Page 10 of Unworthy Ties

Rocco

It was probably a good thing my schedule hadn’t let me run into her while she was awake. If we saw each other, she would definitely be naked on our bed, crying out my name as I thrust into her.

The mere thought of having sex with Gabriella had my dick twitching in my pants. It had been forever since I had gotten laid, and it was hard having a hot wife that I couldn’t fuck.

But I couldn’t be thinking about that right now. I had finally got a lead on Maximo’s case. It was a small one, but at least it was something. I had recovered corrupted video footage from one of the nights his shipments had gone missing.

Sitting in my office, I pressed the play button on the VCR. Grainy footage flickered on the small television screen, illuminating the dim room with an eerie glow. I couldn’t believe that with all the technology we had, this place still kept its security footage on tape.

The film was silent, but I didn’t need sound to understand what was happening. Two of Maximo’s men loaded crates into the back of a van.

Nothing had gone wrong yet.

Suddenly, one of the men stood still, turning his head as though he had heard something. After a moment, he resumed his work, but his movements showed unease. Even in the poor quality of the footage, I could see the tension in his shoulders.

Without warning, a dark figure burst into frame, tackling one of Maximo’s men to the ground. The other reached for his weapon, but a second attacker appeared from the shadows, delivering a swift kick that sent the gun skittering across the pavement.

The two attackers took Maximo’s men out swiftly and silently. I slowed down the footage as I leaned closer to the screen, trying to make out any identifying features of the assailants. They moved with practiced efficiency, their faces obscured by masks.

They finished their job quickly, efficiently loading the crates into their own vehicle.

Just as they were about to leave, one of the men rolled up his long-sleeve shirt and exposed his forearms. A familiar tattoo caught my eye—a stylized serpent coiled around a dagger.

It was the symbol of the Viper Syndicate, a notorious biker gang on the east coast.

I had a bone to pick with one of the members. And now, to my fortune, I had a reason to act on it.

I grabbed my cell phone out of my pocket and called Felix. He answered on the second ring, sounding somewhat annoyed.

“This better be good. One of the hottest girls in NYC is coming to my place tonight.”

“Well, cancel those plans,” I responded. “I need your help.”

Felix groaned on the other end of the line. “Come on, man. Can’t this wait until tomorrow? You have no idea how long I’ve been trying to sleep with this girl.”

“Well, it can wait another day then. I’m doing something for Max and I need your help.”

“Maximo?” Felix scoffed. The two hadn’t been close friends growing up—Felix thought he was stuck up and Maximo found Felix too impulsive. “Why would I help him?”

“Because I’m your brother and I’m asking nicely. Also, consider it payment for the night I helped you in Las Vegas.”

If it were possible to hear someone recoil through the phone, I swear I heard Felix physically wince. “Low blow, bro. Fine. What do you need?”

“Meet me at the 3rd Street warehouse.”

My phone buzzed. A text from Felix:

Girl’s pissed. You owe me a bottle of Macallan 18.

I rolled my eyes and shoved the burner phone back into my jacket, my eyes flicking to the paused frame of the tattoo. The serpent’s fangs glinted even through the grainy pixels.

My beef with the Vipers was petty. It was too small to start a fight over, but big enough that I hadn’t forgotten it.

One of the lower ranked members, Rex, and his friends came into one of the bars we owned.

They were being rowdy and disrespectful, harassing the servers and threatening other patrons.

Normally, I would’ve beaten the shit out of them right there. But we had had a very important client over that night, and I couldn’t risk causing a scene in front of him and his wife. So, I had to swallow my pride and just let security escort them out with no repercussions.

I looked forward to getting some payback.

“Seriously? You just want to go mess with the Vipers on a Saturday night?” Felix said. “And they say I’m the irresponsible twin. Let’s call Vincenzo, at least—”

“I don’t want anyone else to know I’m doing a favor for the Salvaggio’s.”

“Tch. You thinking about switching what family you work for, or something?” Felix crossed his arms and glared at me from the passenger seat.

He was referring to the four families in power on the East Coast. We worked for Ettore Moretti, who was not only a Don but one of our best friends. Maximo was set to be Don for the Salvaggio’s once his father died, hence the conflict of interest.

“Calm down, Felix. I’m not switching families; it’s just a one-time thing. You know how tight things have been lately now that Leone’s gone. We need all the allies we can get.”

Felix grunted, unconvinced. “Fine.”

The neon glow of the city cast long shadows as we pulled up to a known Viper Syndicate warehouse.

The air was thick with the hum of the city, but the warehouse district was quiet, save for the distant thrum of a bass line from a club a few blocks over.

Felix leaned back in his seat, eyes narrowed as he watched the building.

“Are you sure this is the right place?” he asked, his voice low.

I nodded, my grip on the steering wheel tightening. “Yeah, this is where they were last seen. If Rex is here, he’ll pay for what he did.”

Felix snorted. “You’re really holding onto this grudge, huh? Over some bar incident?”

I shot him a glare. “We’re here to get answers. It’s just fortunate that we’ll finally be able to address that older… issue.”

He sighed, pushing open the door. “Fine, but if we get caught, I’m blaming you.”

The warehouse loomed before us, its metal walls gleaming faintly under the streetlights. We moved silently, our shoes crunching on gravel. The entrance was a heavy metal door, slightly ajar. I pushed it open, my heart pounding in my chest.

“If there’s too many of them, we leave,” I muttered to Felix.

Inside, the air was thick with the smell of grease and sweat. The sound of laughter echoed through the space, followed by the clink of bottles. “Sounds like they’re having a party,” Felix muttered, his hand resting on the knife at his belt. “But nothing we can’t handle.”

A small group of Vipers sat around a table, jokingly arguing amongst themselves over a game of poker. They were so drunk that Felix and I could have taken the front door and they wouldn’t have noticed.

I scanned the faces, looking for Rex, but he wasn’t among them. Still, these guys might know something about the stolen shipments. And they were Vipers—teaching them a lesson would send a message.

Felix and I exchanged a glance, silently communicating our plan. In one fluid motion, we moved. Felix grabbed the nearest Viper by the collar, yanking him backwards off his chair. I slammed my fist into another’s jaw, sending him sprawling.

The room erupted in chaos. Bottles shattered, chairs toppled, and shouts of alarm filled the air.

The element of surprise gave us the advantage, but these Vipers weren’t pushovers.

One of them, a burly man with a shaved head, lunged at me with a broken bottle.

I ducked under his wild swing and drove my knee into his gut, hearing the air rush out of his lungs.

As he doubled over, I brought my elbow down hard on the back of his neck, dropping him to the floor.

Felix was holding his own against two others, his fists flying in a blur.

He caught one with a vicious uppercut that sent him reeling backwards, crashing into a stack of crates.

The other Viper landed a glancing blow on Felix’s cheek, but my brother shrugged it off, retaliating with a swift combination that left his opponent dazed and stumbling.

I grabbed the last standing Viper by his leather jacket, slamming him against the wall. “We need to have a little chat.”

“Fuck you, man!” he said, trying and failing to knee me in the groin.

“Wrong answer.” I punched his eye so hard that his head snapped back and cracked against the concrete wall. He slumped in my grip, dazed but still conscious. “What is the relationship between the Salvaggio’s and The Vipers? And what do you know about their missing shipments?”

The Viper’s good eye darted around frantically, looking for help, but his buddies were all down for the count. Felix stood nearby, keeping watch and occasionally kicking one of the fallen bikers to make sure they stayed down.

“I-I don’t know nothin’ about no shipments,” the Viper stammered.

I slammed him against the wall again, harder this time. “Don’t lie to me. We have footage of your guys stealing Salvaggio shipments. Where’s Rex? Is he behind this?”

There were plenty of Vipers that could have been behind the heists. However, because of my past with Rex, my first instinct was to accuse him.

The Viper’s eyes widened at the mention of Rex. “Rex? No way, man. He ain’t got nothin’ to do with this. He’s been out of town for weeks.”

“Then who’s behind it? Talk,” I tightened my grip on his collar. “Or I’ll do worse than shove you into concrete.”

Felix flashed his knife at the man before driving it into one of the fallen men’s leather jackets, pinning it to the wooden floor. The Viper I was holding flinched at the sound.

“Shit, alright! All I know is that Sully’s involved. He’s been bragging about stealing from a Mafia Don.”

“Where can we find Sully?” I demanded, pressing the Viper harder against the wall.

The Viper’s eyes darted nervously between Felix and me. “Sully hangs out at The Rusty Nail, a bar at the edge of town. He’s there most nights.”

I released my grip slightly, considering this information. The Rusty Nail was a known Viper hangout, but it wasn’t their main base. Going there would be risky, but it might be our best shot at finding Sully and getting to the bottom of this.

“Thanks for the info,” I said, then slammed my fist into the Viper’s stomach. As he doubled over, gasping for air, I brought my knee up to connect with his face. He crumpled to the floor, joining his unconscious friends.

Felix whistled low. “Damn, bro. You’re not messing around tonight. Normally I’m the one fucking them up.”

I flexed my bruised knuckles, feeling the adrenaline still coursing through my veins. “Yeah, well, I’ve got a lot on my mind lately. This was a good release.”

I wish I could say that the things on my mind were work related. But most of my thoughts were plagued with Gabriella.

And now, looking at Felix, I didn’t just see my brother and best friend. I also saw a threat; someone who could take my wife from me.

Felix must have sensed my unease, because he clapped a hand on my shoulder. “You alright?”

I shrugged him off, perhaps a bit too forcefully. “I’m fine. Let’s just focus on finding Sully.”