Only enemies | ongoing

Chapter 19 | Dinner

I stared down at the blueprints that took up most of the space on the large wooden oak table. I ran a hand through my hair at the same time I inhaled smoke into my lungs.

"Good investment, nephew."

My uncle mumbled from beside me, patting me on the back. I nodded, placing the end of the joint out against the table before I put it in the ashtray.

"Something's missing," I heard Julian say, looking up at him. He sat across from me, next to Sergio and Adrian. He leaned back in his seat, also looking down at what we had been working on the day we agreed to work together.

Everything by far was going well with the Ramano's. There was a level of respect for both sides, and just as much as us. They weren't a fan of the Irish either. We both had the same motives and this deal was the best for both organizations.

There was just one thing that kept biting us in the ass and in order to get it under control Julian had to do something about it and not me this time. Since my father still had his title of Capo, it wasn't pressured on me to find a wife.

But for Julian it was different. He's been Capo for years now. And if he wasn't going to put a ring on Elisia's finger anytime soon, he'd run into problems we didn't want.

The gym we have been planning to build was just one step into what we wanted to create in Chicago and even more towards New York one day where Julian already had his business.

"We should expand it underground," Julian suggested after a long minute, picking up his own joint that laid on the table. The smell of smoke and heavy testosterone filled around the small meeting room.

"That's a good idea," I muttered. We all looked at Adrian, who was good with all his technology shit. He nodded, mumbling that he'd get right on making another design for us, typing on his computer way too fast.

Carlo turned his body and started talking to Rafe who sat next to him, the fucker was on his phone the whole goddamn meeting. No doubt he had no idea what the hell we were doing since he's over there falling for a certain curly haired blonde that was way too innocent for a man like Raffaele Bertelli. He slept around too much and I'm sure Anna knew that, but yet she still talked to him. Raffaele may have been raised to be a gentleman but he was so far up his own ass he was blind to the fact that Anna needed more than just his dick.

I watched as he leaned back in his seat and pocketed his phone, rolling his eyes as his father talked in Italian to him. Dario laughed quietly next to me, shaking his head at his brother.

"Are we done here?" Rafe asked irritatedly his eyes glued to the pack of cigarettes that sat in front of him. He ran a hand through his dark blonde hair, fustruation clear in his eyes. I hadn't seen him smoke in almost a week. I wondered if it had something to do with Anna.

"Yeah, but you better be at my fathers house later. No bullshitting, Rafe," I snapped at him. He may be my cousin but he still pissed me off.

"Yes. Yes." He waved me off and got up.