I eye him suspiciously. Frankie warned me not to trust anyone. “Your family is trying to kill Frankie and me. How am I supposed to believe anything you say, Andres.”
He nods, his hazel eyes meeting mine, and he smiles. When the waitress comes over, he orders a milkshake and a plate of fries. The waitress glances at me to check if I’m okay, and I nod. I don’t want to make a scene and draw attention to myself.
We sit for a moment in silence, and Andres finally laces his fingers together and rests his hand on the table. “I know my uncle is looking for you both and that he means to kill Frankie to gain power over New York and other territories.”
I sip my wine. “Tell me something I don’t know, Andres. What do you want?”
“I want to offer you a proposal. An alliance to topple my uncle from power.”
Chapter 24 - Frankie
I feel like I’m back where I belong: behind a desk attending to the family business. I see many areas that the club can improve in, and I know the people we need to get on board and on our payroll. It shouldn’t be too hard, and I make the necessary meetings and calls.
Amelia doesn’t seem to be bothered by the fact that I’m not home much. She acts as though it doesn’t matter. I know she goes into town every day for lunch even though I’ve told her to keep a low profile, and she comes to the club in the evenings.
While I’m happy to have her where I can see her, I also see the many men who flock to her each night to buy her drinks in the hopes of getting lucky. It’s this kind of situation that’s going to get us killed.
There’s one in particular that she seems to hang around every night and have intense conversations with. It makes me nervous. He’s too familiar with her, and I don’t know what she’s telling him. If she’s giving away information about us, that can be used to target us.
I send one of the bouncers out to call her in, and when she comes in, I stand. “Amelia, who’s the guy you’re talking to?”
“Oh, I actually know him from way back when,” she admits, and I growl, “He recognizes you, Amelia. That’s dangerous for us.”
Before she can say anything, I continue, “We’re supposed to be lying low, not having men follow you around like puppy dogs. Now someone actually recognizes you. We need to move on from here.”
“Frankie, it’s nothing serious. We’re not in danger. You need to stop trying to micro-manage every damn situation in my life.”
“You’ve never been to Pennsylvania before, so how does he know you?”
“Through some mutual friends, if you really need to know. I think it’s best you back off from telling me who I can and can’t talk to. I’m tired of being lorded over like a little servant.”
I growl, “Because you act like a petulant child with no regard for your own life or others. Stay away from other men or stay home, Amelia, I mean it.”
She places her hands on her hips. “I don’t need to be bossed around, Frankie. I spent years trying to get out from under my father's thumb because he controlled my every move. All I’ve ever wanted is to make my own choices, good or bad, and have freedom. I was sold like a slave to you, and now you’re worse than he is.”
There’s so much I want to say, including telling her not to compare me to her father, but she’s already turning for the door, so I keep quiet.
I watch her on the cameras as she goes back to the bar and orders another drink. Her friend comes to join her again, and they get stuck in animated conversation again. I know I should trust her not to put us in danger, but she’s so naive. She doesn’t understand this world as I do. She’s always been sheltered from the risks, first by her father and then by me.
They look like they’re having a serious conversation. I use the controls to zoom in on his face and take a still photo of him.
I take out a burner cell, and I call Alessandro.
“What is it?”
“I think we have a potential problem,” I say, walking to my desk and sitting down. “I’m going to send you a photo of a guy. I need to check out his background and if he’s tied to Jose in any way.”
“You sure you’re not just being paranoid? I know you’re on edge,” Alessandro says. “What’s he doing that’s so suspicious?”
“He’s been talking to Amelia,” I say.
“So, it’s jealously then,” my brother chuckles, but I remain stoic.
“She says it’s a friend she knows, and she’s never been in this area, so he’s probably from New York,” I explain.
My brother falls silent. “Destroy this phone after you send the picture.”
“I’ll call back in three days. I need the information by then so I can plot my next move. I might skip the next destination and go straight on; in case he’s trying to figure out our plan.”