Chapter 4 (Domani's POV)

                                    

                                          


        I was at the office in The Velvet Lounge since it won't be open until later tonight. I can have some peace and quiet here. I have a meeting with the fucking Serbians who are Italian allies, but outta their fucking minds. They've proven themselves useful to my empire long ago, back when my father was still running point on everything. My father loves running the casinos now. He made me serve my time in the military, the same way his father made him serve time. Then he spent years slowly passing every responsibility onto my shoulders, until I stepped up from underboss and became the Don of New York City. And the youngest one yet. 
The fucking boss.
 My father is more my consigliere, my council and advisor, and one of few men who can challenge my decisions and opinions. My father ended up with a son and two daughters, so now that I'm boss, my father's brother's son, my cousin Alessandro De Luca is my underboss. Elio is one of my Capo's, but honestly he's more like my left hand man. He's usually with me or doing something directly for me, even though he isn't technically family. 
He's a Made man though. He's taken the oath of silence, and I trusted him with my life back in the military, and I still do now. I know he's as tapped in the head as I am. I know he does what needs to be done. 
        My empire isn't a small one. De Luca Holding Company owns the nightclub, the sex club, the restaurant, casinos, and waste management company. That's a whole separate thing, but one very useful to my operations. The Velvet Lounge nightclub was the first official business that I'd taken over entirely when I was out of the service, so I guess that's why I tend to come here as my main office space. I'm always all over the damn place running point on everything even though I'm the boss and can have others run everything beneath me. I'm a control freak, a perfectionist, a nightmare for anyone who fucks with my shit. I oversee everything all the time.
 Elio swears I'll burn out, but he knows damn well I excel in everything I do. I was top of my class in the military, and sought out by the Green Berets, joining the Special Forces training. I became the top of my class in that too. 
I'm physically very fit, mentally a solid wall, and aggression is my approach to just about everything. I'm in the kind of work that takes everything by force. 
        I live for this shit though. I'm damn good at it. I have the five legal businesses as perfect operational fronts for my illegal business. I have the Serbian's who run 'import/export shipping companies' on paper, for me they trade illicit goods and weapons. The Mexicans are my 'car wash' guys, who ally with me for the drug trade. They like my Bosnian weapons and we have a good thing going. For other small syndicates of the Italian crime families I launder large-scale money for a percentage of their profits through my legal businesses. I have friends in very high places. 
Being in the military special forces I have a lot of deep dark secrets, and a lot of special friends. Government, billionaires, and other elites. You have no idea. They couldn't stick a RICO charge on me in this lifetime. The De Luca family is too strong now. I can't claim that I built it either. 
My grandfather and his father before him have been in organized crimes for decades. Back when the Mafia openly ran a muck in the streets and controlled everything. Now we do it more quietly. Just as dangerously though. 
        In the office, I was behind the heavy desk while Elio was across from me in the leather back chair. He was slouching while lost in thought. "Where's ya head at?" I hadda ask him. If we're meeting with the Serbians later than I need him focused. A distracted head is a deadhead. He snapped out of it and fixed the lapels of his coat. "Nothing, I was just thinking about what I should do with my sister," he waved me off. I leaned on the desk and ran my thumb over my rough chin. "I told you she can work for us. A bartender isn't involved in the lifestyle and you know it" I called out his hesitation.