"What about her?"
Noah knew exactly what it was about, but needed more time to figure out if it would be wise to tell them what the girl was supposed to take care of. The fewer people knew, the better. He looked at his brother who gave a barely noticeable shake of the head.
Don’t say it.
"You said it yourself that she wouldn’t be initiated the same way as us and she still doesn’t know what she is supposed to do. You need Isaac for the computer job, me to become a soldier and keep an eye on the FBI, and Inéz to do what exactly?" Drew turned his head to look right where the brunette was sitting. "Have you even asked?"
"Inéz knows enough."
"Lynette told me that women weren’t supposed to be involved in the mafia business. They didn’t fight or anything."
"And has she told you that she’d been training with Luca because she didn’t really care about those rules?" Noah raised his eyebrow.
Each mob family was different as far as the rules went. Things that one Capo dei capi said to be forbidden, another didn’t mind and encouraged. Some customs of Cosa Nostra were passed down from generation to generation, but every boss had one thing in common - they wanted to stand out. Shibboleths that didn’t work anymore were changed. And that is what happened in the Las Vegas Famiglia. Noah detected how important a woman’s role in the mob circles could be. They had more power than most men but played their parts behind the curtain. Something Falcone wanted to slowly change with Inéz’s involvement.
"I could see it at the airport when she took your father down like it was nothing."
"Then why do you even ask? Women in the Famigliamight be well protected but it’s a dangerous world for them, so I would rather they were able to defend themselves. Inéz will need the skills so she will train the same as you."
He looked in the rear-view mirror at the brunette, confidence written all over his face. It just made Inéz more uneasy. The man basically admitted that the task will require her to know how to fight. Silent challenge flashed in his eyes. She swallowed, trying not to think about it right now.
Drew didn’t give up. "What is her job?"
He cared about his best friend and it seemed like she wouldn’t have it easy judging by Noah’s words and her reaction.
"I am losing my patience over here. Stop with your fucking questions. You really need to learn how to shut the fuck up."
No one dared to say anything after that. It wouldn’t be a wise move.
§ § §
The apartment was a massive penthouse sky villa which belonged to Noah alone. From the foyer it expanded into an open-space living room. On the left, there were two big couches and four armchairs which faced the TV set that took up most of the wall. It gave off vibes of a cinema with dark decor of grey and black. Behind the furniture, there were floor-to-ceiling windows. However, it was the height of the penthouse that caused shocked gazes and heads to look up. It was around thirty feet, entirely covered in glass. The breathtaking view of Las Vegas added to the proportion. In the middle, a grand black piano was situated, creating the illusion of separating the living room into two different sides. On the right, there was a spiral staircase that led up and behind it, you could get a peek of an open kitchen and a long table with twelve chairs. Right next to the kitchen there was a corridor with just two doors.
"These are the bathroom and supply closet but I have never really used them," explained Noah, seeing that Inéz was looking in that direction. For her, the apartment in Seattle had nothing on the one the man hadin Las Vegas.
"The elevator is a private one, so no one is going to come here without my permission. And I don’t tend to have business meetings here so only Flavio, Cristian, and one of my enforcers Nicodemo ever come over, and on special occasions my grandma too. But it’s rare."
They went upstairs where there were a bar and coffee table as well as three armchairs. It looked less official and was suited for more private conversations filled with drinking alcohol. Right next to it, was the door to the patio that held a jacuzzi and loungers.
On the other side, there was another corridor with many different doors on both sides and one white double-door at the very back.
"You have four different bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms that you can choose from. At the end, there is my bedroom which is off-limits for you. Don’t even try going in there," he warned, receiving quick nods of approval.
He let them inspect the rooms as he went downstairs to the kitchen to order something to eat. He was famished after the travel. There had been no time to eat anything today, and adding to that the lack of sleep, he needed the energy to last him for the rest of the day.
As he pulled out his phone, Inéz walked up to the kitchen counter and sat on a barstool. "I’m going to order a pizza. What do you want?" he asked.
"I don’t really care as long as it's food."
She watched as the man ordered four different pizzas for each of them to share. Looking once again at the living room she could easily admit that it was beautiful but didn’t make such an impression on her as it probably should. Inéz was never one to care about money even though her parents had more than they could spend. Living her life in luxury wasn’t anything exciting.
"What do you think of the place?"
Noah gestured at the penthouse, leaning slightly over the counter. He still had his holster on, even though nothing covered it.
She shrugged, not bothering to answer.
"Why haven’t you told
