NALEDI’S POV
I was returned to my driver in the same Pathfinder jeep that brought me in.
Taking on the look on my face, I was glad he didn’t ask any questions and drove right back to the headquarters of the Cosa Nostra.
By the time we were arriving, it was already dark out and Korah stood in front of the car awaiting my return. I felt a pang of disappointment when I saw it wasn’t who I thought it was.
“My lady! Where have you been? We’ve been calling your line!” She said as soon as I stepped out of the car.
“We?”
“Yes. We.” Matteo said from behind her, “Where did you go?”
I rolled my eyes, “I don’t answer to you, but if I must,” I turned back to the car, and sure enough, the driver was taking out the bags of money in our possession.
I threw them at him. “To do business.”
Matteo took a glance at the bag which part of the money spilled to the floor. “You didn’t say which client it was you were seeing.” His tone lost its bite. “It was getting late and you were out without backup. It was unnerving.”
I remained silent, knowing he didn’t give a shit about me. I bet he was more worried about me disappearing with such an amount of coke than anything else.
“As long as he pays up,” Matteo turned around, “And you are fine of course.”
The driver took the bag of money right out of my sight and with him went Matteo. I was left with Korah who led me inside the building.
“The days are terrible. You shouldn’t make a drop-off without ample backup. It’s like walking into an armed fight with nothing. You’ll only get hurt.”
I didn’t answer her. I was way too exhausted to exchange wise sayings with her. Not to mention the fact that I was expected to deliver another batch of goods in exactly one week.
Which was going to be a battle as I had to shorten the deals of a couple of clients to meet my task. I was already tired thinking of it all. The stress I was going to go through and the future ahead of me.
As if my day wasn’t bad enough, Donna sat in my living room, looking cosy in a shirt I knew well belonged to Caellum as she watched a TV show, while Caellum sat right beside her, typing furiously on his phone.
The sight of them was annoying. A twist of the knife in my chest. Apparently they were moving on with their betrothal garbage. I needed to leave here.
I headed right for the stairs, refusing to waste any more of my time with them. As I lay on my bed, I thought of every single thing that led me up to this point. Every single decision, event and turn.
I concluded that I was not to blame. This mess I had put myself in was a direct result of my and Caellum’s combined efforts. Maybe if he hadn’t been such a prick, especially with the arrival of his murderer of a father, I wouldn’t have committed to this.
The thought of backing out of it was strong. But seeing how Caellum was indifferent to me, I might as well do what I have to do until the full moon, which is only a few weeks away now.
I just had to wait it out.
The next day came with its baggage. As usual, I went for my round, and came back with a shit tonne of money, only to hear how Caellum had left on some deal with Donna.
At this rate, she was going to become Luna very soon. I sulked to my meeting with Matteo who I concluded I hated the guts of him. The next shipment was coming in and I was to handle the safe escort of the goods to the factory.
“The goods are on ship as we speak. By the weekend, they will be arriving in Italy, I want you to be there to pick it up.”
“I’m guessing everything has been set?” I asked, there was no way I was walking into a job like that without the loose ends being tied.
“Yes, the men will be supplied to you, all you need to do is bring it home.”
After my little meeting with Matteo, I went back to my room pondering my next step. My deal with Nicolai required I told on every single thing that went on in the Cosa Nostra.
I was supposed to report every valuable information that could help him bring the Cosa Nostra down but I just couldn’t do it. I was doing enough selling off our goods for nothing in return.
I could only imagine what Caellum would do when he found that a good measure of the money I’d given him were fake notes. I could already imagine what damage I was doing to the business but I couldn’t go back now.
The only thing I could do was to make sure this shipment was kept secret. Until I know how to get myself out of the shit I was into. I was in my room when Korah came in, saying the Alpha’s orders to have dinner with me.
It was all too odd and the last thing I needed was another fight, but with her words, it was clear I didn’t have a choice in the matter, so I sucked it up, put on some clothes and made my way down to the dining room.
On getting downstairs, I realised we had a lot more company than I had hoped. Alek, Donna, Matteo and Arturo were seated in the dining with Caellum who looked at me the moment I came into view.
His eyes were distant and cold as he spoke, “Have a seat, Naledi.”
I took a seat beside Alek, he was the only one I could bear sitting close to. There was no one else on this table I could stomach eating with.
The meal started and we all ate in silence. It felt like the last supper and I could feel something was coming. Sure enough, towards the close of the meal, Caellum spoke.