33- Joaquin

Editing in Progress…

Chapter 33

The air in the room wasn't all that thick, it was just filled with the choking smoke of the tobacco.

Diesel tapped his cigarette butt on an ashtray twice. His eyes were not on what he was doing. But rather it was strained on his second in command, Cassius.

Cassius leisurely leaned back on the couch, not meeting his boss's cold and hard glare. He knew for a fact that his boss was angry with him, and the only reason why he could be this nonchalant with the current situation was because it was only the three men who were present.

Diesel, Cassius, and Vincenzo. 

Vincenzo only sat by the corner, with a book in hand and a headphone in ear. He wasn't all too knee in listening to his boss yell at Cassius.

After all, he did warn him about it.

"Cassius"

"Yes, boss?"

"Cassius?"

"Yes, boss?"

"Cassius?"

"Yes, boss?"

"How many times were you called?"

"Three times boss"

"Good" he congratulated. "The following questions, that I will ask, will need complete and fluent responses. Not if, but, or maybe. Don't stutter and clearly, do not lie"

There was a ringing silence that played across the room.

Cassius sighed quietly before responding again to him, "Yes, I will"

"Care to explain to me, Why our guest wasn't treated nicely and with utmost respect?"

"It genuinely wasn't my intention to do that"

"I would have shot you in the knee if it originally was your intention"

Cassius sighed, rubbing on his temple. He soon shot up from his position and walked towards Diesel.

Diesel shot him a pointed look.

"May I explain myself, please?"

"Isn't that the entire point of you being here right now?

Breathing slowly, he replied, "No, I mean Yes, but I need you to look at it from my point of view"

"Alright, I am listening" Diesel leaned back with a folded arm as he paid attention to everything Cassius was saying.

He got little backups from Vincenzo, but it was very little, more or less like a nod and agreement, but he never really sighed his input to him.

Diesel sighed as he stared at Cassius, who in turn was staring back at him with a worried expression, as he about what the next step his boss would take.

"Don't do this again, even though he is a hard person to get along with, let's not push unnecessary buttons"

Cassius let out a sigh of relief, he didn't realize that he was holding. "So am I off the hook?"

Diesel's face had morphed into one of disbelief, "Of course not"

Cassius, looking surprised at the sudden turn of events, looked at his boss for more explanation.

"So what is my punishment"

"For your punishment, you would be with our guest throughout his stay here"

Cassius suddenly went wide-eyed, while Vincenzo looked like he was trying to muffle up his laugh, but was failing at it.

"If you mean to be with, you mean bodyguard him? Throughout his visit"

"Precisely as so"

"Boss!!!"

"Clear?"

"But! Didn't he already come with one?"

Ignoring his question, Diesel asked again, "Clear?"

"Crystal" he replied with a grunted huff.

Vincenzo finally took his butt off the couch and stood beside Diesel's table

'[I don't understand why you are going out of your way to make him comfortable?"] He signed

"Exactly my thoughts!" Cassius exclaimed loudly, clearly not liking his punishment of bodyguarding him.

Diesel stood from his chair and walked towards the window. He said nothing to their question. He was thinking. There was no major reason why he wanted to make him comfortable.

Well, the most common one would be because he is a guest. But majorly.

"Simply put it, he is the same age with me. In the mafia world, or better still in the world in general, the little ones have no experience and say in things and must therefore listen to the elders and obey their advice" he looked down at his window, watching the gardeners tend to the plants and also one of his men washing the car that was used to bring Joaquin and Carlos.

He soon turned around, using his index finger to point at his temple, "But Quin is like I am. He is also trying to build his allies. Like me, he doesn't want to depend on his father's friends"

"Therefore, this is as beneficial to him as it's to us?" Cassius implored.

"Exactly"

"I see"

"So try to get along with him. He is only staying for the weekend. It would hurt not to want to kill him every passing minute"

"I will do my best"

Diesel and Vinny gave him a pointed look, but he only shrugged. That was the only statement they were going to get for me.

The men continued conversing about other mundane things in the organization when a knock came.

"Don dinner in 15 minutes" A woman reported.

"Go tell our guest"

"Will do" Giving her reply, she left the men to get ready.

🌟

A subtle knock woke Joaquin up from his tired sleep. He begrudgingly stood up, his eyes heavy and still sleepy, he glanced at his the table where he last left it.

But he just left it at that.

The knock came again, bringing him back from his train of thought. He finally remembered why he woke up, or better yet, what woke him up.

He slowly busts open his shirt, as in his tired state, forgetting to turn either the AC or the fan on. Now he was just sweating bullets.

Just before the knock could come again, he opened the door and revealed an unfamiliar maid.

"Don, dinner will be served in 15 minutes" she informed. She stood there waiting for him to say or do something.

But instead, he just stood there staring at her in confusion.

He only hummed after realizing she was still standing, and he was not back to his sleep.

He rubbed the sleep away from his eyes and looked at his surroundings, everything came down on him like a rush of wind.

He was in New York.

He had arrived at the Blood Devil's mansion. He raked his fingers through his messy brown hair.

It was usually always in curls, but since he just woke up from sleep, it was all messy and sticking out.

He began pulling his clothes to take a shower. Suddenly, his phone rang. He meekly glanced at it.

Father.

He slid his index finger across the call button and Salvador's voice came through.

"You lodged into your hotel yet?"

"Not quite" he replied.

"You arrived yet, sweetie?" His mother asked, cutting her husband off.

"We didn't end up going to the hotel"

There was silence at first before Salvador spoke this time, "What do you mean by 'You didn't end up going to the hotel?' Did something happen along the way?"

"Yes, actually something did happen. {pause} Did you know that the Don had found out about us arriving?"

"Well, yes, it is a given that he would find out, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Why didn't you tell me that?"

"Isn't that something you should find out? And also, how do you go to someone's house unannounced?"

Quin said nothing in response, rather he ignored it and went on, "Well he cornered us at the airport parking lot"

"Cornered?"

"Yes, he sent our driver away and arranged for his men to pick us up"

"Then?"

"Then we went to their place"

"What happened before you went to their place?"

The silence was the only response Quin gave to his father.

"I will ask again, as it seems you can't hear properly. What happened before you went to their base?"

"Nothing happened"

"You want me to believe, that my ill-tempered son with explosive anger, who can also be heavily suspicious of someone, just causally followed some people he didn't know to their house? Be fucking real with me and tell me what the hell happened"

"Alright! Fine! We only exchanged some words, nothing physical I swear, and we arrived at their house"

"Give me the names of their tops, and we will do our background check on them as well"

"Diesel Giordano the DON, Cassius Novak— Diesel's Second in command, Vincenzo Pellegrini- Diesel's Third in command. Those are the only relevant people I have seen or care to know"

Salvador sighed, muttering under his breath, "Thank god I sent Carlos with you"

"Did you say something?"

Ignoring his question, he put out a warning "Don't offend them, they may or may not ally with you, depending on your disposition"

"I understand, I will put that in mind"

"Remember, this is your birthright! No one will take it away from you as long as I live, but that doesn't mean you would be dependent on me"

"I understand Father."

"Good"

"Bye sweetie. Oh! Also buy something for me from New York"

"Like what?" Quin asked, humoring his mother.

"I don't know anything.

"Anything equals nothing"

"QUINN!!" She shrieked, making him recoil.

"OKAY, OKAY, OKAY, fine, I would buy something for you."

"Good. Take care. Come back whole"

"Will do"

Soon after the call, a know came in.

"Don, dinner is ready"

*EDITED*