Longing For The Beach Billionaire Daddy
Chapter 99

*Michael*

I stared out the giant windows lining my office at the top of the Express Air building, unable to focus on work. The entire situation with Shelby, having a panic attack after Blaine showed up at the same art gallery, had me on edge all weekend.

Now that she was back home in Cambridge, I felt like a part of myself was missing. I didn’t like her being so far away from me, even though I knew she was being well-guarded.

Realizing I wasn’t going to get any work done, I picked up the phone and called my cousin Lucille. I’d kept her updated on everything that was happening with Blaine and my relationship with Shelby, but I had yet to tell her the big news.

“Hello? Michael?” Lucille sounded as though she’d just woken up on the other end of the phone call.

“Hey, Lucille. Yeah, it’s just me. I’m sorry I figured you’d be up by now,” I said.

“I decided to have a bit of a late start this morning. What’re you up to?” she asked.

“I’m sitting here in my office trying to replace the motivation to get some work done,” I admitted.

“You know it’d be good for you to take some time off. You work yourself way too hard, Michael. You need to take time to enjoy life and everything it has to offer,” Lucille said.

“I fully intend to do just that. I have some pretty big news, and I couldn’t wait any longer to tell you,” I said, smiling.

“Did you finally ask her?” Lucille asked, and I could hear the excitement in her voice.

“I did. She said yes,” I responded, but before I could say anything more, Lucille’s squealed so loud with happiness I had to pull the phone away from my ear.

“I’m so happy for you two. She’s such a sweet woman. I absolutely loved getting to know her on our trip to the cabin, and I can’t wait to spend more time with her. We have so much planning to do! When’s the wedding?” she said.

“That’s the thing. It wasn’t a big proposal, and we’ve decided not to announce it until we get this whole Blaine situation under control. However, I can’t help but feel like Shelby deserves more than that. She deserves more than a hidden engagement. I need you to help me plan a big surprise for her, where I can ask her again in a big way. I was thinking of taking a trip over her spring break. What do you think?” I asked.

“Oh, Michael, that’s a wonderful idea. What about Paris?”

“I think she’ll see it coming if we go to Paris. I want her to be completely surprised,” just then my secretary knocked quietly on my office door.

“I’m so sorry, Lucille, but I have a meeting I have to get to. Keep thinking of places I could take Shelby, and I’ll call you back later,” I said before hanging up the call.

A man in a very expensive suit entered my office. My secretary held the door open for him and shut it silently behind him. He walked up to me and stuck out his hand for me to shake. I took it, noticing the Rolex gleaming on his wrist.

“Thank you so much for coming all this way, Mr. Carmine.

“It was no trouble, Mr. Astor, but please, if you’re a friend of Giani’s, then you can call me Lou,” the man said.

I gestured to the chair across from my desk, “Take a seat, Lou. And please, call me Michael.”

“So you asked me here to talk about everything I know about Blaine Blake. He’s your unknown half-brother, is that correct?” Lou asked, taking a seat.

“Yes, I found out about the connection a few years ago, and honestly, ever since then, he’s been making my life a living hell. From the sound of it, he’s also made enemies with plenty of… prominent families,” I said, sitting back down in my office chair.

“Yes, he owes a few of my family members a good bit of money. However, what he owes us is next to nothing compared to what he owes the Pezzullo family,” Lou said, entwining his fingers together and setting his hands in his lap.

I immediately recognized the Pezzullo name. They were known for being one of the biggest mafia families in the area, as well as some of the cruelest. Anyone crossing the Pezzullo family, often was never heard from again. I swallowed hard before asking Lou the questions burning in my chest.

“What kind of money are we talking about?” I asked.

Lou shook his head, a grim look on his face, “Too much, but honestly, the money isn’t the biggest crime he’s committed against them. It all started with gambling debts, as it often does. Blaine started betting more and more. It was bound to catch up with him eventually. When it came time to pay, Blaine disappeared. So, Tobias Pezzullo sent a few of his enforcers to get out of Blaine what he owed.”

I nodded at Lou, keeping my mouth shut to let him continue.

“Blaine evaded Tobias’s enforcers for a while, but eventually, they caught up with him. The two enforcers were sent to rough him up a little bit; you know how it goes, but Blaine took it to a different level. He pulled a knife on one of Tobias’s enforcers putting him in the hospital,” Lou explained.

“Sh*t,” I mumbled, knowing how bad things could get if you messed with one of the enforcers.

“No kidding sh*t. Tobias doesn’t take well to his men getting hurt, especially when they are close family members. It just so happens that the enforcer Blaine got into it with is Tobias’s brother. His favorite brother, mind you, and second in command. After that, it was no longer about the money he owed. The Pezzullos are out for his b***d,” Lou said with an air of finality.

“God dammit Blaine,” I said, shaking my head in disbelief at just how stupid he was.

“As far as I’ve heard, Blaine took off after that. He hasn’t been seen since, but he best stay out of the area if he knows what’s good for him,” Lou said.

“Blaine doesn’t seem very good at knowing what’s good for him. What will they do to him if they catch wind of him in town again?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.

“He wouldn’t last long. When the Pezzullo family wants you gone, they make sure you disappear,” Lou said.

I let out a long breath and rubbed the back of my neck.

“Maybe it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if they did catch wind of his whereabouts. It sounds like he’s screwed a lot of people over,” Lou said, standing from his chair.

“Thank you for coming all this way to discuss this with me. Can I ask you to keep me updated with any new information you hear about Blaine? I’ll make sure to make it worth your while,” I said, standing to shake Lou’s hand.

“There’s no need for any of that. Any friend of Giani’s is a friend of the family’s,” Lou said, waving his hand dismissively.

“I appreciate that, Lou,” I said, walking the man out of my office.

I returned only to pace back and forth in front of the large windows. I mulled over the severity of Blaine’s crimes against one of the largest mafia families in the United States. I was appalled at just how reckless Blaine had been to have gotten involved with people so dangerous. The worst part of it all was that it was all because of a gambling addiction for which he refused to get help.

I spent the rest of the work day getting next to nothing done. I couldn’t focus on anything and kept replaying my conversation with Lou over and over in my head. Lou said that maybe it would be best for the Pezzullos to take Blaine out. I wondered if it really would be for the best.

I’d tried to put him behind bars, using evidence and the traditional ways of putting someone away for committing a crime. However, he was able to get out on bail, only to disappear again.

I felt disgusted at myself for even entertaining the thought. I decided to go home early, being completely worthless at work. I’d replace a way to gather enough evidence against Blaine to put him away for good, but I wouldn’t be able to stomach myself if I hoped that the Puzzellos would replace him before the police.

I drove the back roads home as a way to keep my mind occupied. I turned my mind to thoughts of Shelby and the different places I could take her for a surprise engagement. The planning kept me occupied until I pulled up at the townhouse just before dusk.

It felt so empty without Shelby there that I had to turn on the TV, just for the extra noise. I ordered myself Chinese takeout and settled in on the couch for an entirely uneventful evening. The movie I’d picked to watch lulled me into sleep as the sun set for the evening.

A few hours later a loud banging woke me up. I was confused as to where I was, the flashing light from the television lighting the room around me. The loud banging startled me, this time louder than the first, and I realized it was coming from the front door.

I rushed to open the door, afraid that something had happened to Shelby or Lucille. No one came knocking so late at night unless it was an emergency. I swung the door open to replace four police officers standing at my door.

“Michael Astor?”

“Yes?” I responded.

The officer pushed a button on his radio and said, “We’ve got him here at his primary residence.”

“What’s going on?” I asked, fear bubbling in my chest. “Did something happen?”

“Put your hands where we can see them, Mr. Astor,” one of the officers said in a firm tone.

I did as I was asked, “What’s this all about? Is Shelby okay? Did something happen to her?”

“Mr. Astor, you are under arrest.”