King of New York: A New Mafia Tale by Kathy Iandoli

Author:Kathy Iandoli [Iandoli, Kathy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-05-28T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

Being predictable was a safety risk, but whenever Jimmy was in town, he made a point of drinking at the same cocktail lounge, always on a Wednesday. He was taunting the rest of the families. He wanted to be found. If someone came looking, there was a lot to be said for approachability. He kept one bodyguard with him, but there was always a second one lurking inconspicuously somewhere within the venue. Backup in case things turned ugly.

So far, the worst they’d been involved in was throwing a couple of wannabe thugs out of the building.

Anyone who wanted to talk to him could walk up and introduce themselves.

Most weeks, someone did just that.

Often, it was more than just the one. It became a pilgrimage for them. They wanted to check him out, or make sure they were on his radar. Some came looking to sell him something, often information, and more often than not, he bought it. Even if it wasn’t relevant to his interests, it was about fostering a reputation for paying well for good information. Knowledge was power in this world. It gave him a steady supply of people who wanted to get bed with him, some more literally than others, and some of them, he ended up obliging.

There was no one in life worth a return visit, but he had nothing against a little fun. He’d take photos too—not as souvenirs or trophies, but again in the name of information gathering. He’d send the images to his research and development team, who would work their magic. They never slept. There was always someone at the other end of the message, whatever time he sent it.

Maybe he wasn’t the only vampire in the world after all.

This time the girl who sashayed across the lounge was quite obviously looking for something. She was blonde and sun-kissed bronze. He liked how she moved.

From the way she scanned the room, it was clear she was looking for him.

When she finally spotted him, there was a moment’s hesitation. She bit her lip, unsure, then committed to the moment and walked over.

“Are you Jimmy Martello?”

“I am,” he admitted, signaling for a drink to be brought over. “Sit, please.” He could tell she was nervous.

“My name is Stephanie Kaminski,” she said. “Not that it should mean anything to you…I heard that you like to be helpful.”

“I do. So, tell me, how can I help you, Stephanie?”

“My friend has gone missing. I’m worried about her.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“I think this might be of interest to you because of who her father is.”

“I’m listening,” Jimmy said, leaning forward attentively. There was a gentle smile on his face, filled with warmth. It always worked with people starved of human contact and kindness. Such a simple thing, a little smile.

“Her father is Ivan Popov.”

Stephanie watched his face, waiting to see if he knew the name.

Of course, he did. Working in construction himself, it was impossible not to run into Ivan Popov. The man had sway. He had the political power to make or break projects.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.