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“Sit.” I say it quietly, but there’s no mistaking the steel in my voice.
He stares me down a moment, but finally slumps back into the seat.
“We’ve come to an agreement,” I continue. “An easing of hostilities between us. They’re going to start buying out our operations in the city, until we’re out of the game for good.”
Chase shakes his head, looking disgusted. “Are you out of your fucking mind? That’s Barretti territory, and you’re just giving it up? Land we’ve fought and bled for. That our men have died for.”
“I’m not giving it up, I’m selling it for a premium, I might add. And those men are the reason I’m doing this,” I shoot back. “What other solution do you see? More blood spilled, more good men dying, and for what?”
“For honor,” Chase grinds out. “For power.”
“We can have power without all this bullshit carnage.” I insist. “Hell, the cash coming in from this real estate development will dwarf anything the Barrettis have ever made from crime. We’ll be able to buy this whole city. That’s real power—and it doesn’t mean sacrificing our futures, either.”
“Future?” Chase makes a contemptuous snort. “Yeah, I should have guessed. This is about Lily, isn’t it?”
He’s scornful, and I feel my defenses raise at the mention of her name.
“This plan was in motion long before she came back into my life,” I inform him coldly. “Hell, I’ve mentioned it often enough.”
“And I hoped you’d see sense,” he replies. “Realize this is as good as it gets. Fuck, Nero, you’re giving up, when you should be doing the opposite. Expanding Barretti territory, not shrinking it. Run this city, the way your father always dreamed.” He urges me. “It’s your destiny. It’s in your fucking blood.”
His words are a familiar refrain. I’ve been hearing them my whole goddamn life. And I always believed them, too.
Until Lily made me want something different.
Made me believe I could take it.
“My destiny is what I make it,” I tell him fiercely. “And I’m not asking permission, I’m telling you, this is how it’s going down. Get with the program or get the fuck out.”
Chase gets up again, shoving his chair aside. “This is bullshit,” he scowls. “You’ll see.”
He turns away from me and storms out of the office.
I sigh. That went about as well as I expected, but still, I hate that he sees my moves as a betrayal, instead of the ultimate sign of loyalty.
It’s because I care about my people that I want them to be safe. Able to live their lives without the constant threat of violence and death.
Able to build a future, without wondering if tomorrow will come.
But he’s right, too. Even though my plans were in motion long before Lily came back into my life, having her here has made me even more certain that this is the right path. As much as we joke about George and Mary, and their ordinary suburban lives, I can see the longing in her eyes, thinking about a normal life.
No Feds, or rival gangs. No explosions, or constant threat of danger.
I want to give that to her. Hell, I want it for myself. To wake up with her every morning like I did today and know that I can keep her safe. To build a future together. A home.
Having kids who won’t grow up the way I did: Cursed to continue my father’s twisted legacy.
And now, it’s finally within reach.
I finishup at the office, and head over to the construction site. I’ve spent years strategically buying up buildings in one neighborhood on the east side of Manhattan, buying out tenants and bribing landlords with whatever cash it took. Now, I have a parcel of land that stretches an entire city block. With Lily’s help, and my take-no-prisoners tactics, I secured all the zoning permits I needed to raze it to the ground, and start transforming the rundown buildings into a huge, high-end developments. Retail. Offices. Luxury condos. This isn’t small-time mafia shit, this is the next level. Billionaire territory. The value is already skyrocketing, and I’ve had numerous offers to buy, for ten times what I’ve put in.
I turned them all down. This is going to be the new Barretti legacy. A billion-dollar empire, totally legal and legit.
And all mine.
I drive onto the site, which is the usual madhouse of construction, crew, and equipment. The skeleton of one of the first buildings is up, towering ten stories high—and climbing. I find Kyle hanging out with the town car, so I pull up beside him, and get out.
“Lily around?” I ask.
