Yes, he had never heard someone refuse him.
Savannah thought about it for a second. What could she say? Even if she did make time, she wouldn't want to spend it with someone like Elio. He was dangerous. He was in a mafia for fuck's sake! And if not for her safety, she had to keep her brother away from him.
"Why?"
He frowned. "Because I don't like being told 'no'".
The girl shook her head. "I meant why do you want to hang out with me? You don't know me. I'm not part of your world, and you're definitely not part of mine. So... why?" she asked.
It's been three months!
She’d caught waitresses talking about the Las Vegas Famiglia from time to time. And from what she'd heard, they weren't big on making friends with outsiders. They married within their social circles and only really made business with others because it brought them money. Savannah had nothing to do with any of that. They'd met because her boss was a coward. And a dick. That was all.
Elio's eyes flickered with amusement. "Isn't that the whole point of meeting up with someone? To get to know them?"
Now he was simply fooling around with her abashment. She gave him a once-over, backed out a few steps, and quickly went back to fulfilling the orders. "I'm free the day after tomorrow. Same time," she added but didn't pay any more attention.
She was already regretting her decision but if there was any way he would give up, it was only by actually being given a chance. She would do whatever possible for that day to be the last time she ever saw Elio. Even though her last wish to never encounter the man again had just went up in flames.
Thankfully, the Made Man didn't press her more. He accepted this piece of information and left the main area, going in search of the owner. He still had a job to do.
Chapter Ten
The Las Vegas Famiglia had their own gyms for all the soldiers to train. There were several of them around the city, however, the one downtown was the most frequently used. Thankfully, it wasn't packed today as it wasn't evening yet. Two soldiers were working out with weights and another one with the punching bag. Other than that it was empty. Both the cage and ring were atElio and Flavio's full disposal. That was why once they were done with their usual warm-up drills, they decided on diving the time between the two. The cage heightened emotions as the space was closed without any possibility of escape. Whilst the ring felt more like an actual clean fight, even though it really wasn't. No Made Man fought honorably, bound by rules. They simply didn't give a fuck about that as long as they got the desired results.
Both men were on the same level as far as their fighting skills were concerned. Elio was more unhinged while Flavio seethed with a calm approach, yet they were able to find a balance to have a satisfying workout. They had a lot to prove. As an Enforcer for the Capodecina, Elio couldn't let himself slump, always showing off so that people would respect his position and not fuck around with him. On the other hand, Flavio was supposed to take such an important role in the Famiglia that surely many soldiers were doubting the righteousness of their Capo's decision. That was because they didn't know how suited the younger Falcone was for this job. With the rumors about his unwillingness to be a part of the organization, he had a lot to lose if he didn't show what he was capable of. The initiation was coming closer each day and as Noah himself had too much on his plate with the Bratva at the moment, Elio was more than willing to take over the training.
So for the next two hours, they fought, gaining many cuts and bruises. With completely different fighting ethics, they weren't holding back. However, they tried not to do any real damage as their jobs were out in the world, not in the gym.
"Have you addressed the owners yet?" asked Flavio as they were sitting on the bench, trying to catch their breath after the most tiring session thus far.
Elio nodded. "I have. I was left in charge of Hunter Gordon's diner."
"The one you told me didn't pay on time?"
"Yes. Gastone believes that since I have dealt with him before, he would remember it enough to stay clear of the Russians."
Flavio's eyebrow rose. "If only people were that rational. The Bratva fuckers can be really persuasive when they want to be. Sometimes threatening is the least desirable method."
The Enforcer agreed with him. He believed so, too. That is why he didn't use what had happened three months ago against Hunter. Even though he could. Even though he wanted to. It was his forte to play mind games, yet once in a while, he had flashes of common sense which helped him evade bad decisions. Not always. Rarely, actually. But they were there.
Flavio got up, pulling a shirt over his torso. "Anyway, tomorrow I'm going to talk to the Flamingo owner. Then there is a big race at Midnight Mayhem. Are you in?"
Midnight Mayhem was a motor speedway that the Famiglia had taken over recently. It was still operating on the old premises, however, they were working on developing a new plan. Something that included illegal possibilities covering half of their life plan for the place. Flavio was supposed to get involved in this business as soon as his initiation would take place so he had spent countless hours there; during races and otherwise. Sometimes, Elio joined him and even took part in the races as a way of boosting his adrenaline levels. He was basically addicted to the thrill.
"Not this time. I'm actually going out with one of the waitresses from the diner,"
