The Deadly (Part 3 of the Syndicate Series)

Chapter 4- Negotiations

Allegra:

Podcasts made the drive feel shorter than it was. It was ironic, really, that I enjoyed the true crime ones the most, almost like I didn't get enough of that in our real lives. I left after sending a brief message ahead to the Italians to let them know what time I expected to get there, and a quick meeting with the girls to discuss what the blowback might be from Tanner Stone's murder. It didn't make the news outlets which was good, and even though the police must have known that he was involved in some very sketchy things, they seemed to be treating it just like any random person who overdosed in a downtown nightclub.

It wasn't an unpleasant drive, to be fair. I was surprised at how scenic it was, especially considering how big some of these cities were. I made my way through a smaller and older part of town, passing an autoshop, home improvement store, some historic homes, and even a small coffee shop. It wasn't really what I expected, but once I got through the main town, I started to see some nicer homes, expensive neighborhoods that were more likely to house rich members of the Italian mafia.

I found the address finally, and the nerves started to sneak back in. It wasn't the negotiation, it was more about walking into a place full of dangerous men that I didn't know anything about.

"Ok, Allegra, come on. You said that you could do this alone, you're a big girl," I tried to hype myself up a little. "Why are you just now starting to feel emotion again? Just.... Turn it off."

I swung the car into a long driveway, but there was a large wrought iron gate that stopped me almost immediately. It took a few seconds for a man to start walking to my car, I hadn't even seen him before, and he stepped up to my window, "Yes?"

Calm. Cool. Collected. Intimidating. The game started now.

"You rang," I smiled sweetly through my sunglasses and tilted my head. "I'm here for a consultation."

The man nodded and took a couple of steps back, giving a small wave to someone off in the distance that opened the gate. The driveway was long enough that I could take a few measured breaths before I pulled up in front of the house and threw the car into park.

Forte always stressed the importance of a steady and sure stride, the presentation that it gave. Medium heels honestly made me feel a little more powerful, Daitan said that every girl needed a good 'murder walk', which was a perfect description for both my job and style. It made me feel just a little more confident as the front doors opened and a man stepped out. Honestly, he seemed a little more built and intense than what I expected. I knew some men in this field were trained killers, but his whole persona advertised it. I wasn't sure what they had called me in for when they had this man to do their bidding.

"Allegra?" He asked gruffly when I made it to the top step.

"At your service."

"Angelo."

"My pleasure."

"Follow me."

I took a small comfort in the amount of weapons that I carried on me at all times. I had my gun underneath my jacket, concealed at the small of my back. A knife was strapped to my ankle, a small vial of something pretty corrosive that Daitan invented for me tucked in the middle of my bra, in case I ever needed to splash acid on someone in a getaway attempt. It wasn't as practical as the others, but it was small and easy to conceal. Not to mention that even though there wasn't a good dispersal method other than throwing it on someone, Daitan had just been so excited to finish it that I didn't want to crush her spirits.

The house was incredible, and I figured from the size alone that it couldn't just be one person living here. Not only was it a functioning headquarters, but last I was updated by Nyoka, Alessio was single and there was no way that this was for one person. I had a hard time keeping faces straight, and since the other girls usually did the deep dives, I was more accustomed to raw information, not photographs. I should have been able to put a name to the man's face who was leading me up the stairs, but it failed me.