“You can be assured Mr. Altair that your goods would arrive safely across the border without a hitch and on time. Thank you for doing business with us,” Marcel assured his last client of the day.
“Of course, I trust the Luciano family and their capability,” The man said, the both of them standing up to their feet and shaking hands as they sealed their deal. As soon as Mr. Altair left, Marcel slumped back to the seat with a sigh. He was exhausted yet the thought of going home filled him with energy.
Home? Marcel had never considered the base as home since he had properties scattered across the country and abroad that saw to his need whenever he traveled. As a crime lord and a criminal, he had to be careful with his dealing, and that included his location as well.
Hotels that didn’t belong to his family were quite risky since his enemies could spy on his activities and assassinate him or even set him up and serve him like breakfast for the FBI. Even with his family’s hotel, he still had to be cautious of his relatives. ‘A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household’, the Bible didn’t lie about that part.
His relatives were not brave enough to challenge him face to face for the leadership position, hence they would find sly means to bring him down. Unfortunately for them, Marcel was not shy about dealing with them and they should have learned from the past already.
In one word, Marcel was not specifically attached to any of the houses until Arianna came around and he began to consider the base a home because of her. Unlike Daniel who destroyed the house, he grew up in after his mother died just so he could destroy any emotional attachment he had for her. His mother’s death almost destroyed him and Daniel didn’t want his legacy to be a pussy.
According to him, emotions made one weak. However, Marcel knew otherwise, emotions didn’t make one weak, if anything, they made them stronger. Because he swore to God, if anyone dared to touch a hair on Arianna, he would chase them down to the end of the earth and destroy them even down to the third generation.
The third generation code was previously used in the Mafia and long abandoned because of its unfairness, flaw, and cruelty, but for the sake of Arianna, he wouldn’t mind activating it. Thinking about it now, Marcel felt the sudden itch to go home to Arianna which was strange. However, he remembered that Arianna could be pregnant for him and women in that condition craved love and attention, right? Was that why she was suddenly clingy in the morning?
Shit.
.....
Marcel cursed.
How could he have forgotten about that? However, Marcel needed to look into her request for a job which meant going to his clubs and making the arrangements.
But then, if Arianna was indeed pregnant with his child, that means no dancing. Not while he was alive and she was with his, no, their child. He would pamper till she was done with the child’s delivery. Then maybe after a year, or two, or three of childbirth, then she can take up dancing, right? Or maybe never.
Why does she even need to work when he has more than enough money that Arianna could squander all she wants? But Marcel knew that he couldn’t convince her to stop working, not if he didn’t want a war on his hands. Because sometimes, it seems like a dream that he and Arianna were together after the uncountable times they butted heads. Arianna was so damn stubborn.
Fine, he’d go home later, Marcel decided to ignore the strange feeling he was getting. He would get Arianna the job first and announce it to her later as a surprise – she would be overjoyed. Having made up his mind, Marcel reached out to grasp the bottled water on the table in front of him only for his hand to mistakenly knock it down and the water spilled to the ground.
Marcel bent to pick the can up while one of the staff came around to wipe off the water, but it was at that moment that he froze as if something struck his mind. Marcel was not a superstitious believer but at that moment, he sensed deep within him that something was not right, call it a gut feeling or something.
Was it Mimi and Winters? Did something go wrong with their mission? His mind wandered over to them instantly since both of them were the ones likely in harm’s way. But then, if that was the case, Victor would have called him already. Although Mimi and Winters were not to do anything except search for Chloe, in case their identities were compromised and their purpose discovered, Victor was the backup until he arrived.
But things shouldn’t go wrong unless Mimi went against his wish and tried to bring back Chloe forcefully. Damn, he warned her against that! Marcel was just about to call his cousin when his phone’s screen lit up instead and it was Victor calling him instead. As if that was not enough, his other phone flashed at the same time and his stomach sank, Marcel knew instantly that something happened.
Without a second thought, Marcel picked up his cousin’s call, asking immediately, “Tell me what’s happened?”
Victor retorted instead, “I should be the one asking what you did to provoke your father?”
“What?” Marcel was confused. What was Victor talking about?
“Your wedding card is all over the place with the date printed on Sunday, which is fucking tomorrow! Is there something you’re not telling me?” Victor announced and Marcel felt like all the air was knocked out of his lungs.
He didn’t even hear whatever else Victor was talking about because he was lost in his own thoughts. At that moment, it crossed his mind that Daniel would only print those cards if he was sure of holding something over him.