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Wasn’t much he could share over the phone even though he was using a burner. “There’s been a change in management.”
Toro snorted. “No shit. I saw your work.”
“I could use some help.”
“What do you need and where do you wanna meet?” Toro didn’t hesitate. He never did.
Zander needed all the leverage he could get with what he was about to walk into, and Toro and his uncle were the perfect people to give him what he needed. “Meet tomorrow? Usual place.”
“Got it. Later.”
The call ended and he stared down at the phone in his hand for a moment. He didn’t have a lot of people he could count on, but having a direct line to a Mexican cartel was a weapon in itself. One he’d never had to wield until now. He hadn’t even shared that bit with Derri.
“They’re gone.” Derri walked through the door, delivering the news that sliced through Zander like a blade. “They’re headed to?—”
“No.” Zander held up a suddenly shaking hand. “I don’t want to know where they are.” He got to his feet. “Thank you.”
Derri nodded.
“Now let’s go home.”
Time for it to all begin.
Or end.
There was no fanfare when Zander returned to the place he’d left so long ago. He went straight to work with Derri at his side, calling a meeting in the basement of one of the casinos his uncle once owned.
All of Murray’s empire belonged to Zander now.
As did the men standing around, muttering to themselves as they waited for him to make his appearance. With a final nod to Derri, Zander pushed through the swinging double doors and entered the room, standing on the raised dais as he eyed the group. These were the men who’d held significant power under his uncle. One of Zander’s roles over the coming days was to decide who got to keep that power.
Arms crossed over his chest, he waited as a hush fell over the room. Well over fifty men stared at him, some with mere curiosity, some with distrust, and others with downright hate and outrage in their eyes. That made his lips curl into a smirk.
“You know who I am.” He didn’t raise his voice. There was no need for it. “But as a matter of record, allow me to update you on a few things… My uncle is dead. By my hand. I’m the one in charge now and I?—”
“You think you can just come up in here and run shit?” That was Joey Blue, face red and full of bluster. He’d been Murray’s closest friend and most loyal soldier. They were of the same mind, Joey and Zander’s uncle. And he’d just given Zander what he needed to ensure Joey didn’t take another breath. “We don’t know where you came from after all this time, but we don’t trust you.” Joey glanced around and a few of the men around him muttered their agreement.
Zander didn’t look at them; Derri and the handful of men he trusted who stood on the periphery of the room knew what to do. No, Zander kept his gaze on Joey. His hair was white and thinning at the top, face long and narrow, and he glared up at Zander from behind his wire-rimmed glasses. Joey was a tall and painfully skinny motherfucker, giving the appearance that he’d never seen food in his life. As Murray’s best friend, he’d been there from the beginning. Zander remembered him coming around to see his parents when he’d been a kid.
Joey had to have been in on Murray’s massacre of Zander’s family.
“Your uncle, God rest his soul”—Joey quickly made the sign of the cross—“is rolling over in his grave. You know why?” Zander didn’t have words for him. He just held Joey’s gaze as the old man kept on. “He didn’t want you anywhere near his business. He wanted me to take over.” He pounded his chest and glanced around for support. He got some from the same old fuckers from his and Murray’s era, but not as much as he’d hoped for, Zander suspected.
“You faked your death and left the business years ago.” Joey was really getting into his speech now, face bright red, sweat beading on his forehead and glistening on his nose. “The business has changed and you have no loyalty to family. To blood.”
Those words, more than any of the others, sent waves of angry heat washing over Zander’s nape, but he didn’t allow it to show on his face. He ensured his mask remained in place as he gave Joey more rope to hang himself.
“Murray and I built this business together. I considered him my brother and I will run things the way I know he would want.”
Zander flicked his gaze to Derri, who gave him a small nod and then signaled to the rest of Zander’s trusted crew. He tuned out Joey’s words as the fucker kept yapping, unaware that behind him, Derri and the rest were herding the men, pushing the crowd back to the wall until only eight men, plus Joey, remained upfront. Those eight men went to their knees, helped along by the guns Derri and the others pressed to their heads.
“You’re just a fucking kid who thinks he can just come in and take my spot. Are you out of?—”
The first gunshot startled Joey, cutting off his words as he gaped up at Zander.
The second gunshot made Joey spin around and his mouth opened fishlike as he watched the rest of his group—all of those who’d planned to kill Zander and take over the business—be executed.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Joey found his voice again when the last of his co-conspirators was face down on the carpet, a bullet in the back of his head. “You?—”
