Chapter 3

Watching the buzz around the gala, Roman's eyes caught sight of the beauty across the room, hanging on the arm of his rival. The it-couple of the social scene, Claudia Ricci and Luke Gambino. They were newly engaged, and like venom to each other and everyone around them. Luke was from a rival family and the two men detested each other; despite the fact they were once old college buddies.

Rolling his eyes, Roman downed the rest of his glass of bourbon and passed the empty rock glass off to the nearby bar for a refill. He knew just looking at Claudia would set Luke off and he loved irritating his old college buddy. They were now rivals in two separate crime families and he didn't trust Luke one bit.

Anton, who was flirting with the lady he had on his arm, caught a glimpse of what Roman had his attention focused on. "Keep your eyes in their sockets, Roman. Haven't you learned that bitch is like a viper? She'll fuck you and the next morning bite your head off like a praying mantis. She's trouble."

The handsome Italian with a rugged, dimpled smile just chuckled at his best friend's teasing, slapping him on the back playfully. "Eh, she's hot but too bossy. I had my chance at that, and she wasn't to my liking. I like my woman a little more submissive and with a good personality. There's more to life than a tight ass and a pretty face, buddy boy."

"Yeah, right. You like a little sass."

"Now give me class, sass, and ass. That's a perfect combo."

As he went back to talking to the women in his group, Roman watched as Claudia kept eyeballing him, and just as he suspected, Luke Gambino noticed. They had a romantic entanglement in the past, but the woman was just a passing fling before she met Luke. That didn't stop the rival crime boss from always taking jabs to get Roman riled up. They were both heartthrob ladies' men, and from the day they met in their early college days, always competed for everything, including control of the streets.

It came down to territory and Roman had been stepping in on Luke's city game for far too long. Truth be told, it was more about jealousy from the fact that Roman always got one over on him. Especially regarding women.

Just as Roman was turning to head to the dance floor, with a lady he had been chatting up, someone shoved him.

"What are you looking at, D'Amico?" yelled the drunk and angry Luke.

"Oh, here we go again," Anton grumbled as he gulped down his beer and got in between the men. "Just calm down, Luke."

"Fuck you, Anton! This isn't about you."

It wasn't long before the mafia bosses were arguing, as always.

"Are you really putting your hands on me at a cop party, Luke? Have you lost your damn mind?"

"Come on, Roman, fight me. Hand to hand. I saw you checking out my girl, again. Are you the guy I caught texting dick pics to her? You better learn, boy, this bitch is mine."

"Did you just call me a bitch?" Claudia huffed, putting her hands on the hips of her expensive floor-length sequin gown.

"Shut up, woman. Let men handle this."

The liquor was talking when Roman said, "You need to tell half the men here to keep their hands out of that cookie jar. Every guy in Chicago has had a taste of that cheap snack."

"You, son of a bitch!" Claudia yelled as she swung and smacked Roman across the face.

Just as Roman laughed at her weak slap, Luke snapped his fingers instructing one of his men to lunge for him. Somehow, in the chaos, Roman took notice of the pin on the man's lapel. In his drunken stupor, he reached to touch the shiny metal before he was hit in the jaw, knocking him on his ass. Soon, all their men tried to separate the fight before the police in the room stepped in.

Pulling them apart, Roman kept watching the pin, trying to figure out where he saw it before. Then he realized. The man was an Eye of the Serpent member. To the outside world, it was just a conspiracy theory like the Illuminati. To the darker forces in the underground world, it was far worse than any crime family could ever imagine, and notably, the man was hanging out with Luke Gambino. Instantly Roman knew this could be bad news, and soon he'd find out why just months later.

As soon as Roman's brother Beau saw the commotion across the room, he was there to intervene. "What's going on here, Roman?"

"Nothing, bro. It's over," he said, walking away.

"Nothing? You're ruining my wife's event. Her event planning job depends on this night."

"Are you standing up for that prick? Take it up with Luke, Beau. He came at me," Roman scowled.

"No, I'm standing up for my wife. Roman, don't do this. Not tonight. I just want you to put all this family business away and live a better life. Don't you get sick of fighting and… everything?"

Looking into his brother's eyes, Roman reached and pinched his cheek lovingly. "Bo Bo. You know I do. But I am of my father's business. That's how we do things in this family."

"No, that's how you do things in this family." Giving his brother a kind smile, he added, "But I love you, anyway."

***

That was the last night Roman saw his brother alive. Caught up in his work and life of crime, Roman missed all those times his brother would call for dinner or a day out with his family. There were many times he begged for his older brother to attend a church service, or for just an hour to play a few games of basketball. All lost at the hands of murderers out for a vendetta. Now, he would have to go to his brother's wife to tell her that her husband was killed, and he blamed himself even more.

He had no idea why, but he knew this went back to Luke Gambino, and maybe even deeper.

Anton watched as Roman thought about that moment at the gala. Narrowing his eyes, he could see the concern in his friends' eyes. "You're sure it's the same pin from that night?"

"As sure as I've ever been. Call in the family. This could get bad."