AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You’ll hear soon. This week I bet. In time for the summer crowds.” Louisa added.
“I sure hope so, because my life dream of success and willingness to work hard, does not end with a full time career working at the Point in the café. I need more. I want more in life. I’ve sacrificed a lot to get here, and to face my fears. Looking for a job in the city will challenge those fears head on. The least fate could do is grant me a super job I love and make great money at.” Annabella exclaimed. Louisa raised her glass.
“To Annabella getting a super bad ass, high paying manager’s job at some sexy, upscale club in the city that she of course can get us into for free.” Louisa said and chuckled as her friends all cheered, raised their glasses and toasted.
Annabella shook her head smiling as they clinked glasses. These weren’t just her friends. These women were her family, and thank God she had them or she would be completely alone, and perhaps those fears would intimidate her enough to kill her determination to succeed. She was a survivor and survivors don’t allow fear to rule.
****
Dante listened as Ivan spoke to the heads of the families. In the last five years he turned everything around on them. A natural, a man destined to be great drew attention to himself immediately as he spoke. They all listened. You could hear a pin drop when this man spoke. He was charismatic, hardcore, and intimidating. Though Ivan was Dante’s cousin and he had supported him from the start, he feared him too. That ability to make people shutter, to shake in his presence was a gift and Ivan had that gift. The past had changed him. Turned him into a cold, fearless man who not only dominated and succeeded in business, but in the life he created, and the new order of power over the five families.
He was intelligent, untrusting, professional and diplomatic when he needed to be. He never, ever showed any kind of emotion. His threats were taken seriously and his actions were fierce just like him. Dante felt proud, as did his father Clive. Ivan made it so that every one of these leaders, the Marcollies, the Yolkovs, the Kolochecks and other heads all were in line under Ivan’s power. Thirty-six years old, the man owned numerous businesses, was a multi-millionaire and now had a cut in every family operation to ensure that they continued to prosper. He was a fucking genius, and more than anyone expected. In ten years he had done what most men with an army couldn’t complete in a lifetime.
Dante hid his smirk, remained straight faced and stood close by as Ivan’s top enforcer and guard. His security was top notch, and he was developing this new security company that would make his fortune expand immensely, and Dante was right by his side.
“Ivan, I mean no disrespect when I say this, but you need to ease up a little. There’s money to be made all around. Your need to have a hand in everyone’s business is causing them to go under.” Lanka Volcheck told him.
“Those businesses fail because of bad management. Nothing under my control, fails. Lanka.”
“What about the new drug market? Several of us are trying to get deeper involved, perhaps add more territory, and you aren’t allowing it.” Lanka added.
“The drug business is a dirty one, and all the families have agreed it’s time to pull back and let other families, non-Russian ones lead in the limelight. If the shit hits the fan and cops or feds come looking, it will be them they go after, not any of us. Our families combined, established those territories, the warehouses, the routes and have made millions, by not being the faces to those routes yet reaping the financial benefits of them is a no brainer as far as
I’m concerned and as far as the other heads of the families are concerned. There’s nothing more to discuss. Move on. I’ve got other important things to attend to today.” Ivan snapped and immediately Lanka lowered his eyes in obedience, but he didn’t look happy.
The room was silent. None of these men would dare challenge a man like Ivan. He had shown such strength and power, had proven his capabilities in all areas of being head of the families. He was a feared man in more ways than one. He also got rid of anyone who was disloyal or refused to accept his power and authority. He did crazy shit, but his thought was that by doing so it made people take him seriously, helped all the families get a cut in the action as they deserved, and he did it in a way that made people fear him.
Fear was a very powerful emotion to control. Ivan had nothing to lose but his life and ultimately he claimed to not really care. It made him invincible, un-touchable in so many ways. He didn’t get nervous, or worry about failure. Facing death, having a price on his head, and surviving never mind taking over completely had shocked all the families. He showed everyone that he was more than capable of heading the families, and having the support of more than ninety percent of them. Even those overseas respected his actions and the money he brought in to all the families. His skill, his capabilities were like no others. His success was his own, and Dante supported him a hundred percent.
“No other questions or concerns?” Dante asked.
No one said a word.
“Then we’re done.” Ivan commanded and he stood up. Everyone did, and bowed their heads and exited the room one by one.
Once they were gone and the doors closed he looked at Dante.
“Have Mirnon watch Lanka. He’s up to something.” Ivan said so matter-of-factly, if Dante wasn’t used to the man not showing emotions he would have thought he wasn’t serious, but he knew Ivan well. Something was up.
“Ivan, what could he be up to? He’s scared of you.”
“He’s been talking with Myran Shaw. Do it now.” He demanded. Dante didn’t know how his cousin knew and he never asked. Ivan was always right. His paranoia, need for control and intensity made him a feared man. Anyone who crossed Ivan could end up dead or at minimum, bankrupt and on the streets.
Dante walked out of the room to make the call, leaving Ivan alone standing by the window. Something was brewing, what, he didn’t know, but something.
****
Ivan stared out at the city skyscrapers. His hands on his hips under his black, custom, suit jacket, his arm brushed against his Glock, and holster. He watched the hustle and bustle below as traffic congested the roadways and people infiltrated the sidewalks. It was a city of opportunity. A city he had investments in, and a sense of control over bigger things, better things than most of those people hurrying through life. He no longer had any fears. He conditioned himself to expect death at any given time making him somehow feel invincible. No challenge went undefeated. No task was too big, too dangerous or controversial.
He exhaled. A changed man, one who feared nothing. Felt nothing but the need for control of all aspects of his life, his goals, and his agenda. He went from fearing for his life, waiting to be annihilated, to building up power behind locked doors. A lamb transformed into a wolf with the plunge of a knife into human flesh, a pull on a trigger all in the path of survival. A changed man indeed, his business sense along with his lack of fear were a combination that made the family more money than ever before.
In fact, he no longer had a hands on approaching new endeavors. Except for the security company, he was taking favors he did for certain people he knew who were involved in other industries, and business, and now was forming a clientele list. This business could be huge by now but he kept things small, made his services so well worth the price that there was a waiting list. He wasn’t quite ready to go public, but he would once he secured that building in town, and then finalized appointing someone to the position. It would be a success like everything else he had, except this security business would be more legit than not.
Ivan did what he wanted, when he wanted and somehow over the last ten years he’d developed an empire. His twenties were lost in the first five years hiding out, planning, and manipulating his route to success and take over. He was a feared man instead of the one afraid. He didn’t take that for granted, instead he celebrated it every day by continuing to dominate, to control, to buy, to command and to lead. A Russian American. A made man… made in America.
His cell phone rang interrupting his thoughts. Glancing at the caller I.D. he saw it was Commerce, a man he went to school with, served in the military with, and had known for many years. A man he considered not just a great friend, but family. He worked for the government in the military field, his expertise phenomenal.
“Tell me you aren’t overseas, and talking to me by satellite phone?” Ivan asked and turned away from the window a moment, the cell phone to his ear.
