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“Nothing was said to her, was it?” I snarled. Anyone who allowed children to be put in the middle of their warring business deserved a fate worse than death.
Francois shook his head. “Fortunately not, but it rattled Louie. The caller disguised his voice, the duration too short to trace, which in turn has made him angry all over again, insisting he doesn’t want a part of our life. But the threat was meant for you, Arman. Tell your brother he’ll be the first to die. Then you’ll be next.”
“Fuck.” I rubbed my eyes, the ache behind them increasing. “I’ll double the number of soldiers on his family. Quietly.”
“He doesn’t want that,” Pops snapped.
“He doesn’t get a choice. He gave that up when he walked away from his duties.” What bothered me more than the threat itself was that it was beneath Thomas. He truly believed in walking the right side of the law. “Does the name Travis Ramsey ring a bell?”
Francois narrowed his eyes. “I’ve seen his name appear recently on a warrant issued by the DEA.”
I gave him my full attention. My brother had a fabulous way of keeping secrets. “You’ll need to explain. Another threat?”
“Ramsey is a lowlife, a man who has secrets of his own, but he’s now in a position to become dangerous to us and every other crime syndicate,” Pops said.
If I had to guess, I’d say our not so illustrious past with Thomas was crowding into the present. I was more than curious what Ramsey had to do with it.
“I think you both need to explain what in the fuck you’re talking about.” I knew instantly my heightened anger and arrogance had driven my father into a bad mood by the harsh expression on his face as he looked at me.
“Let’s start by saying it would appear Devin Carlos could become a problem. That’s of course in addition to what we will end up handling regarding the FBI.”
It seemed as if my father was eager to exact revenge.
“Go on.” Exhaling, I eased onto the edge of my seat. Carlos, the brutal dictator was considered the Don of the southwest, his regime located in the heart of Texas. He thought of himself as an honest rancher, the twenty thousand acres he owned in part forcibly taken from neighboring families. His bread and butter remained the drug industry, but he was moving into other, even more lucrative operations, stepping on our territory. That included real estate.
Long before he’d become a man of power, we’d held control of certain aspects of Texas. He’d resented our presence as well as our influence, issuing threats from time to time. We’d never taken them seriously. The man knew better than to start a war. Or so I’d thought. “The fucker threatened Louie.”
Francois glanced at our father. “Yeah, but there’s more.”
“What is going on?” I glanced from one to the other.
Francois shifted in his seat. “It would appear he’s making good on threats made almost six months ago. I would definitely place him on the top of the list for issuing one to Louie.”
“What did he do?” I asked, my anger increasing. Although I could certainly make an educated guess. We had a development company headquartered in Dallas, properties being built in several states. We’d outbid Carlos on several pieces of property, which had created additional bad blood. His threat to burn down one of our establishments was the most egregious to date.
“The construction office was torched; thousands of dollars of materials stored in the shed as well. While it was labeled an accident, I can guarantee you Carlos is responsible.” My father’s voice was even but I could tell by white-knuckled hold on his glass that he was furious, seeking revenge.
Fuck. It was the latest business opportunity, one that would help us branch out even further into the west.
“But he’s yet to claim responsibility?” I asked.
“Correct. The fire burned so hot it destroyed a truck and the load of construction material recently brought in.” Francois glanced in my direction.
“Anyone hurt?” My question was laced with rage of my own.
Pops took another gulp of his drink. “The foreman who tried to put out the fire, but just second-degree burns. He’ll be fine.”
I leaned back, rubbing my finger across my bottom lip. “I think Don Carlos should be paid a visit.” When I lifted my gaze toward Francois, he nodded in agreement. “He needs to understand we will not tolerate methods of extortion or threats made to anyone inside this family.” The timing was interesting. Was there a chance Carlos was working with Ramsey and Cartier?
“Today?” he asked.
“Not today. I have something important to do. Early next week. I want to look the man in the eyes. Then we’ll explain to him our control will not be challenged.”
Father turned his head, narrowing his eyes. “You have something personal, son?”
“Something very personal.” I planted my elbows on the arms of the chair, steepling my fingers. “I’ve decided to get married to Raven Cartier. I understand it’s a risk, but it’s one I think is necessary given all the circumstances.” I’d come to accept my decision, even if I remained concerned about Raven’s welfare.
For some reason given the original conversation I’d had with my father regarding Raven Cartier, I’d expected him to initiate a tirade, forbidding me to taint our future legacy with the blood of an enemy. He knew how I felt about Thomas given our history, the hatred we’d developed for each other over the years. But that was also somewhat personal, a portion of his life my father never wanted to discuss.
