Chapter Two

Zach

Zachary stepped out of his black sedan. Closing his eyes, he deeply inhaled the fresh air of the woods, while loosening his tie.

At this time of day, in late afternoon, the smell of the forest seemed to be the most intense. It immediately had a comforting effect on him. He’d only just stepped out and he was already much more relaxed.

He looked up for a moment to see the buildings of West Shaw Heights surrounded by clouds. He lived below, tucked away in the woods for privacy. He loved it here; Redwater Creek was home. The location was ideal for his mafia business. His family had lived there for generations. In his world, a “family” was an organization, but it was also tight-knit like any other family. There were other mafia families, some more friendly than others.

He had just gotten back from a week in Rockdale, but he hated it there.

It was so crowded, so gray, with all those fake people around kissing his ass all the time. He wished he never had to go back there, but as long as his firm was there, he had to go there every once in a while.

Zach took his suitcase and a small briefcase out of the trunk and walked to the stairs of a big wooden house. It was like a ginormous log cabin.

The house was old, but very well maintained, meeting modern needs and comforts.

“Good evening, Zach, how was your trip to the big city?” Zach’s second-in-command, Ethan, greeted him at the door.

“It was stressful. I’m glad to be home, to be honest,” Zach replied, as he headed to the big central stairway.

Ethan followed him to his suite, saying, “Well, it’s good to have you back, Zach. Nothing big happened while you were gone, just Edgar and Jesse, who couldn’t do without a fight, as usual.

“I am glad you are back, Zach—you know I really don’t like being responsible for everyone here on my own.”

When they were at Zach’s door, he turned around and looked Ethan in the eye. “So, nothing happened? Really? What about the other families—you didn’t hear from them?”

Zach opened the door and stepped in. There were some thugs operating near the borders; they might even be a hostile family. They could cause serious problems.

“It was all quiet,” Ethan said. “Maybe it is like the silence before a storm, but I don’t mind a little peace for a while.”

Zach put his suitcase in a corner of the suite and threw the briefcase on the coffee table. He took off his tie and threw it on the couch. “That’s better,” he said with a sigh.

“You really hate the city that much, huh?” Ethan asked.

“You know how much I hate it. If I could, I would shut that business down immediately, but you know we can’t do without it.” He looked at his right-hand man, who was also his best friend.

“While you were in Rockdale, did you happen to find a certain woman, like your soulmate?” Ethan asked curiously, plopping on the couch, and putting his feet on the coffee table in front of it.

“Ethan, get your feet off the table, and don’t ask stupid questions, please,” Zach said with a sigh, annoyed. His eyes turned dark.

“So, it’s a no, I presume?”

Zach nodded, still annoyed.

“It’s strange you haven’t found her yet. You have been looking for the right one for so long now.”

“Well, at least I am not alone in not finding the right one,” Zach shot back with a little smile. “I know you haven’t found your woman, either.”

After their talk, Ethan headed out, leaving Zach to take a shower and change into more comfortable clothes. He plopped down on his sofa, thinking about his friend. They had known each other their whole lives.

They grew up together as the most promising kids of the family; Ethan was like a brother to him. When they were younger, they had undergone rigorous physical and mental training that pushed them to the limits of the human body. They were stronger for it, but also sometimes unstable. They had gained instincts that gave them an edge over the average person, but these instincts were so strong that they could sometimes take control. The training had been ruthless, especially Zach’s, as the son of the boss.

But every time he needed support, Ethan was there for him. Helping him out any way he could; Ethan had done that even before he became underboss.

Zach knew Ethan still held himself responsible for Zach being kidnapped by some thugs when he was sixteen.

They were still kids at the time; they were both still in the transition from being boys to the strong men they are now. There was no way that Ethan could have done anything to prevent him from being kidnapped.

It was a difficult time, but together they came out stronger.

Being the kids of the boss and the underboss, they were expected to take over from their fathers. Zach had taken over the boss position from his father seven years ago, when he was eighteen.

His father was killed by the boss of a hostile neighboring family, and his mother died not long after that out of grief. Even then, Ethan helped him to handle it all.

Taking over the position of boss, coping with the loss of his parents, taking care of his brothers—he supported him, no matter what.

Zach knew Ethan would catch a bullet for him if he had to, and he would do the same for Ethan as well.

He was still relaxing on his couch, his eyes closed, when he heard Ethan come back into the room. “Zach, you awake?”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Jordyn, the head of the clinic is here,” Ethan explained. “She wants to have a chat about someone visiting next week for a job interview. You know they are looking for extra help.

Do you want to talk to her personally? If you need some more rest, then I can handle it.”

“After all these years, you should know me by now. You know I want to do it all myself,” Zach replied, a grin on his face. “Meet me in my office. I am on my way.”

Jordyn was the head of the clinic that was situated a few hundred feet down the road. Zach had some renovations done recently, and now it was more up to date and could accommodate more patients when needed.

But because the clinic was now bigger, they needed more staff as well. That was what Jordyn wanted to talk to him about.

A few minutes later, he met with Ethan and Jordyn, who were already waiting in his office.

“Jordyn,” said Zach, shaking her hand. He stepped behind his desk to sit down on his black leather office chair. “It’s good to see you. How are you doing? How is everything going at the clinic? Are you settling in well?”

“Well, I am fine, thank you,” she said with a little smile as she sat down on the other side of the desk.

Ethan remained standing, leaning against the wall.

“I am incredibly grateful for what you did with the clinic. The changes were really necessary. I think when we have some extra help in the clinic, everything will be fine. Actually, that is what I am here for.”

“You already had my approval for hiring people, so what do you need me for?” Zach asked, furrowing his brows.

“I got a phone call this morning from a friend of my brother Luca. Her name is Joanna, and she is looking for a job as a nurse but can’t find one in the city.

“Luca told her that we are looking for people to hire, so she called me, and she seems suitable. She will be visiting next Wednesday to see what the job is about and to see if she really is the right person for the job.

“She’s outside of the family, though. Outside of our world.”

Zach stroked the stubble on his chin thoughtfully. “That is good to know. From what you tell me, the girl seems promising. I will inform the border security that someone will cross our borders Wednesday.

“Offer her to stay the night—for people not used to this area, traveling after the sun sets can get them spooked. She can leave the next morning after breakfast.”

“I will,” Jordyn said.

Zach turned to Ethan and asked, “Ethan, can you make sure that one of the cabins next to the clinic is ready by then?

“We don’t want her to find out anything about us before she has signed her contract here, so I’m not going to let her stay here in the compound.”

Ethan stood up straight and nodded. “I’m on it.”

After Jordyn and Ethan left the office, Zach informed his security about the visitor.

And because he was in his office now anyway, he took the opportunity to go through some of the documents and files that had been put on his desk while he was away.

As he put the last document away, the bell announcing dinner rang. He walked to the dining hall and greeted the members that were already there. They all bowed their heads slightly, out of respect.

From behind, someone placed a hand on his right shoulder and said with a stern voice, “Zachary Amos Desmond Hunter, why was I not informed about your arrival? When did you arrive?”

When Zach turned around to see the person talking to him, it was like looking into a mirror. His brother Jackson looked like the younger version of Zach; a little less muscular, but taller.

Zach had two younger brothers. Adrian, who was twenty-two, and the underboss of the neighboring Vance Family, Rose’s family. Rose was his destined, which in mob culture was a bond stronger than any relationship in the regular world. A destined lover is like an extension of a mobster. Someone who can calm the more violent parts of their nature.

Jackson has just turned eighteen, and was still looking for his purpose in life.

“Jackson.” Zach greeted him with a smile. “I arrived this afternoon, but I didn’t get to inform you. I had to get to work almost immediately. You know they can’t do without me here.”

They sat together, with Zach at the head of the table, Jackson on his left, and Ethan on his right, in order of their rank.

Next to Ethan, the family’s captain, Ron, sat with his blood family, and next to Jackson, sat the family’s advisor, Darian, with his destined. Dinner was served by the kitchen staff, and they all enjoyed their hearty meal.