“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.”
