Dante, who was escorting Natalie toward the front door.
“He is better than I expected, my husband,” Carmen replied with a grin. “He is really fast also. Did you see how fast he took down Gomez and had his firearm out and pointed at Gomez?”
“I’m glad you approve, my wife,” Dominic said, just as Natalie rushed passed to her mother while Dante stopped in front of him.
“What’s up with homeboy?” Dante asked, nodding back over his shoulder down to where Gomez was being helped up by a few members of the security team.
“Pay Gomez no attention, Dante,” Dominic said, with a wave of the hand. “He is very overprotective when it comes to my daughter. Come with me.”
Looking over to Natalie before following behind Dominic, Dante met her eyes and asked, “You alright?”
Nodding her head yes, she stood watching as Dante followed behind her father. She then heard her mother say, “While you were out with Dante Jonathan called to speak to you.”
“Who?” Natalie asked, still staring after Dante.
Slowly smiling, Carmen wrapped her arms around her daughter and led her back into the house saying, “You do remember Jonathan Hernandez, the friend you’ve been seeing, right?”
* * *
Following Dominic into his office where Carlos was waiting, Dante nodded to him and took a seat on the sofa across the room. Dominic walked around behind his desk and sat down.
“Okay, gentlemen,” Dominic began, as he leaned forward and rested his arms atop the desk. He folded his hands together as he looked from Carlos to Dante. “This meeting tonight is very important and the gentleman I’m meeting with is coming all the way from Los Angles. The problem is that the meeting is at a restaurant located in Victor Fayman’s part of town and this meeting really isn’t a secret, so I’m expecting…”
“…him to show up and cause a little scene, right?” Dante finished his sentence, as he sat unwrapping one of the Black & Mild’s he pulled from the fresh box he bought on the way back to the mansion with Natalie.
Dominic allowed a small smile to show on his lips as he sat staring at Dante and said, “After what happened on Victor’s birthday the other night, I’m pretty sure that he is planning to react for what happened to him in front of the whole nightclub.”
“Why not relocate to a different spot to have this meeting at?” Dante asked, as he motioned for permission to light up and smoke.
Waving an okay for Dante to smoke, Dominic followed, “The problem with relocating for this meeting, Dante, is that this is the location Mr. and Mrs. Russell have decided on. It is near the hotel where they will be staying and it’s a favorite restaurant of Mrs. Russell.”
“So, let me get this right,” Dante spoke up again, blowing thick cigar smoke up into the air. “Not only is this meeting in this dude Victor’s area but this business friend is also bringing his wife as well?”
“Exactly!” Dominic answered.
“So, I’m guessing also that Mrs. Saldana is coming with you?” Dante asked, while shaking his head before Dominic could actually answer, seeing the bullshit before it actually went down.
Dominic discussed a few more things concerning the up-and-coming meeting as well as other business issues. He wanted to bring Dante up to date for security reasons. Dante sat listening to both his new employer and the head of security, asking a few questions of his own while throwing out a few suggestions on what he thought about the plans. Even Dominic thought a few of Dante’s ideas sounded good and said he would consider them.
Once the meeting was over and Dominic dismissed him and Carlos to take a phone call, Dante followed Carlos outside the office and grabbed his arm as he was pulling the office door shut.
“Whoa!” Dante said, as he stopped the head of security. “We need to talk, playboy.”
“What is the problem, Mr. Blackwell, sir?” Carlos asked, turning toward Dante.
“We gotta few hours