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Is that a problem?
I stared at the message and started biting at my thumb nail. Yes. Yes, Panther. That was a huge fucking problem.
I rubbed at my stubbled beard as I waited for her to reply. Maybe she thought the distance was a problem. Obviously, I couldn’t tell her right away that it wouldn’t be. I could send a private jet to bring her to me anytime I wanted her here.
“Boss? Alessio?” Fabi grunted at me from across the room of my office and I put my phone back in my trouser pocket.
“Si?”
“So, what do you want to do?”
I leaned back in my leather swivel chair as I considered my options to the disturbing news that had just been brought to my attention. One of our allied families in the South had an issue with a dealer I had used for years during a drug drop off last night. Unfortunately, both men worked for me which meant this was my fucking problem to solve.
“Bring him in,” I nodded to the door and Fabi walked towards it, opening it for two of my soldiers to drag in Sergio, the dealer who had made a bad fucking choice. He was shoved in with so much force, he tripped over his own feet and fell into the armchair opposite my desk clumsily.
“Have a seat, Sergio,” I smiled, clasping my hands together and resting my elbows on the arms of my chair.
He gulped visibly, his Adam’s apple quivering in fear as his eyes darted between my men and me.
“Please, Boss. This is a misunderstanding. I—”
“Didn’t steal three hundred grams?” I asked in a bored drool.
“No- I- I didn’t. It was all there in the drop off, I swear.”
“So, you are saying my man is a liar. The man who has worked for my family for twenty-five years and inventoried every drop off and never had a problem that was his fault.”
Sergio’s mouth opened and closed like a goldfish and I leaned forward, picking up the hands-free phone on my desk and speed dialled Kiv, “Let’s ask him, shall we?”
“Pronto Boss,” Kiv answered respectfully and I dived straight into rapid Italian asking for him to explain what happened last night. I trusted Kiv more than most and that was saying something because I didn't trust many people. I knew the man gained nothing from lying to me. When he replied that Sergio arrived with three others to make the drop off, but they took some time to transfer the cocaine to the Rimoli Capo, Sergio’s face paled.
I hung up and sat back in my chair, staring hard into the dealer’s eyes with relentless steadiness.
“Who were the three men with you at drop off, Sergio?” I asked calmly.
“I- They were just new dealers. Learning the trade.”
“You have always dropped off alone for the past five years.”
He gulped again and his eyes darted around the room. Sweat started to bead on his forehead. Lying little shit. All I had to do was contain my anger for a few more minutes and he would snap under my penetrating glare.
“I’m sorry! It wasn’t planned. I owe them money and they followed me to the drop off. They made me give them what I owed in the uncut cocaine or they would have killed me on the spot. I will make it up to you, Barbieri. I swear on my family’s life, I will.”
Only took thirty seconds to have him spill the truth. A new record.
“Interesting you should bring up your family, Sergio,” I smirked. His face turned almost white and his saucer-like eyes bulged in alarm. “A beautiful wife, Nikita. Two children. 8 and 3, no?”
“Please, please,” he started begging.
Ignoring him, I continued, “I have two of my men outside your little shithole house right now, Sergio, watching your beautiful family through the windows. One phone call. That is all it would take to make them disappear.”
“Per favore, no!” He started weeping, lowering himself to his knees. I stood up from my desk and walked around to the other side. I was bluffing of course. I had no men at his house and I had no intention of hurting his family, but illusion and deceit were some of the most effective strategies when it came to my line of work.
“Do you know how much that three hundred grams was worth?”
He sniffed and nodded. “Seventeen thousand euros.”
“Very good. So you may have paid your debt with one enemy but in doing so you have pissed off the fucking King of the South. You stole from the Rimoli family which means you stole from me. Ever heard the saying, don’t bite the hand that feeds you?” I tilted my head to the side and studied him as his head hung down to his chest, blubbering and shaking. The money was a drop in the ocean to me, I didn’t give a shit about it. But no man could get away with double crossing me. I grabbed his brown hair in my fist and forced his head back so he would look in my eyes.
