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Cruz
“Have you cornered the bastard yet?” Alessandro asked. My brother rarely minced words, especially given he’d wanted to handle the second reason I’d traveled to New Orleans. Since returning from time spent in prison, he’d craved getting his hands dirty and would if it wasn’t for his desire to spend time with the woman he’d fallen in love with. That had shocked me more than his demand I turn over the reign for the Montenegro Empire after his release.
“I have a meeting with Rodriguez later today.” I stood staring out the window of the office in the house I’d rented for the duration of my stay. I had little patience for my brother’s demands, preferring to work on my own. The two of us had butted heads for years, never seeing eye to eye on anything. Maybe the biggest surprise of all since his return had been his encouragement to pick up my paintbrushes again.
How long had it been since I’d touched a color palette or canvas? Now I spent hours every night creating expressions of my intense emotions. I’d longed to leave the family business, but that wasn’t possible.
“He has an ulterior motive for being in town, not just because of the deal. The man is a true pig.”
Laughing, I twisted the onyx ring back and forth. A symbol of power. In my world, there were few enemies who didn’t understand its significance. “Do I need to remind you that I handled the discussions with him in your absence?”
Alessandro exhaled. Obviously, I’d riled him. Too bad. My patience was on the low end of the spectrum today. There was a single reason why.
Eden.
I’d thought of nothing but her all night, storming into the room I’d turned into a studio where I’d spent hours creating exactly the way I’d felt about meeting her. Our electric connection had sealed her fate.
“Do I need to remind you that he killed the Miami Don last week in broad daylight? He has plans on expanding through the south.”
“As rumor would have it.”
“That means he’s using what the two of you call a highway to slide into New York.”
“I won’t allow that to happen,” I snarled. I’d be striking a check to the man for premium product, although it hadn’t been my decision to make.
“See that you don’t, brother. I have no intention of taking out the trash you created.”
Trash. His level of diplomacy had blown several deals. While both Alessandro and I had agreed that we would be phasing out illegal drugs as a method of increasing our wealth, that took time in order to leave our reputation intact. Proctoring a deal with Rodriguez would provide flexibility in our plans for restructuring our organization.
Even if it went against everything our father had believed in, building the empire on blood and sweat.
The tears shed had been from our crushed enemies.
We also had other reasons for keeping a solid line of good product for now.
Ammunition.
“Are you returning after the meeting?” he asked, a question I knew was coming. For all his pontificating about handling business his way, he preferred having me by his side to handle the more delicate issues.
“Not until the deal is done.”
“Why do I have the feeling you have another reason to stay in the Big Easy, brother? Perhaps a taste of the sinful life?” While he was jesting, he had no idea how close to the truth he was.
And he wouldn’t approve of dragging up the past.
“I don’t trust Rodriguez any more than you do. I’m staying until the deal is done.”
“Agreed. Did you have a conversation with the good senator?”
His change in tone indicated the hatred he had for the man. Senator Campbell had been determined to bring legislation in front of Congress that would make the lives of every crime syndicate hell. “All I needed was to provide the proof we’d become aware of his past for him to see the light.”
The man had been a clever extortionist in his past, but he’d made a single mistake, leaving a trail I’d found months before. We now held his future in the palm of our hand. It would seem no one could hide from their pasts.
Secrets were deadly.
“Then I’d say your trip has already been worthwhile. What about Wallace?”
I found it interesting how many criminals escaped their harsh circumstances, making New Orleans their new home. If only the upstanding citizens knew how many brutal men and women had adopted their city as both a hiding place and hunting ground. Sanford Wallace wasn’t dangerous. He was just an idiot if he believed he could get away with extorting close to a million dollars from our organization. “You don’t need to question my methods, brother. As you’ve reminded me more than once, I can be a scheming bastard.”
