Hear Me Sin

Chapter Thirty Eight

FRENCH WALKED INTO THE BUILDING and straight up to the receptionist desk. He was meeting with a close member of the Italian mafia. Since he had killed Patrizio Pagano and Patrizio's brother, the next up to take over the throne was Patrizio's best friend, Matteo Romano.

French found out the two had been friends for over twenty years. So he was sure Matteo was more than willing to kill him for revenge of his best friend. That was why French set up a meeting today. The beef he had was with Patrizio and if Matteo was willing to drop it, all of this would be done.

When Matteo accepted the meeting French was a little skeptical. He knew he could be walking into a trap. He had taken down so many of their men and the leader himself. However, when he found out they were meeting in a public place, at Matteo's tax business he felt better. It was broad daytime and cameras were everywhere. French figured he wanted to meet because the Italians knew he was a threat. They saw what he was capable of and maybe they wanted to end the feud as well.

French was met with a brunette haired woman. She wore her hair in a tight bun and had on a frilly white blouse. He could only see from the waist up because she was standing behind the desk. "Hello, how may I help you?"

"I'm here to see Matteo Romano. I have an appointment for one o' clock."

"Your name please, sir?" The lady asked. She herself had an Italian accent.

"French Holloway."

The woman looked at the time on the clock on the desk and saw it was 12:58PM. She picked up the phone and dialed an extension to Matteo's office. She spoke in Italian for a few seconds before she hung up and looked at him.

"Okay, he's ready for you. You're going to go straight down this hall here," She pointed, "and make a right. It's the third door. You'll see it, his name is on the door."

French nodded and followed her directions until he came across a door that had a black plaque with the word Matteo Romano engraved in it. French knocked just to be sarcastic and awaited his reply. He heard a voice okay his entry and he slowly stepped inside. Sitting behind a desk right across from him was the man himself, Matteo Romano.

He was well dressed in a suit that was Italian thread. His room played soft opera singing in Italian and there was a large body guard in the room. Matteo made a motion with his index finger for French to step further in the room and close the door.

French did so and immediately was approached by the bodyguard. He backed up, furrowing his eyebrows but Matteo raised his hand. "Just taking measures. We're here to talk right? No weapons."

"How do I know you won't kill me?"

"Well, you were seen on camera walking in here so unfortunately you have to be seen walking out on camera."

It didn't make French feel better, but it eased his mind a bit. He was searched and removed of two handguns. He still had a blade under his tongue and tucked in his boot. Once done, he took a seat across from Matteo and watched the man take a sip of the alcohol in his cup.

Matteo had on reading glasses, it made him look more tougher for some reason. He was about the same age as Patrizio. They were both in their late forties or early fifties but Matteo was more fit. He looked more menacing than Patrizio had. Like he was the one that preferred violence as an answer to everything.

"You've got to be the boldest motherfucker walking New York right now."

French made sure to sit back and look confident, but not in an antagonizing way. His goal was to end the feud, not ignite it.

"You kill Patrizio, my friend of twenty years and then walk your ass in here wanting it to end? I should snuff your lights out before the week is done for the disrespect."