The Runaway

CHAPTER 52: Johnny

I was more nervous having to send Anne and Abria away since I am not sure one hundred percent if O'Conner has contacted people or use his men or even had himself travel here overnight or not and he could easily try and take the girls. Which is why I sent more men with her than normal because I needed to.

However, those fears were instantly pushed aside out of my head as we saw Gioanni's cars pull up and noticed him being escorted by his men towards us.

He was just as I had pictured him looking like. He was round, average height, slicked back full head of hair, full Italian with his complexion and how hairy he was. He definitely fit the profile of a godfather even.

Once my men who guard the front door opened it up to let Gioanni and his men inside, my uncle and I greeted him.

"Welcome." My uncle greeted him.

"Long time no see." Gioanni states with his thick Italian accent while sizing up me, my uncle and looking around the house. "This place is nice." He commented.

"Thanks." My uncle replies. "This is my nephew, Johnny." He introduces.

"Nice to meet you." I greeted him with a forced smile as I held out my hand.

He held out his but with palm down and wanted me to kiss his pinky ring. There was no fucking way I was going to do that. I then looked at my uncle out the corner of my eyes and saw him gesture with his head for me to do it.

Despite me being pre-warned about this I yesterday by my uncle in chances of this moment happening because he does it with people he doesn't know too well or at all, have to do it. But I sucked it up and reminded myself why I was doing this shit in the first place. I then quickly kissed his pinky ring and felt embarrassed.

This shit better be worth it!!

I quickly began offering him and his guys to come and sit down in the living room area and get comfortable as well as having a couple of my guys offer them something to eat or drink, while him and I along with my Uncle, Tony and Gary tagging along with us to begin the meeting in the office.

"Hold on! I too have some people who I always have with me in meetings." He states and has three of his men follow him.

Once we get inside, I noticed him walking towards the chair behind the desk and quickly speak up.

"With all do respect, you'll take a seat across from the desk. You're a guest. And THAT is my seat." I tell him.

He stops for a moment and my uncle even looks at me with wide eyes, surprised I said something but then quickly smirked at how I stood up for myself.

"I admire that." Gioanni admits before taking a seat across from me.

"Now, I like to get right to the point with things, ESPECIALLY when it pertains to business affairs. So let's begin." I started.

"So we not get the same offer as my men out there?!" Gioanni brings up.

"Sure. Of course." I forced another smile out and fake apology for not offering it to him.

After Gary pours and hands drinks to him and his men, we begin.

"Before we go into details about this proposition you have for me. I do have to confess that this is a surprise. In fact, it was so...what do you call it, 'out of the blue' that I was a bit concerned in trusting this was legit." He tells me.

"Yes well. I'm in this business to make money and sometimes you have to do things or agree to doing things in order to make business and to stay on top." I mention.

"I respect that. I also have to admit that I never wanted to truly do business with O'Conner in the first place. However, he knew what he was doing, in the beginning. Then once I found out you were interested, I thought, hey, why not?! In fact I find that you would be a tremendous asset to the business. You know so many. In particular, the ones in the government who could take away everything from me." He states.

"True as that is and as honored as I am to hear you think so highly of me and understand my reputation, I do have to say, how surprised I am that you don't know any or if you do know some in the government that could threaten to take you down. I'm surprised you don't have the connections people have mentioned that you do." I smirked knowing that for some reason he isn't as BIG of a man in this business as he has claimed he is and how everybody perceives him out to be.

We both have a glaring contest with each other before he smiles.

"I'm going to really enjoy being partners with you." He says.

"We'll see." I reply. "Now, as far as O'Conner is concerned, after what has happened recently, we need to come to an agreement that he is a hazard to us both and to the business. Not to mention how much of a threat he will become the moment he hears about us cutting him out."

"I agree. Which is why at this very moment, I have several of my men, keeping tabs on him and his guys. Watching every single move they make. I even have some of my men on the inside who had become part of his people. Sort of like an undercover situation." He claims.

"Good. That solves a problem for now but what about a long term?!" I mentioned.

"He can be eliminated as soon as I give the word to my men. Now I know you want to kill him yourself but there is far too much we need to do for our business." He half smiles.

Suddenly, we hear a phone go off in one of his men's pockets who answers it then turns their back towards us as the guy talks real low and says he will call that person back in a little while.

I was a little skeptic into thinking maybe he was still working with O'Conner and possibly has set me up. Maybe that was O'Conner on the other end.

However, my suspicions evaporated as soon as the guy chuckled a little and looked at us, eating his throat as he saw Gioanni glaring at him for being rude and answering his phone during a business meeting.

"I apologize. You know how women are." He states.

I only half-laughed along with everybody because I still am unsure as to rather or not that was a girl or O'Conner. But since we have to move on and seal this deal, we return to discussing more of the deal and once things were finalized, he mentioned he would contact me tomorrow after figuring out some more details in where some of the facilities are of his operations and some ideas he has been pondering through his head for some time now that he feels would be good.

The moment he left, I swear that I felt sick to my stomach and was starting to get upset. So I contacted my girl to come home so that I could be near her and calm myself down.

Next chapter will be posted soon! :)