Doomed By Mr. Billionaire's Betrayal

Gabriel sat in his office, swiveling his chair while he read the morning paper. It as the Daily times and a feature showed an article about a murder that had taken place in his family's New York hotel, the same one he managed. The incident had taken place before he was born and yet with all the current issues his family were facing in business, the Daily had to pick that moment of all times to do an article on it.

The murder was of a young Italian woman who was believed to be connected to a mafia family. According to what he heard, she had been the son of a Capo who had broken the Omerta - an oat of silence when questioned by the police. The Capo was executed, Mafia style and his family would have been allowed to live but his very smart twenty one year old daughter had gathered or stolen privileged information she was planning to give to the police in revenge. She had been lodging in the Royalty hotel in New York under a false name and cheap disguise when she was brutally murdered by people the police suspected to be part of the mob. According to the police, they never did get the information the young woman would have given them and that crime joined the rest in the long list of unsolved murders.

Gabriel felt no sympathy for the girl, she was a mere story to him - a story that had happened before he was born what he cared about was the inconvenience her death had been causing and was still causing his family. Some people had even rumored that his family was connected to the mob after the incident, it didn't help that they were Italian. It was difficult to find immigrants who became so rich over such a short period of time, especially if the were Sicilian but his grandfather had migrated to the country some Sixty years ago and had struggled, made a name for himself. Gabriel was damned if he was going to let that name get rubbed in the mud.

The murder had happened thirty years ago, yet the Daily saw it fit to rehash it at a moment when a new hotel had just been built in New York. It was possible the editor was being bought by the owner of the new hotel or that he was simply doing it out of spite or even more ridiculous, a warped feeling of obligation to readers. Gabriel had met journalists like that in the past, people who delved up other people's secrets, destroying lives and careers and yet believing they were bound by some stupid honor code to provide the truth. He picked up his phone to call the editor, he was not going to let his hotel get sacrificed on the alter of some editor's honor code.

His father beat him to it, already with the phone in his hand, he answered at the first ring.

"Gabriel, have you read the Papers this morning?" His father did not waste time on pleasantries.

"Yes." Gabriel answered simply. He knew his father was not done talking and he didn't want to interrupt.

"I want you to call the James Fisher - the editor. Find out what he wants."

Gabriel nodded then remembering that his father could not see him, he answered. "I will do that." There was no point in telling his father that he had been about to call the editor, somehow that would have sounded like he was giving excuses.

"And just know that some people sometimes do not know what they want, sometimes they think it's justice but they actually just want money, bear that mind."

Gabriel nodded again. This was his father's way of saying everyone had a price. He totally agreed with his father, he had bought a countless number of people with his money. He didn't even bother to answer his father, the line had gone dead as soon as his father had given that last piece of advice. Gabriel decided not to call, if he was going to buy the editor, he wanted to see the merchandise first.

The editor of the Daily times was a smallish man that kept fidgeting with his hands, touching here and there, either twirling a pen or spinning a letter opener till Gabriel got irritated and asked him to keep his hands still, he obeyed immediately. After one sentence from the man, it became obvious that he had been bought as Gabriel had suspected by the opposition. The ease with which the editor switched sides at the offer of bigger money and a little bit of threat thrown in for good measure was pathetic but Gabriel has known just anyone could be bought at the right price.

Leaving the office, Gabriel realized that he felt disappointed. He had secretly hoped the man would have had some honor code binding him to publish the truth or some nonsense like that, he had been looking forward to a challenge, had wanted to debate with him, to discuss, to have a conversation where for ice he was not calling all the shots simply because of his money. It was the way of the world, his father had once told him, the world had only two sets of people, the haves and the have nots. The haves owned the have nots and that was the system of things. His father had not added that it was possible Gabriel's escape from being among the have nots was his adoption into the Di Marco family.

After finishing up at the office that evening, Gabriel headed for the dance arena. Somehow, even his own get away had started to bore him, he hadn't yet been able to find a dance fighter who could beat him, not even Bryan.

Bryan was in the ring when he arrived, battling - or he was more like teaching a young boy who had a mask on. The boy didn't look like anyone Gabriel had seen before and he was curious. After the fight ended and Bryan shook hands with the boy, they both headed over to him.

Gabriel did not wait for an introduction. "Bryan. You've decided to turn this into a ballet school huh? Are you giving classes now?"

Bryan ignored the questions. "Gabe this is Buck, a new guy trying out to join the crew. Buck, this is Gabriel, leader of the crew and owner of the dance arena."

"Nice to meet you sir." The boy extended a hand.

Gabriel ignored it. "Buck? Like your parents actually named you that?" When the boy opened his mouth to reply, Gabriel raised a hand. "Don't bother answering me, I don't care because you wouldn't be joining us anyway, from what I saw, you can't fight. You're supposed to beat Bryan not learn how to fight right there in the arena."

"Gabe-" Bryan started to say but Gabriel cut him off.

"Why do you even have a mask on, do you think this is some kind of cult?"

"He said he has scars he doesn't want anyone to see." Bryan replied.

"Let the kid talk Bryan." Gabriel snapped, to the boy, he continued. "If you can't even speak for yourself, how do you intend to face me as an opponent in that ring?"

"Bryan has already answered for me." The boy replied, "I have so many scars."

"Nobody gives a fuck about your scars - look around you, all everyone here wants to do is fight." Gabriel as pissed, there was something so vulnerable about the boys voice, he sounded like a teenager. "How old are you."

"I'm old enough." The boy replied with a bit of defiance.

"I wouldn't ask again." Gabriel could feel the hint of warning and danger creep into his voice and he laid it on thick for good measure.

"Twenty one! I'm twenty on years old." The boy replied. He sounded terrified though he did not break eye contact with Gabriel.

"Well twenty one, you wouldn't be joining us today- or forever, we don't need knew members." Gabriel dismissed him and strode forward into the ring. Leaving Bryan to talk to the boy, he challenged four men from different crews then stepped into the ring. With any luck, they would be able to beat him.

Bryan waived them away. "Still looking for someone to beat you Gabe?" "Well what's that to you?" Gabriel retorted. "It's obvious you can never beat me."

"And if I do?" Bryan was smiling good naturedly.

" If you do, your little boyfriend gets a spot with us."

" He's not -" Bryan started to say then thought better of it. Showing any form of irritation at being called the boy's lover would cement the name. Taking off his shirt, he joined Gabriel in the ring.

Immediately after they shook hands, he took Gabriel down with kick and watched his friends eyes light up in surprise. He waited for Gabriel to stand before he attempted to take him down again, this time, his friend deflected all his attacks and sent him flying down with a kick then it was like their previous matches over again, at the end Bryan was on the floor, unable to get up, with his body ridden in pains.

Disappointed once more, Gabriel climbed out of the ring. He parted the boy on his shoulder.

"Sorry kiddo, your savior was just not much of a hero."

" Then I'll fight you!" The boy shouted and Gabriel slowly turned around to face him. "Give me one month with Bryan and I promise to beat you."

Gabriel walked up to stand in front of the boy, while he watched the boy shrink further into himself - if that was ever possible yet he could see the determination burning out from the boy's eyes. He lifted his hand to take of the boy's masked but restrained himself at the last minute. "Fine Buck. You get a month starting from today and when you loose, I don't t see you around this arena or I'll have you arrested. I'm I understand."

The boy started to say something then replied instead "Yes sir."