DeLuca’s Claim

CHAPTER 5

Dominic’s POV

The warehouse was quiet today, the only sounds being quick footsteps and the steady breathing pattern of those in my office. No word has been said yet, everyone knew better than saying anything unless it was necessary.

I sat behind my desk as I listened to the men from the Mexican mafia speak, their accent thick with every word they spoke. They chose their words carefully.

“The shipment will come through Veracruz” One of them said, “It’s clean and there won’t be any interference”

For a few minutes, I didn’t say anything as I observed the men before me watching if anything in their facial expressions would give them away but it didn’t as they tried to appear intimidating.

Raffaele leaned back into his seat, he looked relaxed with a faint smirk on his face but I knew he was paying attention.

“And what about the routes?” He asked in what seemed to be a casual tone but I know he was searching for something on them.

“The routes have been taken care of, our men are already in position and waiting on your answer”

Raffaele briefly looked at me and said, “They sound confident”

“Their confidence doesn’t prove anything” I said finally in a firm tone.

Immediately I said that, the room became thick with tension that could be cut open with a knife.

“We’ve handled things like this before” the other said, trying to salvage the situation.

I look at him only for a second, “Then why are you here?”

And for a few minutes, no one said anything, the room was quiet and I noticed how tense they were.

“We are offering efficiency,” his partner corrected quickly before I could say anyother thing.

I nodded slowly, considering their offer and said, “You’ll get our terms”

Their shoulders immediately lost the tension it carried and they relaxed like their entire existence depended on whatever response I gave to them.

“But if anything goes wrong” I said quietly, my voice moving through the quiet office, “this arrangement would not be the only thing you’d be losing”

They looked nervous as I said so but tried to put up a brave front which I honestly found amusing.

“We understand” They said and stood up with outstretched hands which I accepted firmly.

“There won’t be a second chance” Raffaele said to them as he stood beside me with a little smile that held unspoken promises if they didn’t keep to their part of the bargain and shook their hands as well.

Guards escorted them out and once again the office was quiet, just how I liked it. Raffaele sat across from me and said in a dry tone, “That went smoother than I expected”

And for a while we were both quiet before I spoke up, “What were you expecting?” My voice sounded amused and a little smile tugged on my lips.

“Maybe a bloodbath” he said and laughed loudly causing me to shake my head.

For a while we were both quiet before Raffaele said, “You’ve been acting differently lately. What’s up with you?”

I let out a snort, “You’re seeing things and nothing is up with me”

“Right … And suddenly I’m a virgin again” He said with such a serious expression, I had to stop myself from laughing.

But I didn’t say anything either and tgat seemed to encourage him further.

“It’s that girl, Isn’t it?” He said and observed me closely as if searching for a reaction.

My eyes moved to look at him but I still refused to give him the satisfaction I knew he wanted.

“I knew it!” he said loudly, laughing so hard tears gathered in his eyes.

“You know nothing” I said, already getting irritated by his presence.

“Maybe” he shrugged, “Or maybe she finally told you no and it’s bothering you more than you let on” he said bemused.

I said nothing to that and he took it as a positive response.

“Leave it” I said with a tone that gave no room to continue the conversation with him.

He raised his hands slightly in surrender but he was still curious and I saw it in his body language.

“No problem, I’ll leave it for now” he said but that spark of curiosity was still in his eyes and I knew he was lying.

He started moving towards the doors but stopped and turned to look at me, “I’d like to meet her again though”

I simply gave him a look that quickly shut him up as he laughed under his breath, “Alright, I’m going”

At the door, he turned back one more time, “Try not to look so angry all the time, it makes you look so ugly” and then he left.

My lips moved slightly, “stronzo” but my lips tilted up into a smile.

I was once against surrounded by the silence as my thought drifted away from the deal, from the warehouse, from everything in this room back to her. The way she looked at me without recoiling in fear, without trying to find out who I was. She looked at me with so much indifference, like I was just some random person and that wasn’t something I was used to.

The vibration of my phone on the desk pulled be back and I picked it up already knowing who it was.

“Yes”

“Dominic” The voice of my grandfather came through, he was a man of few words who didn’t need to raise his voice to pass a message across.

“The shipment?” He asked calmly and I could just imagine him taking a long drag of his cigarette.

“It’s been taken care of” I said, my voice coming out quietly with an edge to it.

“Good” And then there silence

“I’ve been speaking to the Ricci family” he said and I already knew where this was going considering we’ve had it a lot coupled with the ultimatum he’d given me to marry to be able to take over from him.

“Their daughter is available for marriage and you guys will make a good match, it will be good for the family and good for business” he said sounding confident like I’d agree.

“I already have a woman” I said without hesitation.

His end of the line was quiet for a minute, his quiet breathing an indication that he was still on the line probably deciding whether to believe me or not.

“Is that so?” he finally said but I didn’t say anything.

“Then I’ll need to see her for myself” his tone left no room for any discussion, “Bring her tomorrow evening for dinner at the mansion”

I released a quiet breath, “Understood”

“Do not disappoint me boy” The line went dead.

I placed my phone back on the table and thought about her, her refusal, her rejection of my proposal but I know she would call soon because she was running out of time and desperation pushed people to make decisions.

As if on cue, my phone buzzed against the table, it was an unknown number but I know she is the one calling.

“Valentina”

She was quiet on the other end for a while before she finally spoke up,

“I…I accept” her voice sounded fragile like she had lost the will the fight anymore.

“I know” I said and ended the call.

I leaned back into my seat staring blankly at the window. She had no idea what she had just agreed to but she would find out soon enough and when she did, there would be no turning back for either of us.