SYLUS: The Boss

I stared down at Harley, who was left unconscious on the bed.  

"Sir Jones, shouldn't we take her to the hospital?" The head maid looked apprehensively at me, her eyes crossing right back to Harley. Her head was still bleeding despite the cloth I had wrapped around it, and honestly, I couldn't understand how this girl took down a large man like that while in this condition.  

What sort of woman had Amadeo raised? I knew there was something crazy about her the moment I laid eyes on her in that church—something irritatingly daring about her. She was different—nothing like the old man's two other daughters. I felt robbed. It should have been either one of them, not...

"Sir?"

I looked at Cicily.

"Should I...take her to the hospital?"  

"No. Call Donald to treat her. The hospital is dangerous, at least right now, and—" My phone rang, and I fumbled for it in the pocket of my suit jacket. "Leo?" I answered.  

"Boss, I've caught him. You need to come to the base." 

"Did you get anything out of him yet?" I'd thought Harley killed the man seeing as he was down, but he'd only been unconscious and somehow tried to flee, right after I took her away. 

"Not yet. He's refusing to talk. But I've sent all the information I have on him over to you." 

"Good. I'm on my way." I took a brief glance at the information before I pocketed my phone and headed out of the house to board my car. It took me twenty minutes to arrive at my base, and I stepped down, walking towards the door. 

It was a simple manor; however, the inside was a different case. I wasn't just the simple wealthy businessman the public and even the Legan family thought I was. I was part of the mafia, but that was private. It had no business with the public whatsoever, and definitely not with my new wife. 

Generally, I kept my legit business apart from the family business, but that wasn't always possible. Like right now, this was my place to deal with assholes. 

"Boss."

Leo bowed to me, his blonde hair falling over his face, and he rose to stare at me like a robot.

"Where is he?" I asked. 

"Downstairs," he said, leading me towards a brown wooden door. We took a flight of stairs further down and went through another door before we stepped into an empty, dimly lit room, a fan rotating above the ceiling.  

At the very center, the man I was after sat tied to a chair, his brown eyes rising to meet mine. 

"Should I stay or let you handle it, boss?"

"You stay here." I slowly sat down. One leg draped over the other as I adjusted my tie. 

The man, James Robert, glared at me and spat on the floor. "You don't scare me," he said, his voice wavering. "I know exactly what you are, my boss knows what you are. And sooner or later, this perfect persona you put on for the world would shatter into pieces." 

"Ah," I mused. "You did an excellent job, slipping in as one of my men when I arrived at the church. You kidnapped my wife before she even made it to my house, and that can only mean one thing. You… your boss, knew this marriage was going to happen, he is someone close to me or maybe Amadeo."  

"If you think I'm going to rat my boss out to you, you're very mistaken," he scoffed, smiling with bloody teeth. "Might as well kill me, because I won't do it." 

"Your boss must be a clever man," I said politely. "Why don't you give me a name?" 

He screwed his face at me. "Are you crazy, man? I just said I won't rat my boss out. If anything, you should be worried about yourself. He's going to expose the fact you're in the mafia sooner or later, and your wife would be taken as well. You wasted twenty million for nothing."

Irritation crawled up my throat and nearly choked me. I wasn't that patient. Either he told me who his boss was, or I put a bullet through his head. Whether I cared or not, it didn't matter. Harley was my wife, and I had a duty to keep her safe until the deal was over, but he'd hurt her.  

"Let's try this again," I said. "Who is your boss? Why did you kidnap my wife?"

"Ask my boss. I'm not the one who wanted her kidnapped. I have no idea what he wants with her." 

"Leo." I glanced over to Leo, who gave a nod and walked over to James. He stood behind him, placing a knife right at his throat. 

"Hey, what are you doing? I just told you the truth!—"

"Who is your boss?" I growled. 

James's lips parted as Leo began to slowly dig the knife into his flesh. "I really can't tell!! He's going to dispose of me if I do."  

"And you think I won't?" 

"All the more reason to keep my mouth shut," he muttered, as his eyes darted between me and Leo. "He knows where my family lives. If I rat him out, he's going to hurt them." 

"And what if I can keep your family safe?" 

"Why would I trust you?" 

"Find out what I need from him, I have work to do at the company," I said to Leo and began to head out of the room.  

"Hey! No, wait, I'll tell you," James pleaded. "Wait! We can talk, please, please!!"

I came to a stop and glanced at him over my shoulder.

"H-His name is Olive. That is all I know."

"What is his surname and where does he live?"

James fearfully shook his head at me. "I really don't know. He is very secretive and the only thing I have managed to find out is his name, nothing more. I don't know his surname and I don't even know where he works or who he works for."

"How did you meet him then?" My frown deepened. "Where did you meet him?"

"He approached me. I'm really telling the truth. Please, y-you have to keep my family safe, he's going to hurt them and—"

"Step back Leo." I dismissed, then took a step closer to James. My stare was intimdating, wanting to know if he was lying, and no…he wasn't. "You're not going to die. But there is something you're going to do for me."

"What?" He trembled, beads of cold sweat dripping from his forehead.

"James." I gripped his jaw, forcing his gaze right into mine. "I'm gonna need you to find out who this Olive is. Everthing about him. I'll pay you for a good work done. A hundred thousand dollars, will that work?"

"Fuck," he breathed shakily, his eyes flickering rapidly. "J-just to find out who he is?"

"Yes? Do you need more?"

"NO!" He frantically shook his head, a smile prickling his lips. "I'll do it!"

I dry smiled back at him, letting go. "Good. Don't let yourself get caught. And if you rat yourself out to him, you know what will happen to you, right?"

"Yes!"

"Good. You're free to go." Leo untied him and he left, hurrying out of the room. "Boss, are you sure about this? You don't have to make him do it, I'll work on this if you need me to."

I shook my head at Leo. "No, let him do it. Have you ever heard of anyone named Olive before?"

"No," he responded. "At least, not close to us."

"Hm…" I mused, shoving my hands into the pocket of my pants. "Whoever Olive is, is either close to us, the Jones or…"

"…Amadeo."