Beast I Can’t Tame by L.K. Shaw
Chapter 12
Giovanni
This isthe second time I’ve been invited inside Jacob’s townhouse since we discovered our blood relationship. I keep waiting for someone to pop out from around the corner and tell me this has all been some elaborate hoax. I also keep waiting for my mother to do something to fuck everything up. It’ll happen. It’s merely a matter of when.
The security guard is familiar and greets me with a nod. Minutes later, I’m standing, yet again, at Jacob’s front door. A moment after I ring the bell, it opens, but it’s Brenna who answers instead of her husband.
“Gio,” she exclaims and throws her arms around me. “I’m so happy to see you.”
“You just saw me a couple days ago,” I remind her with a grin.
She flicks my arm with her middle finger and thumb. “Don’t be a smart aleck.”
“It’s good to see you, too, Brenna.” It really is. I’m surprised by how much I’ve missed our conversations. She always managed to put me at ease considering the awkwardness we both felt with me guarding her everywhere she went. At least, before that night with the Russians.
“Jacob and Pierce are in his office. He asked me to send you up when you got here.”
“Thanks,” I say and head for the stairs.
Deep voices travel the length of the hall, nothing more than indistinguishable murmurs that slowly grow into focus the closer I get.
“—about Francesca?” Pierce asks.
What about her?I’m not sure I care for them discussing her. I knock on the door before Jacob can answer.
“Enter,” he announces.
I step into the room. Pierce looms in the corner of it. It’s as though he doesn’t know how to sit and relax. That, or it’s his way of being intimidating. He’s massive and almost a head taller than most people, requiring them to look up when speaking.
He shoots me a glare. I have a feeling he and I are going to have private words soon about his recent new attitude toward me. We might as well get shit out in the open and deal with whatever it is.
Without being told, I have a seat across from Jacob, who’s behind his desk, the afternoon sun shining directly on it. I lean back and cross my ankle over my knee.
“Make yourself at home,” he says drily.
“Thanks, I will.”
Jacob’s gaze sears into me. “Pierce and I were just talking about the Polish and trying to work out how to entice Donnelly. He’s proving a little resistant to our suggestions.”
The Polish, huh? It hadn’t sounded that way. “From what I understand from Brenna, her grandfather isn’t an easy man to manipulate.”
“Who said anything about manipulation?” Jacob asks.
“Isn’t that what the last meeting with the Irish had been about? Donnelly has no valid reason to go up against the Polish. There’s nothing in it for him. Which is the whole reason why you’re having to come up with some way to convince him. You can’t do anything about them because of your promise to maintain neutrality, so you’re manipulating him so he can,” I state. “If I can see through your machinations, I’m sure Donnelly can as well.”
“What do you suggest, then?” Pierce snaps.
My gaze bounces to him and back to Jacob. Do they really want my opinion? Or is this some sort of test?
“You said that he only wants power and money. What about territories? Would that not give him both if he were to take over more areas of Brooklyn?” I ask.
“Maybe. It depends on the area,” Jacob says.
“Polish territory is comprised of two sections of Brooklyn—Greenpoint and Greenwood Heights—right?” I don’t wait for their response. “Where is all the money at in Greenpoint?”
The idea has slowly been coming to me since the meeting at Empire, but it seems a little farfetched. Which is why I haven’t brought it to anyone’s attention.
Both men are silent. Jacob’s expression changes from thoughtful to interested. “They’ve recently finished a revitalization project of the entire East River waterfront and completed the construction of high rise apartment buildings. Real estate in that area is booming right now.”
“Exactly. If he’s going to rescue the women they’re holding, that means going to war and taking over Greenpoint. Once they’re defeated, Donnelly could easily step into the realty business and increase his profit by millions of dollars,” I point out. “The only territory they’d have left is Greenwood Heights, and three-fourths of that is made up of the cemetery. Which the Irish could easily keep in business.”
“Greenpoint is also bordered on both side by Williamsburg and East Williamsburg. It gives us the added benefit of essentially squeezing them in,” Pierce adds.
“It also means that finding where the women are being held would be that much easier. Wójcik may be more willing to negotiate an exchange knowing that he’s fighting a losing battle,” I add.
Jacob nods slowly. “I’m impressed. You seem to have given this a lot of thought.”
“I guess,” I say with nonchalance. No sense getting too cocky.
“Let me talk to Cormac and get his take on it. I’ll let him present it to Colm, since it will be better coming from his own family instead of us. I’m sure Donnelly would dismiss the idea just out of spite if he knew one of those Italians had come up with the idea,” Jacob says with sarcasm.
From what I understand, the leader of the Irish still hasn’t forgiven him for threatening his life on Brenna’s wedding day after her grandfather had slapped her. That is one thing the Italians don’t tolerate: abusive spouses. I can respect that position.
“Why were you discussing Francesca before I walked in?” I ask, trying to catch them off guard.
Both men jerk at the question and their expressions close.
“I don’t think that’s any of your business,” Pierce growls.
“I’m making it my business,” I tell him. “Anything related to her is, in fact.”
Jacob scowls. “I’d be careful with your tone.”
“Don’t talk to me like I’m one of your subordinates,” I warn. “Not when it comes to Francesca.”
“Finally manning up and making a claim, huh?” Pierce’s sarcasm cuts through the air like a razor.
“I’ve made my intentions towards her known.”
Her brother smirks. “What are your intentions?”
“That’s between her and me,” I say.
Pierce moves from his position until he’s directly in front of me. He leans down, bracing his hands on the arms of the chair on either side of me, and gets right in my face. “If you hurt her in any way, I don’t care whose blood flows through your veins, I will personally see that you suffer. Right before I put you in the ground. Do you understand?”
I don’t move my gaze from his. I won’t be intimidated by him, regardless of his threats. “Understood.”
He starts to rise, but my next words stop him cold. “As long as you understand that your petty aggressiveness when it comes to Francesca and me is getting old. I have no problem meeting you at Gallo’s and knocking you on your ass if you don’t accept the fact that your sister is mine now.”
Pierce’s jaw clenches and the sound of his teeth grinding is almost audible. I don’t flinch or shift in my seat. He needs to understand I’m not joking. Our stare down continues until finally, he jerks upright and storms out of the office.
“You must have a death wish,” Jacob says after a few tense seconds.
I turn back to meet his gaze with a questioning glance.
“You’re half lame and threatening Pierce for a round at Gallo’s? One of those bullets the Russians put in you must have lodged in your brain somewhere and caused stupidity. “ He shakes his head.
“Men will do a lot for the women they care about,” I say.
A speculative gleam reaches his eyes, but he doesn’t say more than, “Yes, they will.”
It’s none of my business, and I’m sure I’ll catch flak about it, but I can’t stop myself. “Did you tell Brenna about us being brothers?”
“I told her Sal was your father. That’s not something I would keep from my wife.”
But not that we’re brothers. Apparently, Jacob isn’t ready to acknowledge it yet. Not to his own men. Not to his wife. Probably not even to himself. It’s dumb of me to think that he’ll just accept me with open arms. I brush off the hurt.
“Was there a reason you asked me to stop by today? I’m sure it wasn’t to try and unnerve me,” I say drily.
“I invited you because you said you wanted a chance to prove yourself. I’m giving you that chance.”
“By having me attend private meetings with you and Pierce? Because while I appreciate the opportunity, this doesn’t do jack shit to show the rest of the captains and soldiers that I’m an asset to the family.”
Jacob leans forward in his seat and despite the fact he’s sitting, there’s power in his move. “I’d be more concerned with proving to Pierce that you can be an asset. He’s the one you’re going to have the hardest time convincing.”
“Why? Because he’s threatened I might take over his position as second-in-command?” I snap.
He laughs. “Pierce is my best friend. We’ve been inseparable for as long as you’ve been alive. Despite that, he doesn’t give a shit about his position within this family or our entire organization.” Jacob sits back in his chair. “We care about each other as brothers do, but the one person that he loves more than anyone in this world, next to Mila, is Francesca. Don’t take his threat idly. If you hurt her in any way, he will destroy you. Make no mistake.”
“I have no intention of hurting her,” I say.
“See that you don’t. I’d hate to gain a brother only to see him get killed.”
