"So no one in here still has connections with Frankie?" seated at the top of the huge round table, the members of The Hoard seated, four to his left and five to his right, with Edoardo sitting at his top right corner. Marco, who also wore a mask, stood right behind Zeno, hands crossed in front of him.
"I know I've cut all relations with the man, I don't know about the others." Phillip Grand, a business tycoon and also one of the electoral candidates says.
"Why are you looking at me as you said that? Do you think I'll still be working with someone as low as that? If anything, you're the one to get your hands dirty. I hate that useless mouse more than I hate onion Pizza, and trust me I really hate onion pizza" Jacob Carbone, Frankie's second cousin, who mainly hated Frankie because he inherited one casino from their grandparents.
"Can't we have a nice peaceful meeting for once without you two old men ranting at each other?" Anna Marie, the only woman in The Hoard, inherited the position from her father who made it clear that she was more than capable of taking over from him. And he was right, young and beautiful, she cleverly took care of her hotels and smoothly ran her underground business too. Although most of the old men in The Hoard didn't approve of her, they knew better than to mess with her. There was a saying in the crime world when two people fought; I'll beat you so badly and send your soul to Anna Marie. It simply meant to kill you and send you to hell, Anna Marie had become another name for hell.
"You're just a little girl, how dare you interfere when two grown men are talking." Lorenzo DeLuca, an orthodox man who clearly looked like he belonged in the grave, but just refused to die. It was like he found a way to cheat death every single time.
"A little girl who can bring your entire empire crashing down with the mere flick of her wrist." Enzo Barone, young and brilliant, but talks like he has no care in the world. Slow, he talks and walks, but quick, sharp and direct were his actions. There are rumors that he has a crush on Anna Marie, but most rumors start from a little bit of truth.
"And to think I left my dear wife at home to come here and listen to all this." Gregor Martini, the man is known to cherish his wife more than his own life. You want to get to Gregor, then use Stella Martini, but just know that you won't survive it.
"You left your wife? I left my casino. Stupid Danny is in charge while I'm gone, and every time I don't keep watch, something goes missing. Or the whole lot of gamblers leave with huge bags of my money." Matteo Ricci, always complaining about his stupid nephew Danny, who he just can't seem to get rid of because of their blood relation.
"urgh!!" Abraham Greco, doesn't talk much, always sighing and groaning, the most you can get out of him is a five word sentence. Most people think he's mute. But people also say the silent pistol is the deadliest weapon.
These were all Elite members of the society. And Zeno just watched as they ran their mouths thoughtlessly.
"Since you are all so obviously busy, I will keep things short." Their voices were high and loud, and his was low and still, and yet just a simple sentence from him was enough to bring the room to clean, calm silence.
"Lorenzo, I just have one thing to say to you tonight, the truck of young girls that was sent to your bay on Thursday," At the mention of this, the Old man's throat instantly went dry, his eyes widened. He'd made sure that everything was secure, he'd made sure there was no outside influence, so how the hell did the boss get a whiff of it.
" I've been turning a blind eye to it since, but I've gotten several reports on how you treat your guests at your bay. With drugged young girls, you give them up to those imbeciles to have their way with them."
"H_How… I mean, w_what are you talking about?" the Old man stuttered in fear. He knew the Mafia boss had eyes and ears everywhere, but he had made sure that the things going on in his bay was kept private, and for VVIPs only.
So how?
"So he was still in touch with Frankie" Jacob whispers to Philip who was the closest to him. "I know, right… and here I thought he'd be the most righteous one here. Old people are the worst." Philip replies. "You're old too."
"yeah, I'm just sixty-two next month, but he's way older, he's like ninety-nine."
"The only thing stopping me from putting a hole in your head right now old man is that I want you to send a message to your business partner for me." the boss continued, ignoring the question the Old man had asked. "I have just two rules, don't mess with family, and leave children out. It is that simple, no one says you can't run your brothel, or entertain your guests with women, but leave children and teenagers out of it, and I could end you right now, but first, send each and every girl back to their various homes with a little compensation. And after you're done, you go tell Frankie that this would be my last warning, so for old times sake, he better give up on this hideous calling of his, and pick up a new and decent crime to invest in."
"Pfft_ A crime is a crime, what's a decent crime?" Matteo scoffs sarcastically, but instantly Zips his lips as he couldn't see through the mask the boss wore, but he could feel the burning gaze, and it was warning enough.
"Who do you even think you are? You can't tell me what kind of business to and not to invest in!" Lorenzo exploded, bouncing up from his seat and pointing at the boss. "I decide the kind of business I want to spend my money on, not you."
"I personally, love your choice." The boss says, and raises his hand slightly, Marco instantly bows knowledgeably and draws his phone out of his pocket.
"Yes, you can go ahead."