AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“If you doubt me at this point, then we have no business working together,” I snap back to him.
Things haven’t been decent between us for too many years to count. My brother and I might run one of the biggest crime syndicates in Kingstead, but disagreements are a way of life for us. No one gets under my skin the way he does. It’s one of his superpowers.
He’s an asshole down to his bones, and I’ve played ball with him for too long to be susceptible.
Not anymore.
Stefan finally lifts his dark brown eyes to me, the tip of his goatee pointed like some kind of movie villain. His dark hair has only the barest hints of gray showing at the temples, and he’s taken to dyeing it. One slow blink, followed by a second, is the only amount of ire he’ll give me, which is nothing but a fucking power move on his part.
Stefan thinks he’s tough shit.
To give the devil his due, he knows how to get things done—the Zicaris wouldn’t be where we are today without his grit or his ruthlessness. Unfortunately, though, he has no idea when to stop, when to hold the line.
“I’m not sure you understandwhytonight is so important to me, Marco.” He hisses out my name. “Have you figured it out yet?”
I stop myself from responding right away, wait for him to draw out the pregnant pause to full effect.
“Tonight is the launch of the latest arm of our business, and any mistakes will not only jeopardize our largest payout yet, but also future deals.”
Something cold and sharp lodges stings at the base of my chest and starts slowly prying its way higher. What is he not telling me? It’s absolutely like Stefan to work behind the scenes on something and not tell me until the last minute. He loves to play mind games and watch with a sense of superiority as I struggle to catch up.
This time, though, with the gleam in his eye and the snake-like grin he wears, I want him to be joking. I want this to be some kind of sick prank I shake my head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. What new arm of our business?” It’s nothing he’s discussed with me.
“It’s something I’ve been working on behind the scenes for a few months now. I was waiting for a grand reveal, to be sure the deals actually went through before I told you.”
“Which isn’t an answer,” I reply.
“All you need to know is that we’ll have several very important guests from local cartels in attendance tonight. Keep them happy, and things will be smooth, our future power assured.”
Cartels. My lips form around the word. He wouldn’t—
I take a step closer to the desk and try not to take it personally when he tenses and reaches for the gun hidden in his suit jacket. It’s a habit, I assure myself. A habit and not because he wants to shoot me to keep me in line.
He waits again for me to answer, a viper curled and poised, ready to strike at the perfect moment.
“Stefan, we agreed years ago that we wouldn’t make any big decisions without the other knowing.” I slide my hands into the starched pockets of my dress pants—black on black without a hint of color to mark the holiday season. “Especially something as large as dealing with the local cartels.”
It’s been hard enough to keep them off our asses. We’ve refused several offers to form an alliance against other syndicates in the area. No, we’d made a promise to our mother before she died—no drugs.
I’ve taken the promise seriously, but it seems Stefan’s came with an expiration date.
I try not to snarl at him when he starts to chuckle under his breath.
“Stop worrying,” he tells me instead.
“What aren’t you saying?”
“I’m saying that you need to make sure theappetizersare in line tonight. That’s what you need to worry about.” He brushes a piece of invisible lint off the lapel of his suit jacket before standing. The papers he’d been pushing around on the desk are forgotten for a split second before he shoves them into the center drawer.
“Drugs, Stefan,” I press as my hands curl to fists at my sides. “We agreed, no drugs.”
“This comes as a shock to you?” He glances up at me. “Marco, open your eyes. This is the next step in growing our empire. It’s the future. We also agreed to do whatever it takes to protect our interests. You remember?”
“I don’t like this. We were supposed to stop at arms dealing.” I drop my voice, even though there’s no one around to hear us. The guards stay outside his office unless explicitly invited in.
I hardly glance at the clock ticking away the minutes before we’ll have to head out, the precious moments before I don the mask again and become the hardheaded asshole everyone considers me.
No one will ever see the worry giving me a fucking ulcer.
