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Twenty-Six
Damian hadCole stop at Aria’s favorite Thai food restaurant for dinner before heading home. He would miss his quiet night alone with her, but he hadn’t seen Cole much lately, and he was looking forward to hiscompany.
The added security of knowing he was on hand if Gatti tried something at the house was abonus.
They were discussing the assets they’d taken over from the Fiore organization when they pulled through the gate at the front of the Westchesterproperty.
“It would be a mistake to fire them all,” Damian said as they started up the long drive. “Some of them will dissipate on their own, but others may take up arms against us. The territory will be more profitable if it’s atpeace.”
Peace. Such a small, unfamiliarword.
He was surprised by how much he wantedit.
“I don’t disagree,” Cole said as he steered the car around one of the curves that helped shield the house from the road. “But the loyalty question istroubling.”
“There are ways to test their loyalty,” Damian said. “And frankly, I’m inclined to think we have a better shot at loyalty if we give them jobs andraises.”
Theirs was a unique business. The men — and rarely, women — who were part of it were drawn to it because they had issues with traditional authority. Their brand of rebelliousness was essential to the smooth running of the organization, to the risks involved with allying oneself with illegalenterprises.
But it also meant they were more likely than the average person to revolt against oppressive authority or fight back if they feltwronged.
A rogue, disgruntled soldier was manageable, but he didn’t need a handful of them. Better to keep them happy, show them there was room for them in the new operation run by Damian and the Syndicate if they could abide by a newmodel.
“Our men will raise hell if the Fiore soldiers are paid more,” Colesaid.
“They won’t be,” Damian said. “Fiore was underpaying them. Even bringing them close to our traditional pay scale will be an increase. We can keep them just below our men, tell them another increase is in the cards if they prove theirloyalty.”
“Maybe,” Colesaid.
Damian wasn’t surprised by Cole’s reticence. He was distrustful by nature, slow to warm to outsiders and even slower to give them hisconfidence.
“We’ll figure it out,” Damiansaid.
They emerged into the courtyard and Damian spotted the armored SUV that was now part of Aria’s private security detail. He wondered if he would ever stop being happy to know she was waiting forhim.
He was picturing her face when the explosion ripped through the house in front of hiseyes.
