One afternoon, three days later, Luca drove his Cadillac and parked in front of Uncle Bill's supermarket. Looking around, he saw brightly colored motorcycles lining the curb—Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki—mostly Japanese brands.
Compared to Los Angeles, New York's underground biker culture wasn't as strong. There were far more car thieves here. Luca remembered stealing plenty of cars with Marigio back in the day. The process wasn't much different from Grand Theft Auto: break the lock, rip the ignition wires, hotwire it, and drive off. He hadn't done that in years, so seeing these biker crews—many of whom also dabbled in car theft—stirred a faint nostalgia for his "wild youth."
He spotted Matilda blending into the crowd. Though she was small, she dressed maturely and fit right in, like a rebellious teenage girl. She was chatting with a tall woman.
The woman leaned casually against a sleek motorcycle, hands resting on the handlebars. Her slightly arched back lifted the hem of her shirt, revealing toned, pale abs. Her long, jet-black hair, faintly wavy, fluttered in the wind, adding to her magnetic presence.
__________________________________________________________________________
[Character Card Discovered: Nancy (Unlocked)]
Rank: C
[Source: Rumble in the Bronx]
[Skill: Motorcycle Phantom]
[Bond: Stranger]
__________________________________________________________________________
Luca raised an eyebrow. He hadn't run into the Hong Kong nephew yet, but he'd crossed paths with this little wildcat first.
In the original storyline, she had a flirtatious dynamic with the Hong Kong nephew. Later, when she was kidnapped by the Mafia, it was the Hong Kong nephew who rescued her.
Wait—why mention the Mafia?
Because the ones responsible for the kidnapping were the Lucchese family—and another key figure in that family was the White Tiger.
Luca sighed deeply. This is insane. Why would a crime family provoke such an overpowered character?
As a Mafia member, he genuinely didn't want to stand against the Hong Kong nephew.
The guy drove a hovercraft like a battle tank, tearing through the city, smashing everything in sight, flipping vehicles, and practically turning New York upside down single-handedly.
With someone that formidable, Luca would rather build goodwill than end up arresting the Hong Kong nephew's people.
Since the Hong Kong nephew hadn't shown up yet, he might as well strengthen his own bond here first, just to prevent future trouble.
Luca stepped out of the car and walked over with a bright smile. "Matilda."
"Luca~~ I've been waiting forever!"
Matilda ran over and jumped into his arms as he crouched to catch her.
Nancy's gaze followed Matilda and settled on Luca's face, curiosity flashing in her eyes. As a member of a Bronx biker gang, how could she not know the name Luca the Dove?
He was someone small-time street punks had to look up to and respect. They didn't even dare race in Little Italy, afraid of violating the "peace rules" he had established.
As Luca approached, Nancy straightened up slightly and offered an elegant, polite smile.
"Luca, this is Nancy—she's Uncle Bill's neighbor," Matilda introduced. "Nancy's an amazing rider. She's been taking me out on her bike a lot lately."
As Luca got closer, he noticed Nancy's white shirt was unbuttoned enough to reveal a black bra underneath. Punk girls really did have their own charm.
"Thank you for looking after Matilda," Luca said with an easy smile. "She must get bored here by herself, and I'm usually tied up with work. I'm glad she's made such a beautiful and generous friend."
His warm demeanor and handsome appearance eased Nancy's nerves. He was nothing like the intimidating mob bosses she had imagined.
Smiling a bit shyly, she replied, "I'm really happy to be friends with Matilda too."
Sensing her tension, Luca took out a business card and handed it to her—it was for the SSR Club, which Jimmy had recently helped him secure.
"Our SSR Club opens next month. You're welcome to come by and show your support."
"Uh… would you be willing to give me the honor of hosting you?" he added lightly.
"Thank you—I'd love to," Nancy said quickly, accepting the card as though afraid he might change his mind.
Only after Luca drove away with Matilda did she finally exhale.
So the Mafia isn't impossible to approach… It's not what I expected.
At that moment, several flamboyantly dressed punk kids swaggered over and hopped onto their bikes.
"Nancy!" a young white guy called, flipping his hair back. "Get on, let's go for a ride!"
Nancy hesitated.
For some reason, the image of Luca's calm, mature presence resurfaced in her mind. Comparing that to the scruffy guys in front of her, she felt the difference more clearly than ever.
She shook her head politely. "I need to watch my little brother. I'll pass."
[Bond: Attention]
After picking up Matilda, Luca took her to the SSR Club.
The renovation was more than halfway done. Many facilities were already functional, though the club hadn't officially opened. Jimmy often brought people here to drink and play cards, and sometimes even interviewed new hires in the space.
At the card table, Jimmy was playing with Lefty, Donnie, Sonny Black, and several other associates.
Ever since Lefty reconnected with Luca, he'd been frequenting Little Italy, often bringing along broke guys like Sonny Black and Donnie.
Sonny Black's crew had no legitimate business. They made money through hijackings and extortion—boosting delivery trucks, robbing warehouses, stealing goods, and reselling them cheap.
Luca greeted everyone, sat Matilda at the bar, poured her a glass of milk, and turned on the TV to play Transformers.
"Luca, I want a drink," Matilda said expectantly.
"Does Optimus Prime teach kids to drink?" Luca teased.
"Don't judge people by their age," Matilda replied smugly. "When you were twelve, you were already in the Mafia carrying a gun. Meanwhile, I'm here drinking milk and watching Transformers. Is that fair?"
Luca shrugged. "I watched Transformers when I was twelve. Optimus Prime was my hero."
Matilda's eyes lit up. "Really? I love Bumblebee the most."
The conversation drifted into cartoons before Matilda suddenly leaned in and whispered:
"Luca! I'm planning to take over Nancy's biker gang first. I'll be their boss! When I get to high school, I'll recruit some rich kids and make them pay protection money regularly."
"…."
Luca felt both amused and exasperated. This brat learns fast.
So you've been cozying up to Nancy because you want to be her boss figure?
Matilda patted his shoulder confidently. "Don't worry, boss. I'll pay you your cut. Everyone knows I'm Luca's girl!"
Luca ruffled her hair. "Do you know why Luca the Dove is famous? If you're using my name, you follow my style. Don't act recklessly."
"To defend peace!"
"Good. You understand."
"Lucky Matilda will defend peace to the very end!"
At the card table, Sonny Black slammed his cards down. "Damn it! My luck is shit!"
Lefty looked equally frustrated. "Maybe it's because I skipped church last week. Jesus isn't blessing me. Every hand's dogshit—I can't even make a pair."
Donnie wanted to roll his eyes. That's my bureau money you're losing—that's operational funding! If this keeps up, the FBI won't authorize more funds!
Jimmy, the one winning, wisely kept quiet. With a professional poker player backing him up, winning was almost effortless.
When Lefty's crew first started coming around, Luca had told Jimmy to give them an "unforgettable experience."
For the first two days, Lefty and the others won big. After that, their luck mysteriously collapsed. They lost everything and ended up too broke to sit at the table.
"Jimmy," Sonny Black asked while staring at his hand, "I heard you own a garment factory. How's business?"
Jimmy grimaced. "Don't even start. Some bastards raided my warehouse recently. I lost tens of thousands of dollars. If I find them, I'll crack their skulls."
Lefty and Donnie silently kept their mouths shut. Sonny felt awkward—they had robbed that very warehouse.
Who would've thought Jimmy's operation was so diversified? Garment factory, nightclub management, and rumor had it he'd even pulled off airport heists. Big money everywhere.
The more Sonny thought about it, the more resentful he felt. We're all hijackers—why's the gap between us so huge?
As they prepared to leave, Jimmy pulled Sonny Black aside.
"How's your crew doing lately?"
Sonny looked miserable. "Don't ask. It's a mess. We're pushing product to Philly and Boston now—we can't compete in New York. Those Blue Magic dealers… what are they, running a charity? Their prices are so low they're basically giving it away."
Jimmy sighed. "That stuff's been flooding Little Italy lately. You know Dove doesn't deal drugs. He hates it in his territory. But Blue Magic's influence is huge. He doesn't want unnecessary conflict."
He rubbed his forehead. "Residents have been complaining. Addicts everywhere—shooting up, passed out, pissing in the streets. It's ruining the neighborhood. Nobody wants to walk their dog at night stepping over junkies."
Sonny Black: "…"
Your boss is way too invested in community management.
Jimmy suddenly changed tone. "Dove's planning to clean up the dealers in Little Italy and nearby areas. Interested in joining? We'll take the cash—but not the drugs. Those are yours."
An anti-drug operation?
Sonny was stunned.
What the hell was going on? They were acting more aggressive than the police. Were they really defending peace and protecting the neighborhood?
The Lucchese family had a hand in drug distribution too—weren't they just inviting trouble?
Still, with money tight, Sonny was interested.
"Which dealers are we talking about?"
"French crews. Jewish crews. Others," Jimmy said coldly. "Some people have crossed the line. Anyone who breaks the Dove's rules will pay for it."
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