Bert
“Thanks for your concern, but I have no obligation to answer your questions.” If Garrett’s introduction was meant for Joela, then I saw no reason to stay any longer.
“Sorry, Garrett. I have other matters to attend to-”
“Are you dating Sienna, Bert?” Joela abruptly cut into my conversation with Garrett. “After ruining me, did you finally get her?”
I held back my temper and turned to Garrett. “I’ll be leaving now-”
“Do you not want the Barnes Group’s partnership anymore, Bert?”
I stopped in my tracks.
Joela, clearly thinking she had the upper hand, smirked triumphantly. “The Barnes Group might consider partnering with you, but only if you break up with Sienna.”
“I feel the need to clarify-I’m not dating Sienna. The research group incident back then had nothing to do with her,” I said, my voice steady but filled with lingering regret and anger. Even after all these years, the thought of the research group still stung. “The one who made the mistake wasn’t Sienna. Don’t drag an innocent victim into this.”
Joela, entirely ignoring my warning, laughed coldly. “So you lost Sienna, didn’t you, Bert?”
Her smile twisted into something almost grotesque. “God heard my prayers. This is His punishment for you!”
“It doesn’t matter, Bert. You still have me.” Joela leaned in, her voice dripping with mockery. “You can be my one-night stand, my lover. I promise your partnership with the Barnes Group will go very smoothly…”
I had completely lost my patience. “Regarding my partnership with the Barnes Group, I will discuss it further with Mr. Barnes directly. Thank you for your concern.”
I pushed open the door to the private room and walked out without looking back.
“Damn it, Bert! Wait a second!”
“Joela, calm down! Let me talk to him-”
I left Joela’s angry shouts and Garrett’s attempts to defuse the situation behind me as I strode down the second-floor corridor, heading toward the staircase at the far end.
Reaching the first floor, I stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking across the dance floor at the bar’s main entrance. A wave of irritation washed over me.
“Bert!” Garrett had caught up by now.
I pulled out a cigarette but shoved it back into my pocket before lighting it. Without a word, I turned toward the bar’s back door.
It took some effort to push the heavy door open. The cold night air, carrying the rancid stench of the sewers, hit me in the face. I frowned, pausing as I thought I heard something.
The sound was faint, like a frightened kitten-or perhaps just my imagination.
It had to be a trick of the mind.
Still, I glanced in that direction again, hesitating. What if it really was a stray cat?
“Bert?” Garrett finally caught up to me. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” The cold wind swept away some of my irritation, but the unpleasant encounter with Joela still lingered in my mind. My tone was distant. “Just a little mouse.”
“Are you heading back? How are you getting home? Taxi?”
“I drove.”
Garrett looked like he wanted to ask more about Joela and my past, but he knew now wasn’t the right time. The dirty alley behind the bar wasn’t exactly a great place for a heart-to-heart.
“Alright, sorry about tonight. I’ll make it up to you with drinks another time.”
I nodded and started walking down the alley.
The narrow passage was pitch black, the moonlight barely making a difference. As I walked, I thought about the Barnes Group partnership. When I reached the corner, I instinctively paid closer attention, wondering if the shadow there would reveal a stray cat or just a rat.
Before my eyes could fully adjust to the darkness, a cold sensation brushed the back of my neck.
Someone whispered low and menacingly in my ear, their voice like a devil’s murmur. “Long time no see, Mr. Falcone.”
The dark figure lurking in the shadows spoke with terrifying familiarity. Their voice echoed in my mind, dragging forth a name-one both distant and familiar to me.
Bianca Luciano.
The speed at which I recognized her startled me.
Bianca and I were far from close. I only knew her as the sister of New York Mafia Capo Antonio Luciano-the spoiled princess of the Luciano family. She was also a friend of Sienna’s.
The few times we’d interacted had been because of Sienna. The last time I’d seen Bianca was three years ago at Mrs. Torelli’s jewelry gala, where she’d helped my companions and me out of a tricky situation.
Perhaps that was why I felt strangely at ease despite the knife at my throat.
“Good evening, Miss Luciano.”
I tried to project calmness, offering her a friendly tone. But Bianca was tense, her grip on my arm rigid and unyielding.
Bianca demanded that I help her escape the dangerous area.
Of course, I could assist her. But the danger she faced was far greater than I’d initially expected.
She was injured.
The stench of the sewer masked the heavy scent of blood clinging to her, and I hadn’t noticed her wounds immediately.
She was remarkably strong-willed. If not for an accidental jolt that forced a pained sound from her, she might have kept her injuries hidden entirely.
Bianca needed immediate medical attention.
But the assassins on her trail left us no choice-I had to help her climb over the wall blocking our path.
“Wait a second, I’m…”
Her clumsy attempt to scale the wall left me momentarily stunned. “Didn’t you ever climb over the school wall when you were a student?”
“Why would I climb the wall if I could just use the front gate?” she retorted indignantly.
The idea of the spoiled Mafia princess dutifully using the front gate instead of sneaking out was absurd-yet somehow amusing.
Despite the awkwardness, I couldn’t help but find her reaction surprising and a little entertaining.
After successfully losing her pursuers, I suggested taking Bianca to a hospital. She refused outright, even going so far as to wrestle me for control of the steering wheel.
“That’s enough, Bianca! Don’t you realize how dangerous this is?”
Her injuries were already severe. I couldn’t imagine the damage another accident might cause.
When the car screeched to a halt inches from the guardrail, my hands were ice-cold.
Thankfully, we were lucky-the car’s brakes had worked perfectly, sparing us from disaster.
“You okay?” I asked, glancing at Bianca. Her face was pale, her consciousness slipping. I called her name several times before she finally responded with a pained groan.
She was burning with fever.
We couldn’t afford any more delays.
I gave her some water and adjusted her seat, refusing to waste another second. Restarting the engine, I drove with renewed urgency.
Even in her fevered state, Bianca muttered weak protests. “No hospital…”
“Damn it!” I cursed under my breath, quickly changing course.
Pulling out my phone, I called Garrett.
“Bert?” Garrett’s voice came through, the noisy background suggesting he was still at the bar.
“Come to my villa. Now.”