you, Katz?” Antonio asked, his voice lethally quiet. “You had to disrespect my orders and then go selling fucking cheap inferior shit under my name?” Antonio pushed him up a little higher, making the small man squeak in fear. “What the fuck, Katz. What. The. Fuck.”
“H-Hey, man. Listen, people still craving it! They trust DMClan product! I-I really though that you would want—”
“Oh,” Antonio said in a voice that made Emma think of a cat playing with a mouse before he ate it. “So now you think for me as well, do you?”
“N-No! No! Come on, man. I meant—”
Whatever Katz meant, it wasn’t heard because he was doubled over, clutching his gut with both his hands. Antonio’s fist was still raised as he straightened himself up. It looked as if Katz was out for the count. But as suddenly as a hyena, the small man jumped up and with a roar, began running towards Antonio with his head down, reading to tackle him.
Emma gasped, wanting to shout out a warning while also block the attacker. She did neither as she swallowed dryly. Ricks watched from his seat, his eyes squinted and focused on his boss.
Antonio deflected and grabbed Katz by the waist, swinging him around and against the wall. He gave two quick punches in his ribs before the small man wriggled out.
Katz stumbled as he tried to stand and face Antonio. “What the fuck, dude?” he mumbled. “What’s your problem?”
“My problem?” Antonio asked, his voice now honed to a knife’s edge. “My problem is that I have fucking idiots who don’t know how to take orders!” He attacked first, swinging a right hook. Katz dodged the hook but missed the uppercut. He stumbled backwards awkwardly.
“I said, scale back ,” Antonio said, as he landed another punch that made Katz’s face swing to the left. “I said, stop selling.” He punched him again in the gut. Katz groaned as he fell forward, curling into a ball. “And it’s time you fucking learned that what I say goes .” And with final emphasis on his last word, Antonio gave him a good kick.
“You try selling in my territory again and you’ll see what happens when I’m really angry,” Antonio spat.
Leaving the man battered and out on the ground, Antonio got back into the Range Rover. Without a word in regards to his bloody knuckles, he leaned back in his seat and said calmly, “Alright, Ricks. Let’s go.”
Emma stared at his large hands, fingers long and blunt. She looked at the reddened knuckles and the blood smeared along the backs. She had just watched her stepbrother fight and beat a man bareknuckled.
She thought back to what Steven had said earlier about Antonio and his charity efforts. She thought about Antonio at the Gala.
Would she never figure out Antonio Del Marco?
Chapter Seventeen
Emma wandered down the stairs, hearing her steps echo against the slick marble flooring. Behind her, her daily security guard trailed lazily behind. It seemed since accompanying Antonio to the office, the edge had been taken off her security detail. Instead of sticking to her till she could feel their breath on her neck, they hung back and gave her a little space which she appreciated.
As she reached the foyer, she peeked down the side hallway. The office door was closed. She knew Antonio was inside working. Sometimes when he worked in his home office, he would call her in to watch and learn.
But not today.
Today
“H-Hey, man. Listen, people still craving it! They trust DMClan product! I-I really though that you would want—”
“Oh,” Antonio said in a voice that made Emma think of a cat playing with a mouse before he ate it. “So now you think for me as well, do you?”
“N-No! No! Come on, man. I meant—”
Whatever Katz meant, it wasn’t heard because he was doubled over, clutching his gut with both his hands. Antonio’s fist was still raised as he straightened himself up. It looked as if Katz was out for the count. But as suddenly as a hyena, the small man jumped up and with a roar, began running towards Antonio with his head down, reading to tackle him.
Emma gasped, wanting to shout out a warning while also block the attacker. She did neither as she swallowed dryly. Ricks watched from his seat, his eyes squinted and focused on his boss.
Antonio deflected and grabbed Katz by the waist, swinging him around and against the wall. He gave two quick punches in his ribs before the small man wriggled out.
Katz stumbled as he tried to stand and face Antonio. “What the fuck, dude?” he mumbled. “What’s your problem?”
“My problem?” Antonio asked, his voice now honed to a knife’s edge. “My problem is that I have fucking idiots who don’t know how to take orders!” He attacked first, swinging a right hook. Katz dodged the hook but missed the uppercut. He stumbled backwards awkwardly.
“I said, scale back ,” Antonio said, as he landed another punch that made Katz’s face swing to the left. “I said, stop selling.” He punched him again in the gut. Katz groaned as he fell forward, curling into a ball. “And it’s time you fucking learned that what I say goes .” And with final emphasis on his last word, Antonio gave him a good kick.
“You try selling in my territory again and you’ll see what happens when I’m really angry,” Antonio spat.
Leaving the man battered and out on the ground, Antonio got back into the Range Rover. Without a word in regards to his bloody knuckles, he leaned back in his seat and said calmly, “Alright, Ricks. Let’s go.”
Emma stared at his large hands, fingers long and blunt. She looked at the reddened knuckles and the blood smeared along the backs. She had just watched her stepbrother fight and beat a man bareknuckled.
She thought back to what Steven had said earlier about Antonio and his charity efforts. She thought about Antonio at the Gala.
Would she never figure out Antonio Del Marco?
Chapter Seventeen
Emma wandered down the stairs, hearing her steps echo against the slick marble flooring. Behind her, her daily security guard trailed lazily behind. It seemed since accompanying Antonio to the office, the edge had been taken off her security detail. Instead of sticking to her till she could feel their breath on her neck, they hung back and gave her a little space which she appreciated.
As she reached the foyer, she peeked down the side hallway. The office door was closed. She knew Antonio was inside working. Sometimes when he worked in his home office, he would call her in to watch and learn.
But not today.
Today
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