The Enforcer (Vengeful Empire #3)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

C hristos

Pop! Pop! Pop!

My three soldiers immediately reached for their weapons, two of them crowding in front of me, prepared to lose their lives for the sake of mine.

We’d stepped out of the rented SUV on the streets of New York only seconds before. I was pushed down to the sidewalk, loathing the fact I’d left my weapon inside the vehicle.

“It’s down the street,” Luca grunted out.

“Dirty fucking city,” Elias muttered. He was my righthand man, his ability to flush out traitors and assassins legendary.

I rose to my feet, buttoning my jacket. By all rights, the meeting was one I should be running, not the man who acted as if doing business with a foreigner was beneath him. I was Christos Nomikos, one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the world. There were those who bowed at my feet with a single look while others preyed on the crumbs I dropped when I was bored.

Was I also an arrogant bastard? Only to those I considered holier than thou. And Jeff Stern of Stern Land Development fell into that category. He believed because his father was a New York senator that our business was beneath him.

I was here to ensure he realized he should feel blessed I’d bothered making the first phone call initiating doing business in the United States. We’d bring several hundred jobs to the project, all well paid since the project was backed by millions of US dollars. As angry as I was at his contemptuous attitude, I would play by his rules. For now.

“No weapons inside. Lose it, Elias,” I told him.

“You sure, boss?” he asked. He usually traveled with two or three assault rifles hidden inside his vehicle. Given we’d arrived on a private jet, we had dozens at our disposal if needed.

I gave him a hard look.

It was a demand, not a request, which left a bad taste in my mouth. Being unarmed was never a good idea. I headed toward the doors of the private club, the meeting location established by the two men I’d flown from Greece to meet with. Hopefully, this was a formality and nothing more. I wasn’t in the mood to spend more time than necessary in the Big Apple.

“I know you’ll manage to retrieve it if necessary. Stay alert,” I told the two men who’d remain outside.

The door was opened for us and I walked in, immediately scanning the location.

“Hands to your sides. I need to check you for weapons.” The man’s gruff voice was an instant irritant, but I complied. There was no sense in destroying the deal over protocol at this point. However, I remained on edge.

A direct insult.

There was no question the assholes patting me down like some common criminal were enjoying every moment. I held my arms out, glaring from one thug to another. With their dirty, faded jeans and stained tee shirts, inked forearm muscles flexing just for the hell of it, I could tell they were trying to intimidate me.

As if that would work.

While as per demanded I wasn’t carrying a weapon, my compliance in no way meant I didn’t have access to a duffle bag full of them. I had one of my soldiers with me, two others waiting outside. They wouldn’t hesitate to burn down the place should I warrant it necessary.

I could feel Elias’ heated breath from behind me, the man cursing in Greek under his breath.

“What the fuck did that asshole say?” one of the thugs barked out like a mutt in heat.

“He mentioned you must have an ugly mother.” I allowed a smile to cross my face.

As anticipated, the thug reared back. If he made the mistake of throwing a punch, it would be the last decision he made.

“Enough. They’re clean. Allow the men to pass.”

I shifted my attention toward the man standing in another doorway. At least he had the decency to wear a suit, although it was ill fitting.

He held out his hand as I approached. “Christos Nomikos. It’s good to finally meet you after all our phone conversations.” The man was lying. He couldn’t care less about my arrival. I was only here because of the issues we were still facing and because I’d become the master at handling outside interferences. Although my position hadn’t been by choice.

Both my brothers would have started bloody wars at this point and not just in the United States.

While I accepted the gesture, I was keenly aware the men surrounding us were eager and willing to act on methods of violence.

So were we.

I’d come to New York with a single purpose in mind: signing a deal that had been in the works for several months. The family and our lucrative corporation were finally making the leap into the United States. New York would be our first stop. But the sky was the limit.

“Jeff Stern,” I said in reply.

“Yes. Come. I have a private room so we can discuss our upcoming venture.”

I trailed behind him, completely aware of the number of men hoping we’d make a wrong move. Once inside the private space, I was offered the head of the table. There were two men who’d been seated, both now standing. I didn’t appreciate being blindsided by additional guests to our discussion.

“Mack Wallace,” one of them said. “I work with Jeff.”

Nodding, I slowly turned my head toward the other man. He was older, already wearing a sneer on his face. “And you are?”

“Kenneth Baker, head of the New York State Laborers’ Union.” Neither man offered their hand in a gesture of solidarity.

“I came here as a courtesy. The deal has already been put into motion,” I stated without sitting down. This was going to be a short meeting. “I will not accept any additional codicils or interference. None.”

“Why don’t we have a drink and discuss the contract?” Jeff offered.

I glanced in his direction. He seemed anxious. His condition was easy to tell by the nervous tic in the corner of his mouth. No, it wasn’t every day a foreign crime syndicate tried to do the right thing, following the letter of the law and the union’s protocol when attempting to build another arm of our empire. Most would simply take what they wanted, leaving a reign of terror behind.

My family was more civilized, determined to make a mark in the entertainment industry. However, I wasn’t immune to the necessity of violence. As the Enforcer of our family, it was my job to keep the peace.

Even if that meant shedding blood.

“There shouldn’t be anything to discuss. The project is set to break ground in sixty days.” I was frank in my words, a sign that I wasn’t to be fucked with.

When Kenneth leaned forward, I sensed my body bristling.

“There are some issues we need to discuss.”

His words brought a smile to my face. “All issues have been worked out.”

“I’ll be frank with you, Mr. Nomikos. Unless you use men and women from our labor pool, this deal is off.”

I’d been prepared for a glitch. You weren’t successful in business if you didn’t plan for hiccups and problems. However, the labor card had been played at the end after hundreds of thousands of dollars had already been spent. Money we couldn’t recoup.

“As noted in the contract, we will use a predetermined work force of our choosing.”

Kenneth’s smile was an indication that somehow, he had the land developer by the balls. Jeff and his company had been vetted thoroughly, with no indication they were in bed with what had been described as a legal mob. The Laborers’ Union held significant political powers, the majority of companies refusing to go against them.

I wasn’t one of those men.

I planted my palms on the table, leaning over and staring him directly in the eyes. “Mr. Baker. I’m going to make this very easy for you to understand. If you attempt to place a cease and desist on this deal, I will use whatever methods necessary to ruin your organization.”

“Is that a threat, Mr. Nomikos?” he snarled.

“No, Mr. Baker. I never need to make threats to anyone. I’m simply stating a fact. I think this meeting is over with. Jeff, give me a call when we can discuss this between ourselves. But keep in mind, I’ll only be here for two additional days. After that, well… Let’s just say your loss of business will be significant.”

I turned around and headed for the door, half expecting either Jeff or his lackey Mack to follow.

No one did.

That was a clear sign of what I was up against. It would seem it was time for plan B. I doubted any one of the men would like what that meant.