Beast I Can’t Tame by L.K. Shaw
Chapter 20
Giovanni
I’ve gotten usedto the ride up the elevator at Empire. My stomach doesn’t lurch anymore as it comes to a stop on the twentieth floor. The view still amazes me, though. Same with the pure luxury that surrounds me. To think that I can be part of all this wealth after growing up practically on the streets blows my mind.
I make my way toward the conference room midway down the hall and let myself in. Raucous noise from the large group of men gathered inside hits me and then comes to almost an abrupt halt. Eyes swing in my direction before gazes drift and the chatter begins again.
As usual, Jacob stands near his massive desk with Pierce not far from his side. The two men are talking to Brenna’s father and surprisingly, her grandfather, who doesn’t look thrilled to be here. In fact, his sneer of disdain seems to say that he’d rather be anywhere but here.
“Gio,” Jacob greets me with a steely gaze.
Not yet comfortable mingling with the rest of the men, I head over to the foursome.
“Da, this is Giovanni,” Cormac introduces me. “He’s the one who brought up the idea of taking over the waterfront properties in Greenpoint.”
I’m surprised Brenna’s father is offering the credit to me. Not with how his father feels about Jacob. Donnelly studies me with a shrewd stare.
“As much as it pains me to take advice from an Italian, I’ll admit that it’s a sound strategy,” he says with obvious reluctance. The glare he tosses Jacob’s way would be amusing coming from any other man, but the stories about Donnelly’s ruthlessness are enough to stifle it.
“Thank you, sir,” is all I say.
“Okay, let’s get down to business,” Jacob calls out.
Voices dim and everyone turns to focus on those of us in the front. I’m sure most, if not, all the men’s attention is on their boss, but my skin tingles with awareness that I’m also probably under scrutiny. I keep my head up and spine straight.
“Giovanni came up with a solid plan to cripple the Polish and potentially rescue the women they’re trafficking. The Irish will be moving forward from here with it,” he says. “The only snag we’ve come across is that Wójcik is not only buying women, but selling them to the Armenians.”
“What will we be doing while the Irish are warring with the Polish?” Dino, one of Jacob’s captains asks.
“We take out the Armenians, if need be,” Pierce growls.
“There is no neutrality agreement in place with them,” Jacob notes. “If it comes down to it, we’ll raid their arms storage units. Destroy every opportunity with them. We will make sure they get the message that we won’t tolerate them doing business any longer with the Polish.”
War with the Armenians means fewer resources to use against the Russians. Even while they scramble to recover their losses from our most recent attacks, they’re still not an enemy we should underestimate.
“We need to find out where the women are held, and rescue them,” Cormac says.
Nods of agreement come from some of the men and whispers of assent begin to rumble through the crowd as they all get on board with the plan.
“We haven’t had any luck so far, though. People aren’t talking,” Jack adds with obvious frustration.
I have an idea, but Pierce is going to flip his shit.
“I think we need to talk to Mila’s sister,” I pipe up, turning my gaze to the man in question.
Heads swivel in my direction, but I ignore the intense stares from the entire room. Sure enough, the six-and-a half-foot fucker straightens his massive frame. His entire expression tightens, and I almost swear there’s a flicker of heat coming from the fire-red eyes of the skull tattoo on his throat.
“Not happening.” His denial is sharp and final.
Jacob, on the other hand, speaks up, studying me with that inscrutable expression of his. “Explain.”
My gaze flicks back to Pierce for a half second before dashing back to my brother. “You said that she was sold specifically to Wójcik’s second-in-command, right? Was she held in a general locale with the rest of the women or did he keep her in his home? Because if the latter is the case and there are women who are personal—who are kept separate from the others—then that means we may not be able to get them all out.”
Several men curse at my announcement. Jacob sighs and his gaze travels to Pierce, who is still seething. There’s a torn look on his face between acceptance and protectiveness for Anya. I can tell he doesn’t want to admit that I’m right.
“As painful as it is to admit,” Jacob begins, not taking his eyes off his cousin, “it’s possible we can’t rescue every single one. No matter how much we might try. But we need answers.”
I’d never beable to tell Francesca we didn’t help them all. Is Pierce thinking the same thing? Because she will never rest until we rescue every last woman. Which means I will never rest. I want to give her every wish—every thing—she asks for. That’s how much power over me she has. It’s terrifying to admit.
“We’ll speak to Anya. See what she can tell us,” Jacob announces. Pierce’s jaw tightens as though holding back a refusal, but he won’t go against his cousin in front of everyone.
“In the meantime,” Cormac says, “the Irish are going to start a war with the Polish.”
“If that’s all settled, I have other business to attend to.” Donnelly’s dismissal is clear. We may not be done strategizing, but he is.
I’m curious how he is as a leader within his own organization, because he doesn’t seem to have the patience for this type of discussion. Or maybe he doesn’t have the patience for being in a room full of Italians, some of whom seem to regard him with barely concealed contempt.
He exits the room and the rest of the Irish who’d been present all follow after their goodbyes.
Jacob turns his attention back to the remaining captains. “I’ll reach out to Sevan Petrosyan, head of the Armenians, for a friendly chat. Let him know how we’ll proceed should he not heed my warning and cease any business dealings with Wójcik or his subordinates.”
“I’m sure the Pol will have something to say about that, once word reaches him that you’re circumventing your agreement,” Dino adds.
“Circumventing and disregarding are two entirely different things. Wójcik isn’t stupid. I’m sure he’s been waiting for something like this to happen. We certainly made our distaste of his despicable practice known,” Jacob says with a sneer. “I think he’s already started fucking with us despite our agreement. Several more of our soldiers have been arrested over the last few days.”
“Have you considered that it’s someone else giving the cops information? Someone who is wanting to cause trouble for you?” Nero’s gaze zeroes in on me, before he drags it far too slowly away to look at Jacob.
If I expect him to reprimand Nero in anyway for insinuating that I’m disloyal, I’ll be waiting a long time.
“Of course I’ve considered we have a leak, and if it is someone within the organization, then he will be dealt with accordingly,” Jacob replies. “In the meantime, if Petrosyan isn’t cooperative, we’ll need to strike at the Armenians soon. Send the message loud and clear. Pierce will gather information on their stores. If it comes down to it, Giovanni—as long as you have that cast off—I want you to join us on the raid.”
My head snaps in his direction. Me? I’ve never been on one before. Christ, what if I get someone—him—killed? He catches my stare and raises a brow. “Is that a problem?”
“Not at all,” I manage without hesitation.
“Be prepared at a moment’s notice for a raid,” he tells the captains. “It may happen sooner than we think. I’ll be in touch.”
The men all nod their assent. There’s a new tension in the air that hadn’t been present at the beginning of the meeting. War leads to casualties. It’s something we’re all completely aware of. I only hope I can prove my worth to everyone. My loyalty. Show them they can trust me. I swallow down the unease creeping up my throat.
One by one, the men disperse. I hate admitting my weakness, especially in front of Pierce, but if I’m going to be heading into a situation like this one, Jacob needs to know.
“I’ve never been on an assault before,” I tell him once the room is empty save for the three of us.
“I know,” he says. “But if you’re going to be a part of the inner circle, as you call it, then this is part of it. Do you know how to fire a gun?”
“Of course.” I’m almost offended by the question.
“Can you actually hit what you’re aiming at?” Pierce scoffs.
I eye him up and down critically. “If the target’s big enough,” I say sarcastically.
To my shock, he actually cracks the tiniest smile. Just a single side of his mouth hitches, but it’s enough.
“You’re a smart ass, you know that?” he says.
“I do. And to answer your question, yes, I can hit anything. Firing a weapon and hitting what I’m aiming at is probably the one thing I excel at. I’ve been going to the shooting range for years, working on my skills,” I tell them. “But that doesn’t mean that I know what it’s like to be in an actual raid and hitting a real person. It’s a lot different than a paper target fifty yards away.”
Jacob nods. “Yes, it is. It’s utter chaos. You have to trust the men around you. More importantly, they have to trust you. If you want to earn that, then this is the first step. Unless you’re willing to lay down your life for them, then why should they lay down theirs for you? We’re a family, not just some organization.”
I’ll do whatever it takes. If that means going on this raid, then it’s what I’ll do.
