says into my ear, her lips so close they leave goosebumps in their wake.

I entertain the discussion, because I'd be a fool not to take every chance I get to play with her.

"She's a little too old for me."

"So she's more experienced than you. That's good, no?"

I smirk because I know what she's doing.

"Not that important of a trait."

She beams as she takes the glass to her lips. "Cheers."

After a couple more sips, she asks me if I'm really the manager.

"I am."

"What are your responsibilities?"

No one's ever asked me that.

I shrug. "Staffing, event planning, security, accounting...things like that."

"You do accounting?"

"Sure."

"Is that a nice way of saying you know how to launder money?"

Vinnie chokes into his drink, reminding us of his presence as he spills some drops on himself.

"It's a nice way of saying I pay attention in school." I carefully answer.

Her mentioning money laundering caught me off-guard. Her even thinking about it intrigues me.

She playfully squints. "Sure."

Aurora calls her over because it's her turn to place a bet.

I watch her walk away, and it's the most confident walk I have ever seen on her.

"That was surreal to witness."

I shove his arm off. "Fuck off Vinnie."

"No, for real. It's so obvious you want each other." He laughs to himself like the idiot he is. "You forgot I was even here."

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