The Mafia Contract Series

Pedro Carlos is a man I’m familiar with. I understand his life because I live one the same.

We touch down in Colombia and the blacked-out windows of the cars that stand waiting for us wraps me in familiarity. Mafia comes in many forms and Pedro Carlos is the best at what he does in Colombia.

Today we flew with two extra passengers. A family visit or a business one. Both, I suppose, and as we take our seats in the two waiting cars, I know Pedro favors caution above everything.

Louisa snuggles by my side and whispers, “Why aren’t we traveling with my father and Vivian?”

“Security, baby.”

I drop a kiss on her lips and grin. “Your uncle knows the score. If we are ambushed, we stand a better chance apart. One car may survive, which limits the casualties.”

“You’re kidding me.” Louisa appears anxious and I shrug. “It’s our world and you will get used to it.”

She grips my hand, and I don’t think I will ever stop desiring this woman. Out of respect to our family, we slept apart last night, but there won’t be many more of them. I need Louisa by my side as if she is one of my own limbs and I am surprised how quickly I reached that point. I have always been alone. I preferred it, but when she came into my life, I found an overwhelming need to keep her by my side. It’s as if I can’t breathe unless she is safe and she will never be safer than by my side. If I’m anxious about anything, it’s that any harm will come to her because of me and that is why I’m not stopping until every threat is dealt with and we can breathe a huge sigh of relief.

I am used to amazing homes. My own is a fortress and Dimitri lives like a King. Pedro, it seems likes to flaunt his wealth and I smirk to myself when we pass through huge, pillared gates with a gold crown on each stone column. The ornamental gardens stretch along the sweeping driveway and the white house that appears around the bend almost sparkles in the sunlight. I’m not sure where it ends because I’ve never seen a house as big as this in my life. It has no end and I’m certain could contain a small town within its walls.

“Your uncle likes the finer things in life, it seems.” I can’t help saying.

Louisa laughs. “He’s a little ostentatious with his money, but you’ll like him. He’s a teddy bear.”

Biting back a grin, I’m guessing he is anything but. More like a grizzly bear with sharp claws because his reputation precedes him. Pedro Carlos is a man even I wouldn’t like to meet on a dark night. He cuts his enemies down before they can even make an excuse and disposes of their assets in a damaging way. Unlike Massimo, though, he doesn’t torture for fun and has a strict moral code where it concerns his family. His own live a respectable life and he has high expectations of them. His sons joined him in the family business along with his daughters, who, by all accounts, married well and provided him with several grandchildren, all of whom live in this giant fortress. A family man and a killer.

I’m interested to meet him.

AS THE CARS come to a stop, the doors are wrenched open, and a surly guard looks inside and sweeps the cab with his eyes. As welcomes go, it’s an unfriendly one, but I’m guessing security has no friends. They always expect the worst and act accordingly and only when he can see we mean no harm, does he nod and toss his eyes outside the car.

“Please stand facing the car.”

He directs his words to me, and I catch the furious expression in Louisa’s eyes as she opens her mouth to protest.

“It’s ok, baby, the man’s only doing his job.”

I do as he says and as he searches me and removes my weapons, the flush on Louisa’s face tells me that danger excites her. Wishing like crazy we were alone right now so I could take advantage of that, I wink and throw her a scorching look, promising we will revisit this moment when we are alone.

Dimitri and Vivian join us, and he says apologetically, “Sorry, Flynn, Pedro doesn’t like surprises.”

“It’s fine. He’s a wise man.”

Loud laughter heads my way and as I turn, I see the man himself leaning against the huge front door, watching on with amusement.

“Uncle Pedro.” Louisa breaks free and runs into his arms and the genuine warmth on his face at seeing her brings a smile to my lips.

“Mi Angel, you make me so happy.”

He looks past her to Vivian and winks. “My beautiful Vivian, you bloom like a rare orchid in the desert.”

Dimitri laughs out loud and rolls his eyes, taking his wife’s hand firmly in his. “She is my rare bloom, Pedro, and don’t you forget it.”

I watch with interest as they embrace one another and feel the genuine warmth surrounding us.

This is what I crave. It’s much the same when I meet up with my friends from Club Mafia, but aside from that, it’s alien to me.

Louisa steps by my side and slips her hand in mine, causing Pedro to say with amusement, “It appears there are some questions to ask.”

He frowns and Louisa rolls her eyes. “You go easy on Flynn, uncle. He doesn’t need an interrogation.”

I don’t miss the steely glint in his eye as he looks between us and I’m guessing he has other ideas about that and as we follow him into the house, I prepare myself for a difficult visit ahead.

EVERYTHING I THOUGHT about Pedro Carlos is borne out as we wander through opulent rooms that are obviously the result of a well-run business. Drugs, extortion, arms, and other crimes are profitable because Pedro is the best at what he does. As his wife joins him, I’m not surprised to see she’s young enough to be his daughter and is dripping in luxury. A tall willowy blonde with an amazing tan and figure and jewelry that probably cost millions of dollars, dangling from her neck and wrists.

A huge diamond ring flashes in the sunlight and as his arm slips around her waist, he says proudly, “Meet Sunny, wife number five.”

I don’t even want to know what happened to wives one to four and as everyone murmurs a polite greeting, my idea of the perfect family is distorted a little.

Dimitri and Vivian strike up a conversation with the couple leaving me and Louisa standing by the open patio doors sipping the champagne Pedro insisted on.

“Wow, he doesn’t hang around.”

Louisa shakes her head as she looks at Sunny.

“What happened to wife number four?” I’m curious and Louisa grins. “Willow was a carbon copy of Summer. They don’t last long because Pedro has a wandering eye. I believe Willow is currently enjoying her pay off in the arms of her fitness trainer.”

“So, she’s still alive?” I’m a little relieved about that and Louisa grins. “He’s not a monster, just easily bored.”

“Then I pity him because the best part I believe is the journey.”

“Is that right?”

Louisa smiles so happily it takes all my self-control not to push her through those doors and lose us in this house for the entire afternoon.

For the most part, the day is spent catching up like any family occasion and we eat a fine lunch out on the terrace, surrounded by cooling fans under a gazebo. The wine flows and is obviously expensive and, like most families, the conversation is filled with jokes and laughter. When the final dish is cleared away, Pedro says easily, “Sunny, take Vivian and Louisa and show them the improvements you are making. I’m guessing they would be interested in that.”

“Of course, baby boy, I would be happy to.”

She stops and openly kisses Pedro with a deep, long lingering kiss that is quite embarrassing to watch. The fact her hand rests in his crotch makes me want to place my hands over Louisa’s eyes because what the fuck, she’s almost getting him off in full view of his guests.

Without warning he slaps her hard on the ass and as she yelps, he growls, “Later, baby girl.”

She doesn’t seem to mind and winks before saying in a high-pitched voice, “Follow me girls. I can’t wait to show you how generous my big bear is.”

The expression on Louisa’s face makes me wish for a camera right now and as they head off, I’m guessing she wishes she was anywhere else.

As soon as the women leave, the tension in the air increases and I see why Pedro is considered the biggest bastard in Colombia.

He turns his attention to me and snaps, “Why the fuck are you here?”

Dimitri looks at me apologetically and I maintain my blank expression and say evenly, “Because the two most important people in my life walked away from this table and I want to guarantee their safety.”

“And you expect me to believe that?”Material © of NôvelDrama.Org.

“It’s the truth.”

I stare him down and as testosterone collides in mid-air, Dimitri clears his throat. “Flynn has an interesting story to tell, Pedro, that I think you should listen to.”

Still staring daggers at me, he growls, “I’m listening.”

Without a hint of nerves, I relay the facts and watch his anger intensify with every word spoken.

By the time I finish, I swear he’s breathing fire, and he turns to Dimitri and growls, “That fucking bastard. How do you want me to end his life?”

“We need your help, not a hit.”

“It would be my pleasure, my friend. Those bastards have lived too long already, and we are the idiots who allowed it.”

“It’s not that easy.” Dimitri looks worried. “He has Flynn’s friend and we both know he will guard her well. It won’t be easy to set her free. Then there’s Wesley. I’m guessing Massimo won’t be so friendly when he learns what his closest friend did to him all those years ago. No, I’ve been thinking about this, and we have a golden opportunity to set them against one another and step back and watch the show.”

“You think it’s that easy?” Pedro spits on the ground. “I have no doubt Massimo will deal with Wesley. That will be the easy part but bringing him down is a different thing entirely.”

Pedro looks thoughtful. “We need an enemy within.”

My ears prick up and I say roughly, “Then you’re looking at him.”

Their eyes swing my way and I growl. “My entire life, I’ve been that enemy within my uncle’s house. Watching and waiting for the opportune moment to rid me of him forever. If I must, I will do the same with Massimo. Gain his trust and bring him down inside his own walls.”

I don’t miss the look the two men share, which makes me strangely uneasy, and then Pedro leans forward and says in a disgusted voice. “The only way you will get inside Massimo’s fortress is chained to his wall while he fucks you to death.”

Dimitri looks sick and nods. “I’m sorry, Flynn, we’ve known for some time the details of my brother’s perverted hobby. He takes young men and ruins them for fun and for all your skills, you will be exposed to that risk.”

Pedro leans back and grabs his glass of whiskey, taking a long drag while wrestling with something on his mind.

“I have another idea that may work better. It will buy us some time and that is all, but will start the, how you say it, ball rolling.”

“What do you have in mind?” I’m keen to hear the facts and he looks at Dimitri and smiles.

“We know something the great Massimo does not. His best friend betrayed him, and he has a daughter. Flynn will arrange a meeting with his uncle’s best friend somewhere public, promising him his loyalty and, as a gift, he will deliver him a new toy to play with.”

Dimitri looks worried. “How will that work?”

Pedro looks at me and, for the first time, I sense his acceptance and he smiles when I nod and say darkly, “I can do that.”

Dimitri still looks confused, and I fix Pedro with a twisted smile. “The enemy within you say. I’ve been training for that role all my life. Leave it with me. I’ll arrange everything and all I need to know is that I have your back up at my disposal when needed.”

Pedro nods and then leans forward, staring me straight in the eye. “All the time you treat my Louisa properly, you have my loyalty. If you don’t, you become my biggest enemy and I will end your life in the cruelest way possible. Do we have a deal?”

“We have a deal.” I hold out my hand and as we shake on it, I see the promise in his eyes. I know he loves his goddaughter like one of his own and it’s just a good thing I love her far more. He will be my ally until the end of time because I will never do anything to hurt Louisa and if I did, I would welcome death, anyway.