Chapter 48
Tyler
" B oss, Mrs." My assistant greeted us. "Mr. Columbine and his associates are here to see you."
Turning to my wife, whose head was resting on the back of the cream-colored leather sofa with her hands on her belly, I nodded and rose to my feet from my position at my desk. She swallowed and straightened herself, ceasing her moaning about her pregnancy cravings.
Through the thick, wooden, double office doors came several armed men. They stood in a line ahead of their boss, Mr. Columbine, who stepped out from within them.
See, here's the thing about mob life. There's no leaving, unless you're in a body bag, or you're incredibly lucky. For a few years, I managed to stay out of it until I fucked up. So, it's safe to say my luck had run out.
However, there's something else about this life. There are a few perks.
Usually, if the family member of a mob boss is killed by another mob boss, it's a sign of disrespect, whether or not they liked the family member. It's a challenge. A call to war. But if they didn't like the family member, and it was an 'accident', you can sometimes manage to talk them into letting bygones be bygones as long as there are resources involved, and as long as you're heavily protected, of course. If there's one thing mob bosses love more than their own, well—after themselves, it's money and power.
All I needed was some ears through the grapevine to find out that the Columbine family had turned against their own, which was why this Carter was on the run in the first place, why he was trying to bamboozle Lily's men out of $50 million dollars. He was so coddled and privileged by his mother that he didn't have to dirty his hands in the business. As such, he was naive. Only an idiot would concoct such an elaborate plan and demand that much money while being a one-man army.
After his mother died, his father wanted him to become more involved with the business. She had made him feel as if he was this big man, and well, he committed an unspeakable sin. He tried to join forces with a rival family to overthrow his father, trying to prove himself.
Big mistake.
He and his father never had a strong relationship. In fact, the father was a brutal enforcer and his son hated him. He'd only allowed his mother to go so easily on him, because he loved his wife so much. He always thought his son was a pussy.
And a pussy who got in bed with the enemy? Well, he had to go.
Now, this had to be inside knowledge, because on the outside, they were a tight unit, putting on a united front. And so, when Carter was killed, the show had to go on. Revenge had to be enacted for his death.
That's until I reinstated my position on my throne and decided to surrender my parts of New York to him, taking up my new residence across the country. Even though I had surrendered my position a few years ago, mob families had rivaled over who was next to control my territory. When I returned, it was a matter of rebuilding and making a few connections. By right, with contracts that can't be broken (otherwise the whole mob family hierarchy would fall apart), I had reclaimed my ownership of my territory and I could decide who I surrendered it to. Naturally, I chose the Columbine family, for my wife and unborn child.
"The deal is closed. I have your word that you will leave my family and everyone involved out of this." I finished signing the final agreement, put it in an envelope and handed it over to him.
"Well, I didn't know Tyler The Great had a heart. Your missus. These friends. It's..." The Columbine patriarch sniffed. "...touching."
I didn't smile back and I didn't take my eyes off him, though I was hyper-aware that my wife had just swallowed a huge gulp of air.
Columbine chuckled and opened his arms up. "Well, I'd like to avoid starting a war, wouldn't I?" He looked around.
I was aware that he could have taken the contract and ordered his men to put a bullet in mine and my wife's head. But he was on my territory. And as he looked around what appeared to be an empty room, he was no fool. The click of the safety on the gun being switched off would have this office flooded with men. If he took a shot, he would not leave here alive. And if he targeted us outside of this office, well, as I said, I have my connections. He'd be picking a fight, not only with me, but my allies, providing I can offer them more than what he could offer them—and that they could kill me before I found out that they were making deals with my enemy. The people who work for me have families too, families they would protect with their lives. And Columbine is right, I only have a soft spot for a few.
"Congratulations on the marriage, and the whole becoming a dad thing. I hope your bastard's more loyal than mine ever was." With that, he left the room.
Ann-Marie exhaled when the doors closed and the room was once again filled with silence. Her eyes were filled with disapproval as usual, but she made no other suggestions. She had accepted her fate. She married a mob boss. And like I said, you don't leave unless you're in a body bag, or you're lucky. None of us were ready to die and our baby hadn't gotten a chance to live. So, this was our new life together, whether either of us liked it or not. While I did miss being back in my chair and having the liberty to kill, I'd trade it in any day for the safety of my kid. It just so happened that his safety and my position in the mob went hand in hand together. I couldn't work out whether or not Ann-Marie hated me for that yet.