Chapter 21
In Motion
Elizaveta
I get all my ducks in row to come here out in open. I do favor for this Italian many times in past. Da, he owes me this audience.
I know, like me, he has been hiding since the Alliance took power. Now he and I can take that power back. My mind made up.
“I want each of them to lose a son before I kill them all. Let them feel what I have felt.” I seethe.
He grunts and nods his head for me to continue. I look him over, pondering if he can get this done. Times have changed, there are lots of broken spirits.
Many have given up. I need to be sure he can finish this. This last of money, I have no more.
“I have eleven million for you to do this for me,” I say.
“Rumor has it you don’t have that kind of money to throw around anymore,” he replies.
I snarl and look him over. He should want to do this for free. The Alliance has taken just as much from him. LaSalle responsible for that scar he now wears across his face and one down his right eye.
It almost looks like he has crucifix embossed in skin. He should be angry to now be so ugly. I snap my fingers and wave Miroslav forward with cases of money.
“Net, you shouldn’t listen to everything you hear. You do job, I pay.”
“Why should I trust you? It was your little bitch who royally fucked up that hit that would have kept the Alliance from ever seeing the light of day. Now you want to fix it,” he growls.
“Bitch does not belong to me. I never gave okay for her to do job in my name. Neither did my sisters. That was your mistake,” I bite out, growing tired of this.
“Will you do job or no?”
“How do you Russians say? Da, I will make it happen. A son from everyone.
“But in good faith, you will have to leave half the payment up front. I’m sure you understand my caution and all,” he says.
I frown. I don’t trust him, but I have no other choice. This needs to come from him.
Once it is done, I will be able to make my next play. I have the resources to make that move. If I try to handle both it will be risk I’m not prepared to take.
Will I take if forced to? Da, I will. Now I will die before I let this go. I look deep into his eyes as I make final decision.
“I have your word?”
“On my sons’ lives. They will all have a dead son before I’m done.”
“Good, this is very good. You understand the terms if you betray me.”
With that warning hanging in the air, I get up to walk out. I pat Miroslav on shoulder as I walk by and nod for him to leave one case behind with half of payment.
“It’s good doing business with you,” he calls after me.
This man is already forgotten. He will serve his purpose and I will be done with him. Now wait.
Spinelli
It takes everything in me not to put a bullet in the back of this bitch’s head. All of this is her fault. Her and those fucking sisters of hers.
As I sit in this office, nearly half the size of the one in my old home, I can’t help but loathe her.
As a frown comes to my face, the tightening of my scarred skin causes me to loathe her even more.
I don’t owe her shit, and this is straight disrespect for her Russian ass to even come to me as if she had nothing to do with why our counter efforts failed.
“Marone, can you believe the nerve of her?” I say after she leaves my office.
“What do you plan to do? Why are we sticking our necks out for her? That money isn’t worth it.”
“You don’t actually think I plan to do this shit, do you?”
“But you—”
“What’s she going to do if I don’t deliver? The Alliance has already depleted everything she has. She’s worse off than we are. This is probably her last.”
“What do you want me to do, boss? Do we at least make it look like we tried?”
“For Christ’s sake. First, someone needs to open a fucking window in here.”
Her perfume is lingering in the air like a fucking blanket trying to cover everything else up. My dog could take a shit right in this office and I doubt I would smell it over that shit she bathes in. The scent is disgusting.
I wave Antonie off. Sometimes he’s all muscle and no brains. I, on the other hand, have been using my brain since I realized there was no stopping the Alliance from happening.
I could only allow it to rise and then cause it to implode. They have too many bosses at one table. That’s not going to last.
I’ll just give things a little help at the right time. Then we rebuild better than ever. I will hand my sons everything that was meant for them.
This is only a hiccup in the road. Real men know how to get back up after they’re knocked down. I have gotten up before, and I will do it again.
“We do nothing. Are you forgetting I have a plan of my own in motion? The long game is what I’m playing.
“I’ll take them out by their knees. That stupid cunt just bought me a few more years with her deposit. None of them will see me coming.
“That much I’m sure of and when they do, it will be too late. I’ll have my claws in, and I’ll be ripping them apart by the time they have a fucking clue.”
“That’s going to be something, boss.”
I snort. It sure is. When I’m done, everyone will bow to me for slaying the dragon. LaSalle Locatelli might be calling the shots for now, but wait until he gets a load of me.
I was smart enough to see the writing on the wall. After coming face-to-face with LaSalle and that motherfucker carving up my face, I got out while I could but not before taking a little insurance for my next play. Elizaveta can suck my cock.
“She’ll be dead within the year,” I scoff.
“Too bad we only got half.”