17. Dax #2
“Once we cut off any connections he has to getting goods in and out of the US, sending him running to wherever he’s hiding, then I’ll kill him.
The hardest part of trapping a rat is anticipating where they’ll show up.
With all other avenues taken from him, he’ll be so fucking pissed at me he’s bound to make a mistake,” I offered.
“Marco’s one and only goal is to take me down because I’ve been the biggest thorn in his side.
He blames me for the Tesoro Cartel almost being destroyed while his father still ran things. ”
Valter watched me with a calculating gaze. “What is it you want from us? I’m sure you’re not doing this out of the kindness of your heart.”
“My goal is to get Diego out of power. Being able to fill the void he would leave is a bonus. Something I would like to see happen and feel would benefit us both is a friendship. I don’t want anything to do with your business or to build an alliance that has to be drawn up in contracts.
That being said, I feel like a healthy respect for each other would go a long way for both groups.
Just think about the benefits of having the ability to call up the person who controls the whole West Coast if you’re having a problem,” I said, leaning forward on the table, looking both at Tommaso and Valter.
“Friends like us are very good to have in our world, wouldn’t you say? ”
That finally got the old man to crack a smile. “Yes, I would agree with you on that.” His expression sobered slightly as he also leaned forward. “Yet it is hard for me to believe that you don’t want a more vested stance in this power play.”
“You want to know what I’m really getting out of this?
Fine, I get the satisfaction that finally I get to stomp out Diego, who’s been trying to undermine me the moment I got any real power.
He tried to blame his son’s death on me when he’s the one who had him killed.
Between him and Marco, they’ve blown up my house, gone after my best friend, and tried to kill me on numerous occasions.
Being able to help place the person who will take over so the De León Cartel can never rise…
” I leaned back with a smirk. “Well, that’s just the icing on the cake.
Just imagine when his flesh and blood is his demise. ”
Tommaso snorted, returning my grin. “It’s clear how you’ve managed to get where you are today. Your mind sees everything from all angles and will pull from any direction to get the piece that will solve the problem. If we are to consider friendship, you and I, then allow me to ask a few questions.”
“Go right ahead. I’ll answer them if I feel like they’re valid,” I agreed.
He looked at my men in the room, then met my gaze. “Are you sure you wouldn’t want to add one more to your group? I know you haven’t legally married any of these men, but you and I could. As you said, think of the combined power we’ll both share doing that.”
“Wow, clearly I misjudged you, Tommy,” I said with a disapproving click of my tongue. “Tell Valter to take his hand out of your ass and let you speak for yourself. If you ask another asinine question, we’ll go with plan B and pretend we never had this meeting.”
Tommaso burst out laughing and a genuine smile shone on his face.
“I can see why you need seven men to keep up with you, Dax. You’re too much for any one person to handle.
” He took a moment to compose himself, then seemed ready to ask his real questions.
“You said you wanted a friendship between us. I see the benefits it will bring to me, but I’m not sure what you feel you’ll get out of me? ”
“Ah, now we’re talking,” I responded, clapping my hands together and rubbing them before I answered.
“I looked into you, Tommy. Sorry, we aren’t friends yet.
Can I call you that?” I asked. He nodded and encouraged me to go on.
“While we were digging up information to make sure the claims were true, I was looking for other aspects of who you are as a person. You play by the rules but aren’t afraid to break them when it really matters, good or bad.
I knew you had siblings that were born after your father adopted you, and from what I could tell, you looked after them.
Just like you did with Bev back in the break room.
What I appreciate most from you is that, like me, we don’t hide who we are from those around us when we can, yet we shelter those who can’t handle the truth of who and what we are. ”
I paused a moment to look at my guys, then back at Tommaso.
“You aren’t married or have a steady woman in your life because it’s too hard to handle both, so it's easier to do without. I used to think the same way until these assholes decided they had a different plan for me. To do this, you’ll eventually need a partner in life.
To be clear, I’m not talking about myself.
Seven is more than enough for me to keep track of,” I teased.
“You’ll be good for business, plus I think you and I could work well together having similar moral compasses.
We aren’t pitch black on the scale of things, but we’re nowhere near white or even light gray.
You and I, we live that dark gray life, my friend. ”
Tommaso seemed to ponder over my long-winded answer, a finger tapping on his chin. “What would you say if you found out that I sent you those papers?” he asked, seeming to have come to a conclusion about something.
“I would say it makes a whole lot more sense,” I answered. “The more we looked into your adoption, I just had this gut feeling that Sergio knew exactly who you were. Did they have a plant in the house to know something happened to your mom and steal you away?”
“Just like that, you roll with it, and all you want to know is how they got the boy out of the house?” Valter demanded, his face a mask of confusion. “Tommaso basically told you we set you up.”
Now it was my turn to look at Don of the mafia, confused.
“Valter, just as you said before, people don’t do things out of the goodness of their hearts.
There had to be a calculated reason for someone to leave behind that kind of information.
Add to it that someone close to Tommy’s mother had to supply the photo since I’m sure Diego destroyed them.
Why would he want anyone to know there could be a mysterious firstborn child out there?
So no, I’m not shocked it was any of you that put that on our doorstep.
My real question is, did we pass your test? ”
Valter seemed satisfied with my answer and yelled something in Italian. Seconds later, in walked Beverly, her face washed clean of makeup and wearing a much more appropriate dress for working in the office.
This was the part that shocked me.
This bitch had been a plant.
“What the fuck is going on?” Cam demanded. “If you wanted us to come here and offer you an alliance, why all the games?”
Beverly, if that was really her name, sat next to Sergio. Her father smiled as he patted her leg affectionately. “Allow me to formally introduce you to my daughter, Betta. She does work here, but she’s in charge of finances for the whole production, as it were.”
“Ciao,” Betta greeted with a little wave before turning to me. “I’m sorry about all that earlier, but they told me I had to push you until you snapped to see how you would handle it.”
I pointed at her as I glared at the men. “Now that kind of shit I don’t like,” I snapped. “Do you realize what kind of danger you put her in? Thank God she didn’t make a move on any of my men, or I would have slaughtered her in a heartbeat.”
Sergio blanched at this, but Valter didn’t even blink an eye. “If you did that, then it would have told us you aren’t the person we want as our ally.”
“You were willing to put her life on the line to make that call?” I demanded, as my anger started to boil inside me.
“It’s men like you who live in the old world, thinking that women are disposable, and that makes me sick.
So because I didn’t kill her, I’m better than Diego or Marco?
That is one of the most asinine things I’ve ever heard. ”
“Little demon,” Void warned, placing his hand on mine.
I knew I was overreacting, but it was shit like this that got my twin killed. If he had a crew that really stuck by him and saw his value as a brother in their family, things could have been so different.