Chapter 1 Back as a traitor

SADIE'S POV

"Some things never change".

I think that was meant as a comforting statement, but as I stood in front of the Brodo Bar and Restaurant on a particularly hot and humid New York day, it was nearly terrifying. There was a new, modern entrance, and a fresh coat of paint, but the bar looked exactly as I remembered it. It had been in the Avenetti family for years, and these walls held a lot of memories for me. When I was young, we would have family dinners here, sharing laughs and stories with the Avenettis, and when I got older, it became a popular hangout for Brandon and me and all of our friends. Standing in front of it again was like being transported in a time machine. This entire town was like that for me.

Far Rockaway was part of New York City, but was on the coast in Queens. The Avenettis pretty much ran the entire area, and by the looks of things, that hadn't changed. They liked to do their business out of the lime light, which was why this entire thing with the FBI was laughable.

Now here I was sent by Herrera to spy them and tell him everything. He thought they were using this bar to run their product out of, but they were way too conservative for that. Steven, the leader hadn't climbed the food chain by being careless, and he kept his operations on a tight ship. Instead of only using cover businesses like other mob bosses, he used stockyards and ranches for the big product because the scent of the livestock threw off the dogs. I hadn't shared that with Herrera though, As much as I wanted to see the Avenettis fall, I still had a bad taste in my mouth about all of this, so there was some information I kept close to my chest. With any luck, I could stay here a few weeks and fulfill my obligation to Herrera and then get the hell out. And if I was really lucky, I could avoid Brandon during that time.

With a deep breath, I tightly clutched my purse and headed inside. I could almost feel the wire I was wearing burning into my skin, like some sort of brand, calling me out for the horrible betrayal I was about to commit. I was basically selling out the people who had raised me, who had been my family at one point, to save Adam and myself. I didn't have any other choice, but the closer I got to actually following through with this, the worse I felt.

My hand shook as I reached for the handle to the door, eyeing the help wanted sign in the window. Once I opened it, there would be no going back, and I would be in this for the long haul. As if I was ripping the band aid off, I gripped the handle tightly and jerked it open, causing the glass on the door to tremble and drawing the attention of the few patrons in the club. So much for laying low. The amount of attention I was already drawing in here made that a distant possibility.

I diverted my eyes from the onlookers and made my way towards the bar. Unlike the outside, the inside had been completely renovated, possibly even gutted, and I could hardly recognize it.

Everything was in various tones of chrome and bronze and abstract art pieces hung from the ceiling. It looked much more like an upscale club than the hometown dive bar I had left all those years ago.

A few groups were scattered about, including two men sitting on the bar stools in suits. One of them sized me up, his eyes trailing over every inch of my body, as if he could undress me with his eyes. A part of me wanted to turn and run, but I didn't want to show any fear. I had a job to do, I was playing a part, and I could handle a little bit of sexual scrutiny if it meant I could get through this.

"Can I help you with something, doll face?" The skeevy guy gave me a wide grin, continuing to stare at my chest.

"I, uh... I'm here to interview for the job." I said plainly, locking eyes with him.

"The job is filled, just haven't gotten around to taking the sign down yet." Another man emerged from behind a door, hidden behind a few cases of whiskey. I knew it was Alex long before he set the cases on the counter and glanced my way. Alex's eyes widened as he did a double take.

"Well, I'll be damned." He let out a sharp laugh. "Sadie Sorento. It looks like it's my lucky day."

"Hi Alex." I gave him a restrained smile. It was hard not to rush towards him and engulf him in a hug. It had been years since I had seen him, and even in this state, I couldn't deny that I had missed his friendship. He was my age and we had inseparable as friends even before Brandon and I started dating.

"Don't just stand there!" He put his hands on his hips, grinning from ear to ear. "Get over here!" Alex took several steps towards me and threw his arms around my neck. "God, it's good to see you! You look incredible! How long are you here for? Does Brandon know you're in town?"

I gave a nervous laugh as he fired off a million questions, not even waiting for an answer. "Uh...no. Brandon doesn't know, and I'd like to keep it that way, at least for a little while." I broke away from his embrace as he narrowed his eyes at me in confusion. "I'm not sure how long I'm staying."

"Dante, Jav, this is Sadie, an old friend of ours." He introduced me to the two men who had been sitting at the bar when I walked in.

"Nice to meet you." They said, nodding at me and turning back to their own business. It seemed once they knew I was with Alex, they realized I was off limits.

"You as well." I faked the smile.