Chapter 4
Sebastian
We’d had a private water taxi pick us up from San Marco and take us to the outskirts of Venice to collect the car. It wasn’t just down the road; it was a good hour and a half drive, and we were going to be out all day.
A sinking feeling hit the pit of my stomach as I checked my phone again for a reply from Aria. I’d lied to her about where we were, and she’d picked up on it immediately.
“She’s probably busy shopping with Serfina,” Hayden said, clearly noticing something was up.
“She normally replies straight away. What if she didn’t believe me?”
“You told her you’d call her later. What’s she got to say to that? You chose not to tell her the truth.”
“What was I meant to say?” I glanced over to him. “Yes, I am driving, Aria. Straight to an Italian drug lord’s house to negotiate a deal to get his products into the UK so we can distribute them.” I looked back at the road. “She would have loved that.”
Hayden chuckled. “Mate, you brought it on yourself.”
“Unhelpful as always.”
“I always give you sound advice. You’re the one who chooses not to take it.”
I wasn’t going to tell her anything. I’d keep it a secret for as long as I could—which would hopefully be forever. All I wanted to do was keep her protected from the underground world. She was too special to have it ruin her as it had before. I wouldn’t be the man to do that to her again.
“I’m not talking about this right now.”
He let out a heavy breath and probably rolled his eyes at me—like he always did when I didn’t want to talk about these things.
I slowed the car as we reached the metal gates of the villa.
The guard stepped out of the hut, an AK-47 strapped around his armoured body.
He eyed us and slowly walked around my car, then made his way back into the hut.
The gates started to open, and I continued into the shadows of the dirt track, trees covering each side.
As we neared the end, the trees began to open up, allowing the light to return.
The dirt track turned into a concrete drive leading to a terracotta villa, guards patrolling the area. I slowed next to the huge water fountain in front of it
“If I die before I get married, I’m going to haunt you,” Hayden said, looking at me.
I snorted. “This guy wants us; we don’t need him.”
“Just don’t start anything.” Concern filled his voice.
I reached for the glove compartment, took my Glock from it, and placed it in my holster.
“When have I ever started anything that wasn’t necessary?”
“There was that time in London when you fucked up that rival’s leader.”
“He looked at me funny.”
“That’s exactly what I mean.”
“You know me, Hayden, and if—”
He interjected. “That’s the thing. I do know you. I know how the slightest thing can flip that switch in your head, and I don’t want to see that man today. In fact, I really don’t want to see him ever, for your sake.”
“It’s not the same as before. Stop worrying.”
Nothing was the same now that I had Aria.
“Get out of the car,” I said.
He rolled his eyes, then grabbed his gun and placed it behind his back, and we stepped out. A man in his late twenties walked out in a tailored suit. He brushed back his blonde hair and greeted us with a smile.
“Mr Knight, Mr Lyons. Glad to finally meet you. I’m Marco, Luca’s right-hand man. If you follow me, I’ll take you to him.”
I gave him a curt nod, and we followed him through the front doors, into a spacious grand foyer boasting ancient white statues of godly creatures.
The floors were marble with pale blue and white blending into each other like one of those old vases.
We continued through one of the many archways, the walls covered in hand-painted murals of what looked like angels in a cloudy sky.
We passed about four doors before finally reaching the double black ones at the end.
Marco opened them into a room, and there was Luca, sitting behind a sleek black table.
A metal coffee pot sat on the table with little coffee cups on a decorative silver tray.
“Sebastian, Hayden. Lovely to see you both.” He stood, shaking our hands.
Marco poured us each a coffee as we sat around the table. I picked up the cup, and the nutty tones hit my nose. I took a sip, the liquid warming my throat as it slid down smoothly, hitting all the right spots.
“Are you enjoying Venice? It is a lovely place to visit.”
“Yeah. We go home tomorrow, but it’s been a really nice trip,” Hayden said.
“Only a short stay?”
“We’ve got commitments back in England.”
I needed to be at the Organisation as much as I could at the moment. I’d been out of it for so long that I wanted to make sure everything was tight and running smoothly. With word starting to get out that I was back, it put more of a target on our backs.
“That is a shame.” He took a sip of his coffee. “I guess we’d better get down to business then.” He leaned forward, resting his arms on the table.
“Valon said you want in on London.”
“You are correct. We supply around Italy, but I am looking to branch out.”
“What are you offering?”
He looked over at Hayden and me, silent for a moment as he placed his cup down.
“Seventy-thirty.”
“No chance.”
“I think that’s more than reasonable. These are excellent products.”
“Excellent or not, no one in their right mind would agree to that split.”
Luca sipped his coffee, clearly pondering his next move. Hayden tapped his foot on the floor, part warning not to get him into trouble. But he knew how I worked with these deals, and I wasn’t a pushover.
“I think I am being more than fair.”
Scrubbing my hand over my stubble, I paused for a moment. This was an everyday occurrence in the office—someone trying to push their luck and not realising I’d been groomed at a young age for this shit.
“I’ve got someone to scout out the routes to get it out of Italy without it being detected. Legal paperwork for customs to allow it to pass through. Men in border control and people to distribute it. What have you got?”
He leaned back in the chair. “Fair point, Sebastian.”
“Now, are we going to come to an arrangement or not?”
“I can see what kind of man I’m dealing with. Your reputation precedes you.”
Good. I didn’t have time for silly games when it came to business.
He sat there for a moment, looking over Hayden and me. “I like you, Sebastian. You seem the type to get shit done with no issues. That’s what I need.”
“I’m not one to sit around. You want to make money, fine. If not, then that’s your problem, not mine.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“We flip it. Seventy-thirty in my favour.”
He let out a small laugh and finished his drink. “Now who’s being unreasonable?”
“We don’t need you, Luca; you need us. You want me to put my men at risk whilst yours do nothing? Not going to happen. If you want to put your men on the table, then I’ll reconsider, but right now you aren’t offering us much.”
He paused again, pressing his lips together.
“Look,” I said, resting my arms on the table. “There’s no comeback on you. Everything is on our side. I won’t have my men work for pennies whilst you sit there benefiting from it. I’m not that type of man, and I never will be.”
Hayden shifted in his chair and let out a heavy breath. He was worried I was going to do something stupid. A few years ago, I would have put a bullet in this guy for such an offer, but he didn’t need to worry. I was different.
“I see how much you care about them getting what they deserve in this line of business. I admire that in someone. That you wouldn’t walk all over them to make yourself a few extra on the side.”
“I’d never do that.”
“It confirms something I wasn’t sure of before I met you. Sixty-forty, your favour.”
I paused for a beat, looking him over to make him sweat, then I shifted in my chair.
“I’ll agree to it,” I told him.
He clapped his hands together as a smile spread on his face. “Now that business is over with. Why don’t you stay for lunch? The chef is making lobster.”
“Thank you for the offer, but we have prior engagements.”
“Very well, Sebastian. I’ll be in touch to arrange the first shipment.”
I gave him a curt nod, and we all stood to shake hands. Marco led Hayden and me back out through the house to the car, said his goodbyes, and left. We got in, and I started the engine.
“I have to admit, you handled that pretty well,” Hayden said.
“Look, you don’t need to worry about me. Being back in doesn’t mean I’m going back to that man as well. He’s gone. I’ve got too much to lose now. I wouldn’t risk it.”
He looked over at me. “I really hope so, mate.”