34- Before Dinner

Editing in Progress…

Chapter 34

"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"

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

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

"Good. Take care. Come back whole"

"Will do"

Soon after the call, a know came in.

"Don, dinner is ready"

Joaquin looked down at his half-naked self before returning his eyes to the door.

"I will be down in a minute"

Roughly ten minutes later, he was done and already heading to the dining table.

The maid walked in front of him, leading his footsteps toward the direction of the dinner table.

"Is your boss already there?" he questioned. He wasn't making small talk, only just making simple inquiries.

"Yes, he is sir" Her response was curt but also respectful.

"We are here"

"Look who decided to show up" Cass spoke out loud, grabbing Quinn's attention. Vinny harshly stomped on his feet, signaling him to stop.

It was as though all the warnings and repercussions Diesel had lectured him about back in the meeting room had entered one ea and came out the next.

That was if it had entered at all. Cassius didn't need to look at his boss before he knew that Diesel was giving him a very hard glare.

But Quin who had just woken up from his sleep, spoke to his father, and also taken a shower did not bother to spare him a glance, much less of an attention.

Carlos stood up once Quin came close to him. He gave Don a curt nod before waiting for him to sit before he too sat.

Quin turned his attention to Diesel, "I apologize for coming in late, I had a call with the current don of my clan The Armani, so I had to tend to it"

This took Diesel by surprise, as he didn't think he would apologize for coming in late. He genuinely thought he would brush it off as nonsensical.

"Well, I guess, he was taught some manners."

Quin on the other hand had noticed the look of surprise and utter disbelief in their faces. And he didn't care to push it further with any more compliments or statements, so he just left it at that.

"Regardless, I am just glad you were able to make it, I genuinely thought you purposely didn't want to"

"That would be rude and unwelcoming on my part, and besides there is no need to get rough around the edges with each other," he said.

This would have not been a bullet target to anything if and only if he hadn't glanced at Cassius.

Cassius folded his eyebrows in annoyance as he glared at the Don with an uncanny expression. Which made Quin burst out laughing.

He laughed so hard, that drips of small tears fell from his eyes. Diesel slowly had an amused smile on his face before too began laughing.

"You can't keep your facial expression in one motion. Anybody can easily read you like that, you know?" Quin stated with a small smile plastered on his face.

With a teasing smirk, Cassius replied to him, "Well what can I say, you have a way of drawing the emotion out of me"

"It is a hidden talent" Quin took a moment to trail his eyes around the dining room aesthetic.

The room was dimly lit, creating an atmosphere that matched the evening mode.

The table itself is a usually large, rectangular, wooden table adorned with a deep red tablecloth. He trailed his palm over the surface of the cloth just to feel its texture.

His eyes trailed across the center of the table, and what sat there was a lavish floral mini arrangement, that consisted of deep red roses.

"I am glad to see we are all on friendly terms" Quinn's attention was pulled back by Diesel's words.

"Are we?" Quin inquired, which made Cassius squint his eyes at him.

He let out a bemused chuckle before shaking his head, "I am sorry, please continue"

"Since we are getting somewhat close, or at the very least we don't look like we are about to put a bullet in each other's heads, why don't I offer a proposition.?"

This got Carlos and Joaquin's attention. Quin slowly took a sip of his wine whilst keeping his eyes strained on the Don who sat opposite him at the head table.

"Do tell, what would that proposition be?" His eyes didn't hide the suspicion, but also, it wasn't as though he was trying to hide it.

He wanted to show to them that regardless of the country, power, or status, The Armani clan would not be anyone's fidget toy.

"Take Cassius as your bodyguard"

The silence that followed his statement was uncanny. Quin gave his fellow Don a pointed look.

"This is the part where you say, 'Psyche' or Jokes on you"

"But I am not"

"I don't want him"

"Well I don't want you either" Cass interjected.

Carlos just sat beside Quin by his right side, looking dumbfounded. Quinn's bodyguard? Was he trying to send him back to Mexico City and isolate Quin here in New York?

What was their motive?

 Quin placed his cutlery on the edge of the plate, and immediately the aura on the dinner table slowly withered like a decaying plant.

"As you can see, I brought my own man from my clan with me. So tell me, Don Diesel, why would I want one of your men?"

"Listen, I just thought—"

"Please mind the next words that fall off your mouth"

It was as though something had snapped inside Cassius's head "Don, I apologize for this discourtesy and also for disobeying your order, I am also ready to take any punishment you deem fit, but I can not continue to stand for this man's continuous insult towards you. You may be patient, but I am most definitely not"

"If you can not stand for it, then you sit for it"

"HA?! You think you are funny aren't you?"

Quin was all too ready to snap hard at this second in command, "If you are so slow and demented to understand, let me break it down for you"

"Huh? This fucker!"

"Cassius!" Diesel yelled, raising his voice, for the first time since Quin arrived.

Diesel's blue eyes glared hard at Cassius, he stumbled back to his and only mumbled a pathetic apology under his breath.

His apology was meaningless as it was not directed to anyone in particular.

"Explain yourself, Don Joaquin. I believe I have been very hospitable to you and your colleague, I expect you to have a reasonable reason for your frequent insult"

"Insult? You sent our Uber driver away, then proceeded to cancel our hotel bookings, and then you forced your men to bring us to your headquarters, we have neither knives nor guns nor even knuckle gloves. We followed your men back here, and all of a sudden you are telling me to accept one of your men as my bodyguard?"

Quinn paused on his breath before he continued again, "Tell me, if the roles were switched, and you came to Mexico, your ride and hotel canceled, then my father tells you, 'Oh here is one of my men, he would be your bodyguard from now on' explain your reaction"

He rubbed on his temple, feeling as though he was lecturing these men. "Listen, I have no qualms in going along with your plans or propositions, but do not force your ideas on me. I AM NOT ONE OF YOUR MEN! Understand?"

*EDITED*