Men of Mayhem Read online

  “Jesus, what the fuck happened to him?” I growled and stood up, glaring at the officer who brought my pops over to the table.

  “Easy, son. I’m okay. It’s no big deal,” Pops said, and I barely made out his words because his lips were almost swollen shut, just like his eyes. Shit, his entire face was swollen like he had gone twelve rounds with Tyson, Ali, and Holyfield. His thick silver hair framed a black, blue, and yellow punching bag.

  We sat down across from each other, and after the guard made sure I wasn’t going to start something, he left and went to stand by the door.

  “Who did this to you? Do you need Gio to call in some favors?” I asked.

  “Relax. I pissed somebody off, imagine that.” I think he attempted to wink and smile, but it resulted in a wince. He took a deep breath and stopped halfway with a hitch and another wince.

  “Are your ribs broken or bruised?” I asked.

  “Both.”

  “Damn it, Pops! I hate seeing you like this.”

  “I know, but I’m alive. If they wanted me dead, I’d be dead. How’s things? Is Gio still treating you right?”

  By switching the subject in his classic evasive way, I knew he wasn’t going to tell me who was behind his beat down, so I filled him in on the shop and told him about Lauren. I didn’t tell about the business at all since we were in a state prison and communication was monitored.

  “Lauren, huh? I can’t remember the last time you talked to me about a girl.”

  “Yeah, well, you know I usually don’t date. I’m more the love ’em and leave ’em type.”

  “She’s special then. You treat her right and she’ll be loyal. I wish I treated your mother better.” At the mention of my mom, he frowned and the furrow between his eyebrows deepened. “Have you heard from her or your sisters lately? Are they okay?”

  I had two sisters and they lived in Florida with my mom. Cassandra, or Cassie, was the oldest and had turned twenty-one in July. She was working her way through college and had recently been promoted to assistant store manager at Forever 21. I was closer to my youngest sister, Vanessa, who was a senior in high school.

  “They’re both okay. It’s been a couple weeks since I heard from them, but they’re busy with their lives, ya know?”

  “I don’t regret much, but I do regret missing out on them growing up. I’m glad you stuck around.”

  He looked past my shoulder at the table behind me, and I noticed his skin pale beneath his bruises. Looking back at me, he leaned forward and so did I. “If something happens to me, take care of your sisters. Look out for each other. Despite whatever mistakes I made, they’re family, your blood,” he whispered.

  I left the prison with a strange sense of foreboding and helplessness. Pops had all but said he was going to die soon at the hands of a threat in prison. I couldn’t shield him from that, and if he refused to tell me what was going on, I couldn’t go to Gio for help. I knew many men who had gone away for a short stint, but never got out alive, and my dad still had nineteen years left of a thirty-year sentence.

  A month had passed and each time I visited Pops in prison, he had fresh bruises and gashes. I hated seeing him in that condition, but he refused to talk about who was responsible. I had approached Gio about it, but he said he had heard and tried to intervene, but the problem was beyond his reach. I knew then it was bad because Gio’s reach was extensive.

  Lauren helped me take my mind off the situation and we developed into a routine, and while we never discussed whether we were boyfriend or girlfriend, no other woman interested me. Some nights she spent at my place and other times I stayed at her apartment. The nights we didn’t sleep together were restless ones for me. I had gotten used to waking up with her in my arms.

  It was a Wednesday night and I was just finishing up Lauren’s tattoo. This was her final session and I savored the time bent over her body, her taut stomach turning into a work of art beneath my fingers. She kept still and zoned out, listening to music with her eyes closed as the drill pushed ink into her skin. I finished the last bit of color on a butterfly’s wing and turned off the machine. After wiping the blood away, I rolled on my stool and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. She opened her eyes and met mine.

  “Are you done?”

  “Yeah, come take a look.” I helped her up and she winced when she bent at the waist. She walked over to the floor length mirror on the back of the office door to look at the tattoo. I had designed a flowing line of flowers that covered her scar and added in butterflies. The end result was feminine and the butterflies represented her chrysalis from a heartbroken child to the independent woman standing before me.

  “Victor, it’s amazing!” she gasped. “Thank you.” She twined her fingers through mine and rested her head on my shoulder.

  “You’re amazing,” I said, turning her to face me and capturing her lips. She was always so responsive, and I deepened the kiss only to be interrupted by the ringing of my cell phone. “Damn it,” I growled, stepping away from Lauren to take the call. The caller ID said it was from the California State Corrections, so I assumed it was my pops. It wasn’t.

  “What do you mean he’s dead? What the fuck happened?” I started pacing and Lauren cast worried glances my way. The warden told me Pops had been shanked in the laundry room where he worked. They didn’t have any suspects and the investigation was ongoing. I hung up and sank down in a chair. I felt numb and barely registered Lauren kneeling next to me, taking my hand in hers.

  “I’m so sorry, babe,” she said and stayed there holding my hand as the initial waves of grief rocked through me.

  “I need to tell Gio. Will you come with me?” I asked, wiping tears away. I hated sounding so vulnerable, but Lauren wouldn’t judge as she knew what it was like to lose a parent.

  “Of course,” she said.

  I told Dani we were leaving and I locked up my office. We slipped out the back entrance where my Audi was parked. The drive to Gio’s was the longest drive of my life. They were good friends and my dad didn’t rat Gio out when he was arrested. That kind of loyalty went a long way and earned my pops a shit ton of respect. I still couldn’t believe he was dead.

  Lauren remained quiet, leaving me alone with my thoughts. She held my hand, and that human connection helped ease my pain. When we pulled up to the gates in front of Gio’s estate, Lauren sat up straighter and became more alert, taking in her surroundings and eyeing the surveillance camera positioned on top of one of the stucco pillars. After announcing my arrival, the gates rumbled open on their tracks and we continued up the driveway.

  “Jesus, Gio isn’t doing too bad for himself, huh?” she said as we approached the giant Spanish-style mansion. My headlights illuminated the water fountain in the middle of the circular driveway. “What kind of business did you say he was in?”

  “He’s diversified and has his hands in a lot of pots.” It was a vague answer, but true. Gio was a fucking genius at spotting opportunities, both legal and illegal, and making them profitable.

  Tony was positioned outside the medieval style front gate that led to the courtyard. I noticed Lauren glancing sideways at the gun strapped to Tony’s hip, but she didn’t say anything. Shit, maybe it wasn’t such a great idea bringing her here. Too late now, I thought as we walked through the courtyard together. A fire in the chimanea flickered and I noticed Gio’s wife, Samantha, sitting on one of the loveseats. I reached for Lauren’s hand and we entered the house. Gio was seated on a brown leather sofa drinking scotch and watching baseball on a giant flat screen TV that was mounted on the wall above a fireplace. He must have been golfing that day as he wore pale green pants and a white polo. His olive skin was almost brown from the sun.

  “Victor, what brings you by?” he asked, and his eyes roamed over Lauren so I moved to stand slightly I front of her, blocking his view. “Who’s she?”

  “My girlfriend, Lauren. I need to talk to you. Can we go in your office?”

  Gio set his glass down on the coffee table
that looked like a stagecoach wheel turned on its side. “All right, let’s go talk. Just you,” he said when Lauren started to walk with us.

  “Sweetheart, just hang right here. I won’t be long,” I promised, giving her a kiss, aware of Gio watching us.

  Once inside his office, Gio took a seat behind his massive desk. “What the fuck is going on, Drago?”

  I sat down on one of the chairs facing him and took a deep breath before delivering the news. He was quiet at first and then he picked up a glass paperweight shaped liked the country of Italy and hurled it across the room where it shattered into pieces against the wall, raining down in a shower of glittering bits. After that he stood up and walked over to a small bar made out of the same dark wood as his desk. He poured scotch into two tumblers, two fingers deep, and brought them back, handing one to me.

  “To your father, Victor Michael Drago Senior. May he rest in peace and live internally in our hearts.” He tapped the top of his glass against mine and we drank.

  “He was a good man,” Gio said before taking a seat behind his desk again. My phone rang, piercing the silence and I paused before answering when I saw my sister Cassie’s number on the display. Had the warden called her too? I wasn’t ready to be the rock who had to console my sister, and she was hysterical when I answered the phone, but not over our father’s death.

  “Cassie, calm down. What’s wrong with Vanessa?”

  “She’s missing, hasn’t been seen since Monday. She was at volleyball practice, but she never came home. She’s not answering her phone or responding to any texts.”

  “Have you tried tracing it?”

  “Mom’s working with the police and the phone company now that it’s been longer than twenty-four hours.”

  “Shit,” I said, looking up at Gio who was listening intently.

  “They think she’ll turn up, but this isn’t like her.” Vanessa was a good girl—a straight-A Honors student, captain of the volleyball team, and more concerned with volunteering at a homeless shelter than partying.

  “All right, let me know if you hear from her.”

  Cassie agreed to call me right away, and I decided to wait to tell her about dad. She was barely holding it together.

  “Vanessa’s missing,” I told Gio, the numbness from earlier returning in full force. “I need to fly out and check on things, see how I can help.” I promised my dad I’d look out for them. I wanted to tell Gio that, but he understood the bonds of family and didn’t need me to explain.

  “Fuck,” he said and drained the rest of his scotch. “You need to leave it alone. Walk away.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” I yelled and got in his face by hunching over the desk. “What do you know about my sister?”

  He didn’t flinch and leaned forward to poke me in the chest. “Stand down, Drago. Remember who you’re talking to.” His breath was hot and reeked of scotch. “Your dad got into some deep shit with the MS13 while in Gen Pop.”

  Damn, the information hit me like a punch to the gut and I sat down. MS13 was one of the largest and most violent gangs in the world. They had ties to the cartel and were notorious for graphic torture of those who went against them. MS13 was also known for human trafficking. “They threatened to take your sisters and your dad asked for my help. I paid a hundred grand to keep them away, but apparently they have no honor.”

  “No,” I whispered as the horror about my sister’s fate sunk in. “Do you know where they’ve taken her?”

  “Probably Mexico since it’s a quick boat trip across the Gulf from Tampa. I honestly don’t know, though.”

  “Would Miguel know? He has connections to the cartel.” Miguel was our distributor and the man who orchestrated large shipments of heroin to us. We in turn shipped it out to other cities, but the bulk went to Philadelphia. The cartel also had lines on human trafficking and did business with MS13.

  “I’m sorry, Victor, but there’s too much at stake. We need to cut our losses.”

  “Our losses? They’re my losses, my family! What about family, Gio, doesn’t that mean anything to you anymore, or is it all about business now?

  “Enough!” He slammed his hand down on the desk. “It’s out of my hands and you need to let it go.”

  I was so mad that I was tempted to reach across the desk and snap the short fucker’s neck. “Fuck you, Gio. I’m going to Florida to find Vanessa and keep Cassie safe.”

  “No. I need you here for the next heroin shipment.”

  “Jimmy can handle that,” I countered. “I’m going and the only way to stop me is to kill me.” We glared at each other, neither one of us prepared to back down. Gio ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair then shook his head.

  “Fuck it. Fine. Go check on your family, but you’re on your own. Don’t go snooping around the MS13 and bring a shit storm down on the organization. You do that and I won’t protect you, understand?”

  “Got it, boss.” I stood up and got ready to leave.

  “Victor?”

  “Yeah?” I turned back to look at him.

  “I am truly sorry about your dad. He was a good friend. Good luck with your sister.”

  I thanked him and left, more agitated than before. Lauren took one look at me when I emerged from the hallway and I shook my head, cutting off her questions. “I’ll tell you in the car. Let’s go.”

  Lauren

  I had done it. Victor had brought me to Gio’s house and left me alone. Of course I wasn’t prepared and didn’t have any devices with me to plant. A few seconds after hearing the office door shut, I crept down the tiled hallway to listen. At first there were only murmurs, but things escalated and Victor was shouting. I only heard parts of the conversation and one word stuck out—cartel. Holy shit!

  “Can I help you?” a woman said from behind me and I whirled around, my hand against my chest as if holding in my pounding heart. A tall, thin blonde woman with a face frozen from too much Botox stood blocking the hallway, her arms on her hips.

  “Um, I’m looking for a bathroom?”

  “You’re in the wrong place,” she said over her shoulder, leading me away from the office. “Who are you?”

  “I’m Lauren, Victor’s girlfriend.” The woman stopped and turned to look me over.

  “Really? Victor usually doesn’t do relationships.”

  “Well, we’ve been dating for over a month.”

  “Huh,” she said and continued down another hallway past a kitchen that looked like it could have been featured in a home magazine. She showed me where the bathroom was and left me alone. I waited the appropriate amount of time before flushing the toilet and washing my hands. Fishing my cell phone out of my bag, I made sure I was alone in the hallway before discreetly snapping pictures of the layout of Gio’s house. Once I returned to the sitting room where Victor left me, I didn’t wander off. He emerged seconds later looking severely agitated. His hair had come loose from being tied back. He silenced my questions before I could voice them and rushed us through the courtyard.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked him as soon as we were clear of Gio’s estate and heading back toward the city. Los Angeles stretched out below, a blanket of lights.

  “My sister is missing and I need to fly to Florida ASAP.”

  “What? Oh my God! Do you want me to come with you?”

  “No.” Victor gripped the steering wheel tight and I heard the leather groan beneath his hands. “It’s too dangerous.”

  “Dangerous? What’s going on, Victor?” I turned in my seat to face him.

  He sucked his lip ring between his teeth before releasing it and proceeded to tell me about his father’s death being connected and that Vanessa had been abducted by a gang. When he said MS13, I choked back a gasp. That gang was notorious at the agency.

  “Will you stay with me tonight?” he asked, reaching for my hand and giving it a squeeze. “I want one more night with you.”

  “Why does it sound like you’re not coming back?” The idea of not s
eeing him again triggered a panicky feeling. My throat felt tight and my mouth went dry.

  “Once I make sure my mom and Cassie are in a secure location, I’m going to Mexico. Word is that’s where Vanessa was taken…to be sold.” He paused and gave my hand another squeeze. “It’s possible I might not make it back, but if I die trying to save my sister, it’ll be worth it.”

  The sinking sensation in my gut grew heavier, like I had swallowed cinderblocks and they were drifting slowly to the bottom of my stomach. Tears spilled out over my cheeks and I looked away so Victor wouldn’t see them.

  When we got back to his house, I made a quick dinner of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup—comfort food my mom always made for me whenever I was sick or had a bad day—while Victor made flight arrangements to leave the next morning. The kitchen lights were dimmed while we ate, a reflection of the somber mood. After eating, I loaded the dishwasher and found Victor in his bedroom. He wasn’t doing anything, just standing and staring down at the suitcase on the king bed. I left him alone and locked myself in the bathroom to call my boss.

  “I need a contact for any agents we have in Mexico.”

  “What the hell for?”

  I filled him in on the situation. “This innocent girl is going to be sold. We need to stop it,” I whispered. “I know we have sources to get this done.”

  “That’s not the assignment, Lauren, and it’s not our problem.”

  “Human trafficking is a major problem, sir.”

  “Stay on task. This subject is closed,” he said and hung up. I flipped the phone off and wanted to hurl it against the wall.

  I went back into the bedroom and Victor was still standing there in front of the empty suitcase looking like a lost child. Taking pity on him, I started packing, making sure he had enough clothes for seven days. He didn’t know how long he was going to be gone. Or if he is even coming back. I couldn’t bear that idea and threw myself into his arms, letting out a sob. This brought him out of the trance he was in and he wrapped me up in a hug, kissing the top of my head while murmuring that it was going to be okay.