Original Sins by Faith Summers
6
Georgiou
Salvatore and I stop in front of the dilapidated disaster of a building we’re about to purchase.
When he looks from me to the building, I already know what my cousin is going to say to me.
This is the first time he’s seen the place, and I brought him here at night so he wouldn’t see just how bad the building looked.
I’m not certain I can hide that under the cover of darkness, though, because the place really does look bad.
“You sure this is the right place?” Salvatore asks.
I meet his unimpressed stare and nod. “This is the place.”
“But it looks like shit. Nobody is going to have sex in this dump.”
“But they will in the building I imagine it to be when we fix it up.” I probably sound more enthusiastic than I look.
I’m trying here big time because he’s fucking right.
If I can accept that, it begs the question of why I’m actually here and what the hell I was thinking.
The building we’re looking at used to be many things. On one side, there were apartments, but the druggies who lived and died there set fire to the place, and nobody bothered to fix it after. The other side had two different businesses—a strip club and a dry cleaners that was used as a front for a prostitution ring.
The dry cleaners closed last year when a dead girl was found stuffed in one of the dryers.
The strip club closed last month and was the only thing that stopped for natural causes as the owner simply wanted to sell.
That’s what got my attention, along with the fuck load of space around the building and the location of where it is.
The building might look like shit, but the location is the key when starting any business.
This is just outside the financial district, which means it would attract the affluent. Opposite the building is a set of accountancy buildings, so the place doesn’t look like a complete dive.
I really think my idea could work, but I need help to bring it to life the way I want.
That’s why Salvatore is here and why I want his younger brothers and mine on board. There is Henry, but this is something I want to do without him—a first for me.
“Georgiou, I’m going to tell you now that Vincent and Frankie will say no.” Salvatore surmises, cutting into my thoughts.
I already knew that. “That’s why I’m not asking either of them.”
Those are his older brothers, and while I could do with the money those two have, they’re far too serious for this venture I have in mind. They are the eldest of the Giordano pack. Frankie is the underboss of the family, and Vincent is the first and only capo.
Traditionally my side of the family focuses on business, and their side does both. His father is the head of the family, and my father is…
Well, mine would have loved to be.
“You didn’t plan to ask them?”
“No. You know what they’re like.”
“Like you, but more assholish.” Salvatore laughs.
I deserve that, but he’s probably the only guy I allow to see the real me, so he should know better.
What he means is they don’t joke around. They can’t afford to when they’re on the streets making sure boundaries aren’t crossed from our enemies or that someone isn’t trying to kill with us.
I’m near enough the same, but it’s because I know I have to be the equivalent when it comes to the family business. That doesn’t mean I’m like that at heart.
“Salvatore, stop fucking around.”
“Okay, let’s be serious then. This place is going to take a shit load of money to fix. When’s our guy getting here?”
“Few minutes. I wanted you to see the place first.”
“Was that so I could tell you what I think?”
“Yeah.”
He sighs, and I wonder if he’s backing out. I asked him first if he would join me because I knew he’d say yes.
He did, and I figured once he agreed, his brothers Nick and Gabriel would too. I’m asking my brother Christian because we never do anything together.
I’m eight years older than him, and the age difference has been a strain, but then I get on like a house on fire with Nick, who is only a little more than a year older than Christian. That always told me the problem I have with my brother isn’t our age. It’s because of our father.
Christian thinks I’m a brownnosing asshole who likes to take orders from our father, but I’m not. I just know what is required of me as our father’s eldest son.
“You in, Salvatore?” I check.
“When have I ever said no to you?” he snaps.
“I can’t remember, but that doesn’t mean you can’t.”
“I’m worried about the money. Do we have enough?”
I look before me and imagine what I saw months ago when the idea hit me.
The idea is this: A place for wild dark fantasies. Because I know people access those fantasies through sex, I want us to build our own empire. A sex club, unlike any other anybody, has ever seen.
“I think we do for the Dark Odyssey.”
He smiles at that. The name was his idea.
“How much does the guy want?”
“Half a mil for the whole plot. I have a million.”
“And I have a quarter. The whole building needs a redo. Maybe we could reopen the strip club, though, since it’s functional.”
“I was thinking the same thing. We can fix that area up first and give it a test run.”
Because of the underground setup of the club, the rest of the building doesn’t bring it down per se. I think, if anything, people would be more enticed to check out a sex club underground because it sounds forbidden.
“I like that, and it could help recoup some of the money.”
“Exactly, and provide some much-needed downtime.” I chuckle, and he nods.
“I like the way you think, cousin.” His smile widens, and then he gives me a curious look. “One question. Not that I’m not liking this idea of a sex club. I just want to know why. We have Giordanos Inc. We all work there, and that place is ours. No one can rival us on this side of the country. Why would you want to set this up, and why with us? You do everything with Henry.”
“I want us to do something for ourselves and make our own legacy as a family. Henry has his own family thing.”
“That’s cool. I like that too.”
A car pulls up at the corner, and a fat, balding man gets out. That’s the man we want to see. He’s the current owner of this mess. His name is Shane Rosen.
He looks about cautiously before crossing the road, and he wears the same cautious expression on his face when he approaches us.
Like most people, he knows who we are, and he knows not to try any shit with us.
I’m not expecting him, but one can never be too careful.
“Mr. Giordano,” Shane says, putting a hand out to me to shake.
“Hello. This is my cousin Salvatore.”
“Yes, I know of you both.” Shane shakes Salvatore’s hand more nervously than he did with mine, and I wonder if he’s ever had the misfortune of seeing Salvatore’s bad side.
We’re all mobsters at the end of the day. Each of us has a bad side. It just depends on whether or not we allow you to see it before we strike.
I like to be subtle, and I might go as far as saying I love when people think I’m the good, professional one who doesn’t get involved in violence.
Maybe that’s the psycho part of me. Christian labeled me when he watched me carry out my first kill to a motherfucker who more than deserved it.
“Should we go in and take a look at where we can?” Shane asks, cutting into my thoughts. “I can show you the strip club and the dry cleaners. Most of the apartments section is out of bounds, so I suggest we don’t go there at all, but if you insist, we can take a quick look at the parts that are safe enough.”
“I’d like to see what we can, and that includes the parts that are safe enough.” I insist. I see no reason not to see it if the place is deemed safe enough to take a glimpse. I’m already sold on the idea, but I need Salvatore to get the same enthusiasm so he can get his brothers on board.
“No problem,” Shane replies.
We walk inside the building and start with the dry cleaners. There’s not a whole lot to see there. The strip club, though, is definitely functional.
The stage and poles look good, and the setup with the bar is good too.
I like the rooms in the back they used for private lap dances. Those can be fixed up and used for private fantasy rooms.
I want people to go all out here with no off switch.
Of course, everything will have to be monitored to start because there are some sick fucks that live in Chicago.
Tonight was about getting this part done, and then I plan to meet with the guys once Salvatore has spoken to them. I know those crazy guys will have more ideas than me to make this joint work.
When we get to the top of the stairs leading to the old apartments, footsteps crunch against gravel, and voices of men filter in.
When Shane gets a wary look on his face, I get the feeling we’re about to head into trouble.
My fucking awareness kicks in, and I’m not surprised when I find Ricco Santorini himself standing with a three hulking me in the passageway.
Salvatore stiffens, and I notice him feel for his gun quickly. Subtly, I do the same. Salvatore was aware before we got here of the conflict we might have with Ricco.
Shane goes pale. Nobody wants trouble with either of us, and the worse type of mafia war is the one for territory. It can last as long as a blood war. The only difference with blood feuds where an entire family may get a hit on them is that often, it’s over and done with quickly.
Shit over land and territory, on the other hand, can outlast lifetimes. That’s not going to happen here.
In comparison to me and mine, Ricco is small-time, but the problem is his connections. He’s the type of fucker who can fan the flames from the embers of a fire that’s already burned out. He knows people that can cause bigger problems for us, and that’s the only reason he’s here.
I’m certain the same way Shane told me about him and his offer on the building, he would have told Ricco about mine too.
“Wow, I never imagined getting the chance to meet two members of the Giordano clan,” Ricco booms with a hint of an Italian accent, and his mustache twitches.
“Live and in the flesh,” I reply. “To what do we owe the pleasure, Ricco. I wasn’t expecting company tonight?”
Salvatore smiles, and that’s enough of a warning to watch yourself. That’s if you have the common sense to heed the warning. Fortunately, Ricco doesn’t miss a beat, and I hope he doesn’t push us. If we kill him, it will cause trouble we don’t want. He’s valuable to many for the same connections he has.
I can see him trying to formulate a response that won’t cause trouble for either of us. I’m just not certain that’s possible right now since he’s already here. The mere sight of him means he’s not happy we’re here.
“I’m sure Shane must have informed you of my prospective interest in this property,” Ricco says, cutting Shane a hard stare.
“He did. Shane’s a professional businessman, so he made me aware that you had made an offer on the site,” I explain and smile at Shane. I’m not allowing him to take shit for this. The man is just trying to make money here, the same as we are. “He further informed me that the deal wasn’t closed yet because he felt he could get more for the place. Apparently, you weren’t too happy with his original offer.”
“I wasn’t. This piece of shit dive wasn’t worth three hundred grand. I’ve been informed you’re willing to pay that.”
“I am. I’m a fair man, Ricco. Not saying you aren’t. But I know the business potential in the place, so I’m willing to part with what I need to get what I want.”
“I see,” Ricco drops the act and looks at Shane. “I’ll give you half a million for the building if you accept my offer.”
Salvatore and I glance at each other. This fucker just called the building a dive, yet he’s willing to cough up the money to outbid me. Nobody outbids me. I was watching the money, but I’ll play.
Shane’s mouth falls open, and he glances at me. He doesn’t want trouble with either of us, but he’s more afraid to piss me off.
Most people know Salvatore and I are perhaps the tamer two of the Giordano clan, as Ricco called us.
He wouldn’t want Frankie or Vincent to come down here. Or if it came to it and my father or my uncle came here, it would be over in every sense of the fucking word.
“Six hundred thousand,” I say, and now Salvatore laughs out loud.
“I’m loving this,” he says as Ricco’s face hardens.
I said six because I want to see just how high he’s willing to go to outdo me.
“Six-fifty.”
Fucker. That means he’s reaching his limit. I always know when a fucker reaches that point. He’ll start bidding in the fifties, then drop lower.
I, however, still have money to burn.
“Seven,” I smile.
“Seven-twenty-five.”
I’m going to wrap this up now. I look at Salvatore, who nods, and with that, I pull out my gun.
There’s an evident tic in Ricco’s jaw when he sees it. “I thought we could solve this without violence.”
“Then either you underestimated me, or you really don’t live in Chicago. Let me tell you how this is going to work, Ricco,” I begin and take a step forward past Shane and Salvatore. “I’m closing this at one million.”
Ricco’s eyes go wide. “One million! That is absurd. It’s not worth it.”
“You don’t know what worth I place on things, so do not tell me what to assume.” I raise my gun and tap the side of my head with the butt to intimidate his ass. It has the desired effect I was going for on him and the assholes he brought along as bodyguards or whatever the fuck they are.
“One million lets you know you can’t beat me, and I got this building fair and square,” I add for good measure. “One million tells you if you come for me and I haven’t sent for you, I will kill your ass and everybody linked to you. One million closes this deal and this conversation. Doesn’t it, Salvatore?”
“I think it does, cousin,” Salvatore answers.
“Great. Now, what say ye, Ricco Santorini?”
“Of course, I wouldn’t want to upset anybody from the Giordano family. I’d say one million closes the conversation too.” He gives me a stiff smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Good evening, gentlemen.”
Ricco backs away, and we all watch him walk through the door, gravel crunching underneath his feet with every step he takes.
Shane steps forward. “Georgiou, one million is a lot of money. Not that I wasn’t listening or that I’m not grateful, but I know what Ricco is like. It’s not going to stop him.”
“I know,” I reply.
It won’t stop him because he’s a pest who thinks he can hang his hat on the same hook as people like me.
I didn’t stop him, but I slowed him down and gave myself time to put eyes on him to watch his ass.
When men like him don’t get what they want, they try to find other ways to get it. What he will try to do is destroy me.
One glance at Salvatore, and I know he guessed that too.
