“Hmm, what type of warning?” Riddle swallowed, then picked up his fork and knife to cut into his steak.
“Mira Jones,” Kong stated.
A slight frown marred his features, and he brought a piece of his medium-rare steak to his lips for a bite. Chewing slowly, Riddle aimed his fork at him.
“What about her?”
“I understand she has an arrangement with Donahue, but that bitch is about to answer for what she did.”
Riddle clearly had no idea what Kong was referring to. Shaking his head, he cut another piece of steak.
“I’m lost. What is it that you think she did?”
“It’s not what I think. It’s what I know. She and her bitch ass nephew, Danilo. You been watching the news? There was an explosion, a woman was killed?—”
“Yeah, yeah.” Riddle nodded. “I heard about that. Unfortunate for that young lady and her family. What does that have to do with you or Mira?”
“That woman meant something to me,” Kong growled, eyes cold while staring into his. “So did that baby she was carrying.”
“You mean a woman who wasn’t your wife?” Riddle nonchalantly picked up his wine glass and took another sip, peering at Kong over the rim.
Kong’s menacing glare made Riddle chuckle before setting his glass back on the table. Clearly, he’d pushed a button, and Kong’s patience was running thin.
“Look, I’m not trying to ruffle your feathers, but for months, there has been this back and forth with Donahue, Mozzi, Fire,and Nickel. I’d say both of our organizations have taken a hit. Mozzi broke the truce the minute he went after Nickel. Now you’re here threatening another part of Donahue’s operation, which in turn will affect me and my men. So, tell me what kind of warning you have for me, Kong?” Grabbing a napkin from his lap, he wiped the corners of his mouth and set it on the table.
“Ain’t a rock that bitch or Danilo can hide under. I don’t give a fuck who don’t like it. If anybody has a problem with it, don’t hide behind women and children. Step to me,” Kong announced.
“You don’t want to go around making enemies, Kong. You never know when you might need someone. Donahue is not just a nigga on payroll for me either. He’s my nephew.”
“I don’t need you, Riddle, and I don’t give a fuck if that nigga was your first born.”
“Maybe not now, but you never know. I’ve been trying to get you to see where you belong all these years. How are things at Blackmoor Industries?” Riddle queried.
“We’re not friends. Never have been. I keep it respectable for the sake of business and the people I care about in Ree Heights. The truce was put in place by you and Audiemar, and if your people can’t respect it, why should mine?”
“The shit between Mozzi and Nickel was juvenile. Let’s not forget who started that.”
“Mozzi might have started it, but Nickel had no problem provoking him every chance he got,” Kong replied.
“Fair enough. You move on Mira, and I won’t be able to stop Donahue. So, why don’t we see about making a deal?” Riddle rested his arms on the table and leaned forward, his dark eyes bouncing around Kong’s.
“What kind of deal?”
“Have Audiemar return all the ledgers and hard drives he recovered from the Bell Tower. If he delivers those, call it even.” Riddle half shrugged.
Kong studied him closely. Those ledgers were getting them a lot of favor in high places. He knew Audiemar wasn’t going for that. Turning them over meant relinquishing the power he’d gained over the last few months. So many approvals and bids had gone through without so much as anyone batting an eye, and that was good for business. There was an entire development happening on the waterfront downtown, and Blackmoor Industries was responsible for heading it up. Soon, that entire area would be revamped.
“Is that your final offer?” Kong surveyed the shift in Riddle’s gaze when he raked his eyes over him.
He didn’t know Kong well enough, but there was still a sense of familiarity between the two of them. Same breed. Tapping his finger on the table, he swiped his beard with one stroke and nodded.
“Final offer, son. Is this woman and her baby that important to you? If so, you can skip rank and get right to it without bringing Audiemar into the loop. I assume since he’s not here that means he isn’t aware of how you’re moving. It’s emotional. Uncalculated.”
Kong scoffed. A half smile even toyed with the corner of his mouth when he looked off to the side. When he shifted back into position, he stared Riddle dead in his pupils, unmoved.
“You’re under the impression that I give a fuck about any of that right now. I don’t.” Rising abruptly, Kong knocked his chair behind him and towered over Riddle. “I said what I came here to say. Wanted to make sure there were no… subliminals this time.”
Riddle simpered, eyes locked on Kong, almost with a glimmer of pride behind them. He’d heard the stories of how Kong used to be. Clever, authoritative, unorthodox. While Moose might be the muscle, and Mozzi had the tech shit down, Kong typically was the brains behind the operation. The onlytime he seemed to slip on an order was when he ran the play on Donahue. It was impulsive.
