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After the door closed behind me, I heard voices and headed in the direction. Constantine had requested the meeting, which had been expected. Whatever the outcome, I would be eternally grateful for their assistance.
I walked through a doorway, half laughing at the vision of what I was seeing. “Now, this I didn’t expect.” I was completely shocked at the sight of a kitchen for a commercial restaurant, the massive stainless-steel appliances still covered in plastic, the walls only half finished. There were lighting fixtures ready to be installed, some out of their boxes.
Diego was the first to acknowledge my presence. I was surprised by the grin crossing his face, Dante’s much the same.
They had bottles of wine, scotch, and whiskey on a plywood- and plastic-covered table. Behind the group of powerful men was another table draped in architectural plans.
“I see you’re expanding your business.” As I walked closer, I gave them all a nod of respect. That much I owed them.
“Our business,” Constantine said as he grabbed an empty glass and the bottle of Jameson’s whiskey.
“Our?” I asked as I closed the distance.
“You didn’t tell him,” Gabriel said as he laughed.
“I wanted to keep the man in suspense.” Constantine glanced at Gabriel, rolling his eyes before walking around the makeshift table, handing me a glass.
“What is this?” I glanced around the room after accepting the glass, curious as to what was on the plans. The group allowed me to walk toward the architect’s table, remaining behind me. “The Brotherhood Bar and Grill?”
“Yep,” Brogan said from behind me. “We all went in together. We figured we needed a private place to meet.”
“In Baltimore,” I said more in passing.
“Why not?” Phoenix chortled. “It’s midway between most of our territories.”
“I think that would be Wichita,” I countered in deference to the Santos organization out of LA.
“Diego and I wanted to discuss the use of your ports for our diamond shipments,” Dante said as he walked closer.
“Oh, yeah? There might be tariffs involved.” I was teasing, my father’s words lingering in the back of my mind.
“Somehow, I think they can afford them,” Maxim growled as I would expect the man to do.
They allowed me the time to flip through the plans. When I turned around, I lifted my glass. “I like it.”
The others lifted their glasses as well and we enjoyed a few seconds of savoring our drinks. As Constantine placed his glass on the plywood table, I could tell he had something else on his mind. He picked up a file, fingering it carefully before glancing at each one of the men within the Brotherhood.
“I have some information I know you’re eager to learn,” Constantine said, his tone devoid of the jovial aspect as he’d had before.
“What kind of information?”
“As to why Rico targeted you specifically.”
His answer was succinct.
“If I seem to recall, Rico and his father targeted all of you,” I said, the ache from before in my heart returning.
“True. This highlights part of the reason why.” Constantine handed me a photograph from the file, but I could see there were others.
I glanced at it, recognizing my father, but two of the other three men I didn’t. It was obvious the picture had been taken at least fifteen, maybe twenty years before.
“What is this?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.
“Most people don’t understand that my father was the vision behind the Brotherhood. As you know, he was friends with your father,” Constantine said with reverence in his voice.
“I certainly had no idea and my father never told me.” While I was surprised my father had never said anything, it made sense as to why my joining the Brotherhood had been important for him.
“Well, given it was a catalyst for an assassination attempt on my father’s life, your father as well, I can understand why.” Constantine studied me as he brought the glass to his lips.
