Chapter 21
Castor
Last night will live bright in my mind until the day I die. I just hope that’s not today.
I have a meeting set with Yuri Patrovski this evening at five, about twenty minutes from now, and it’s not going to go well for one of us. The prick brought it on himself, honestly. Strong-arming the Valentino crime family is not something we sit well with. Ask the last Russian family who fucked with my crew. Or even some of the big ringers of the Cartel. They’re all part of my house’s foundation now.
Still, that doesn’t make me invincible. There’s a chance Patrovski pulls a Luger pistol on me before I say a word, which is why I have this bulletproof vest tucked under my suit.
Just don’t aim for the head, asshole.
The call earlier with him was all laughter about our casino night and events we continue to host for him. Superficial. Under the covers though, there’s unspoken blood and threats. Time to air it all out.
Range Rover tires screech as I pull harshly off the main road, onto a side street leading toward the pier. He picked the place I abducted his lackey on purpose. It’s a message – ‘return what’s mine.’ And I plan to.
I tap one of the two duffel bags where a frozen head is tucked squarely inside. If he decides to hear me out without guns blazing, he might get closure. There’s always that chance, though.
It’s a warm evening with a much needed breeze near the pier.
I’ve done these before… risky plays with big upside. It’s how I grew my kingdom to what it is today. It’s how I get a seat at the table with two dons and turn them pleadingly to my side. Money. Gold, to be exact. But I can’t keep doing these anymore. For Gia, I have to calm it down.
One more play…
My mind wanders to the night before. Cooking for her was the honor of my life. I love that woman and look forward to sneaking out again to our next adventure. She didn’t reject my beads. No. She liked my beads.
Blood starts flowing into my cock like a filled mold. God, she smelled good. Her scent is better than I ever had. I miss it. I crave it. She invades my thoughts no matter where I am. I just want to throw this job to the fucking wind and spend the night with her.
Not yet. One more big swing, Castor.
You built up your kingdom to be turned into an empire today. Then you can rest on the throne with her by your side.
Bzzt!
I pick up the phone. “Speak.”
“Hairtrigger, Ratchet, Alonzo Hammer, and Scraps all in place to proceed,” Ace reports.
That gives me comfort. Now the rest hinges on me.
One look over my shoulder shows a row of cars, with Ace waiting in one of them with his rifle. He’s got my back, but I’m worried they have their own snipers this time. Ace has been stationed there for two days, unmoved. This way, he’s got the jump on any of them setting up. So far, nothing. Just the men in the boats.
I take a deep breath, say a prayer that this night will yield fruit without bloodshed, grab my two duffel bags, and hop out of my car.
Patrovski is already waiting for me on the wooden bridge leading to his yacht. His curly hair clinging onto his bald head sways in the wind. He stands confidently – belly out, hands in his pockets – with a wry smirk. The yacht he parked today is immense. Worth thirty million, easy.
I wore black on purpose. Not my usual style, but in the unlikely event this is the night I get capped, I want to look sharp.
Kissed my girl goodbye. Hugged my friends before we parted three nights ago. Sent my mom flowers and set three bank accounts in her name.
I’m ready.
I put on my meanest mug set for hard negotiations, and head confidently toward the bridge. On the way, I notice a scope in the top level of the yacht peeking through the tinted window, as expected. Someone as experienced as Yuri probably picked out mine, too.
We stare at one another once I get to the foot of the bridge. He’s so unbothered, while I brought fire in my veins.
“If I take another step, does your man end me?” I ask, nodding at the yacht.
“No, no, no.” Patrovski waves his hand, laughing. “He only ends you if that man over there ends me.” He squints one eye and picks Ace out from his post in the car.
“Fair enough.”
“What’s in the bags, comrade? I hope for your sake it’s bars of gold for our big business venture together.” He hoots as if that moment will never come to fruition. His voice drips with sarcasm.
I don’t like it one bit.
“Gold? No, not yet. We have to make our first strides first, Yuri. It can’t be all blackjack and hookers.”
“It’s a shame. I love blackjack and hookers.” He pulls his hands out of his pockets with a cigar between his fingers and lights it.
I take my first step onto the bridge. “Now I give you a choice. You’re going to see what’s in both these bags. One you’re going to like, and one you’re… not.”
He clenches his jaw, the faux humor leaving his lips. “I don’t like games during business hours, Mr. Bullion.”
I shake my head. “No games. Just a choice.”
“Well, since I’m already getting high blood pressure from you, give me the bad bag.” He nods at me.
I toss the good bag in front instead.
“You’re going to make an old man bend down?” He snaps his tongue and crouches to unzip it. His smile grows wide. “Ah! I know that face.” He pinches the cheek and wriggles the icy skin like he’s greeting an old friend. Then he zips the bag shut in case someone walks by. “You’ve been busy, Bullion.” He gets up, hooting to himself while waving his finger at me. “You had me going for a minute. This is a sign of very good faith.”
I keep my eyes locked with his, careful not to give an inch.
“Now, c’mon. Hand over the bag of gold so we can get started on opening these channels, huh?”
I lift the bag effortlessly, holding it up by one finger. “It’s a little light for gold.”
His expression drops to concern. “What games do you play, Castor?”
He’s angry now if he’s using my real name. Good. This wasn’t meant to be a kumbaya, motherfucker. “You were never going to open your channels to me this evening, no matter what I presented to you.”
“Oh no? Why’s that?” Yuri puckers his lips.
I toss the second bag at his feet.
“I never gave you collateral.” I flash a knowing smile at him, watching as anger riles in his eyes. Those half-dead, fading eyes. I have half a mind to give Ace the signal right here. But that would be bad for business, and I don’t think my vest could stop a sniper rifle bullet.
He crouches slowly to the second duffel, hesitant.
“I guess I forgot my own strength,” I say. “There is gold in there. You just have to dig it out.”
Yuri rips open the bag and loses himself. Cursing in Russian, he springs to his feet with that old-style pistol drawn on me. It’s a tense moment of him staring me down over the pistol. Then he remembers himself, laughing that fake, gaudy laugh that he used on us in the casino all night.
“You, Castor, are something else. A short memory, perhaps. Your rivals, Martino Rigiano, pulled something like this. That’s why I goaded you to get me that one.” He nods to Salty Dom’s bag. “Now look what you’ve done. Repeating history. Tell me again how Martino ended up?”
“Martino was put down by his own kind, because he deserved it. Now put the pistol away, Yuri. And let’s discuss how it came to this.”
He straightens his arm without a care in the world that there could be others watching, threatening to pull the trigger. “We are done here. You made a terrible miscalculation by taking matters in your own hands.”
I take a step forward with my hands raised. “You aren’t pulling the trigger, because you know you’re in the wrong. We have different ways of doing business. Threatening what’s mine is not a good first step.” I step closer – now ten feet away from him – and plant myself there. “Now this is what I propose. I forgive you for your brash movement, and you take that head for what it is – your first mistake dealing with us. We talk terms, shake hands, and play blackjack again in celebration.”
We stare at each other long and hard. Of course he’s going to reject me. I just killed a close comrade. I’d imagine that strung out fuck was his version of Marco. But the fact remains – he overstepped, he made the first move, he fucked up.
“Deal’s off, comrade,” Yuri shows his teeth, his voice deep and menacing. “Rusoco was a close cousin of mine.”
“One you never should’ve thrown at me,” I say. “Your move backfired.”
He scoffs. “Here I thought you were a man of business over principle. Seems I was wrong. A hothead is no good for business.”
“Neither is a snake in sheep’s clothing.” I arc an eyebrow as he lowers the gun and stuffs it in his pants. “But we will be doing business.”
“Oh? I doubt that from where I’m standing. How I see it is, you’re going to turn around, and walk that jewelry-ridden ass back to your car, and on the way, I’ll decide whether Dima puts a bullet in the back of your head. It is in your interest to find your manners before then.”
We stare at each other for a long minute, letting tensions linger. He has no idea his crew is under my men’s crosshairs. I’ve been doing my research, Yuri, while you were trying to intimidate. You think I acted rash, which I did, because you threatened my woman, but I wasn’t going to let it end there.
“My terms extend through all of your ports, two plane channels, and truck pick-up. You keep ten percent, I keep ninety.”
I start ridiculously high, because emotions will make him scoff at anything I present – especially with Rusoco’s head at his feet.
“I’m wondering if you inhaled some terrible amount of paint, Mr. Bullion. This conversation is over. Put six thousand on black for me and await my retaliation.” Yuri grabs the duffels and turns to waddle toward his yacht.
“Aleksandr Popov, Dimitri Popov, Boris Zaigraev.” I list out his contacts, causing him to stiffen in place.
There’s no more sarcasm or playfulness in his expression, it’s all concern now.
“If you want your thriving business to continue as is, we will come to terms, here and now. Hey.” I snap my fingers. “No more sudden movements. We’re past that. Don’t reach for your phone, or your gun. Your contacts are safe… currently. But depending on how the rest of this conversation goes, you might be out some key players for life.”
“You’re bluffing. Too much poker at the casino, yes?” His voice is even, disbelieving. I have him right where I want him.
“If you don’t agree to terms, and we don’t shake on something we both find beneficial, you will find out who’s bluffing.”
Yuri plops the duffel bags down and begins walking my way, casually waving down his sniper. He puts his hands on his hips as he analyzes me. “You are very different in business dealings, where I? I am the same.” He opens his arms. “Happy, smiling.”
“As you stab me in the back.” I lift my chin. “And try to steal what’s mine.”
“You were getting cocky,” he lowers his tone. “Nothing in this life is free, my young friend. Nothing.”
“I will be exporting precious metals. They’re heavy, but it will be worth the risk,” I cut past the bullshit. “Ten percent will get you to six-hundred-thousand monthly.”
“Do you know the hoops we have to jump through to get just a kilo into this country?” he snarls.
“You don’t need to bypass dogs with the product I’m moving. All you need is men, with muscle.” I glance at the duffel bag, throwing salt on the wound.
“Ten won’t even get a wiggle on my penis. You want to do business with Patrovski?” He puts his hands on his chest. “You have to make Patrovski rock hard.”
“Fifteen,” I offer. “To get you at a cool million. You know my crew can handle it. We’ve been through the logistics. You know my men.”
I’m willing to go double that, in truth. And I’d still come out ahead of what I told the dons. Under-promise, over-deliver.
He grits his teeth. “I felt something down there,” he cackles to himself. “Might be going in the right direction.”
“We have to make our margins, Yuri. Commodities aren’t like dust. Don’t play dumb, you know the business,” I counter, cooling his metaphorical erection.
He knows I have eyes on his men, he knows I’m offended. Killing me here would do nothing but cripple his business. The cards have been laid out.
“Under normal circumstances, I would say twenty and shake your hand. But you have shown great disrespect to me this day, and I have only shown you little disrespect. You want to blow past our… hm, how do you say… unreconciled differences? Ok. Twenty-five percent. We bury this thing.”
I pretend I’m thinking it over, because if I don’t, he’ll think he’s getting a shit deal. In truth, the deal is decent – just swayed ten percent in my favor.
After the appropriate amount of time, I lift my hand and wait for his. He eyes me hard, offering a cold gaze with no smile, until he finally breaks and seals the deal.
He puts his other hand over mine. “What’s done is done, Castor. But… I cannot speak for any actions I took prior to this moment. Hm?” He winks and turns away, leaving one hand up to say goodbye. “I look forward to doing business with you. I just hope… you’re able to continue.”
My heart pounds inside my chest.
Did he get to Gia again?
No… no. I scoped everything out and even have an enforcer from an outside crew watching her back. What the fuck kind of threat was that?
I take a deep breath and pick up my phone.
“Ace, it’s done.”