Trino laughed, but that serious look came back over his face that he had while we were on the beach, like he was lost in thought, I caught Adrik’s eye, to see if he noticed it as well. He nodded discreetly, pulling me closer to him.
Viktor walked into the room, looking very serious. “Boss, we’ve got a problem.”
Adrik
We found Trino and Martin, as well as Armando, and found a quiet spot to discuss business that afternoon. Most important, was trying to come up with a plan for how to handle the other bosses in the city. I was beginning to think that I didn’t need any of them, other than Armando. They were becoming more of a headache than they were a help to the organization.
“What do the people of the city think of the other bosses, Jefe?” Trino asked.
I thought for a moment. “It depends on which one, really. Armando is well liked, as he does a tremendous amount of work for the people in his area of the city. Up until recently, most of the other bosses were mostly the same, but I’m hearing reports now that Salvadori’s area of the city is not happy with him. Same for Dario and Massimo’s areas. Vito’s people seem to be happy with him, but I’m not sure they’ll stand behind him if a war breaks out in the city like they’re planning. Niko’s area of the city is mostly quiet now, but same as Vito. I’m not sure his people will stand behind him.
“Trino, the people of the city favor Ghost over the other bosses. Hands down. If it comes down to it, they’ll stand with Ghost over any of the other bosses,” Armando said. I felt Sephie squeeze my hand that was across her lap, resting on her thigh.
“This is good. If you have the support of the people, that goes a long way. That’s how I inevitably took over in Colombia. The people loved me. They helped me fight the other guys that were trying to take over. There’s something to be said for the popular vote, if you will,” Trino said, a small smile on his face. “What about the police? Are they with you or against you?” he asked.
“Most of the precincts in the city are with me. I’ve made sure that the other bosses maintain order in their areas, keeping crime- to a minimum. Given that we’re still heavily involved in illegal businesses, the city is quite peaceful, which makes the cops’ jobs incredibly easy. Violent crime is kept to a minimum. They get their cut, of course, but I have a good relationship with the commissioner. They’ve come to me before with funding issues and the like that I’ve helped them solve,” I said.
“Just you or the other bosses as well?” Trino asked.
“Mostly me, when it comes to the commissioner. The other bosses deal with the local police chiefs in their areas,” I said.
“I’ve never had a conversation with the commissioner, but I have a great relationship with the police chief in my area of the city. They would back us, I think, if it was needed,” Armando added.
“I got the impression that Anthony and Lorenzo were planning something big in the city as a way to get back in. They were trying to convince me that there was already disorder in the city, with you being gone. They also tried to convince me that Mando had been killed overseas. I knew for sure that you were still alive when I met with them, lefe, but I didn’t get word on Armando until a few days later when my people saw him back in the city,” Trino said.
I noticed Armando was slightly surprised at this revelation. He didn’t know that Trino had people in the city. None of the other bosses knew. Trino was never concerned about Armando, but he was about the other bosses, so I agreed to let him have people in the city. He was also in regular communication with some of my people. It’s one reason that he’s stayed so loyal to me. I’m as transparent with him as possible. I recognize his value and he recognizes mine. Mutual respect goes a long way.
I sighed. “We think they’re planning on creating chaos in the city. They had a test run where they gave two guys brawn and sent them on Sephie and Misha. They’ve been working on a new formulation that increases the violence even more.”
Trino and Martin both cursed under their breath. “I do not like this new drug, brawn. It’s dangerous. It’s also lethal if you take too much. Why would you want to kill your customer base? That’s bad business,” Martin said.
“Most of the bosses had cut it out of the city. It hasn’t been around for a few years now. The dealers were forbidden to make it. Apparently, Salvadori has been quietly working on this new formulation undetected. Or maybe Anthony was working on it. That kid is off the talls,” Armando said.
“Is it true he’s been trafficking girls? Trino asked.
I nodded my head. “It took me a while to get confirmation on it, but he has been for some time now. He was smart about it and very discreet about it, so I didn’t find out right away. He runs that operation from outside the city, with help from Lorenzo in Sicily. Apparently, when my father banished Enzo, he went to Sicily and that’s how he made money and built his fortune back up. He’s got networks throughout Europe.”
Both Trino and Martin looked disgusted. It was a big problem, worldwide, but they wanted no part of it.
“It fits Anthony’s profile, if I’m being honest. He needs to…compensate for a very significant shortcoming. He can feel powerful when he’s determining someone else’s fate,” Sephie said
Adrik
We all turned to look at her, not entirely sure what she meant. She looked at all of us, like she was trying to get us to understand what she meant, silently. “Oh, you’re gonna make me say it? For real?” she said, her cheeks slowing turning red as we kept looking at her. She sighed. “He’s got a tiny d ick. There, I said it.” I raised an eyebrow, demanding more of an explanation. She clearly saw my anger rise to the surface quickly, which made her shrink back from me slightly. “He, uh, pressed himself against me when he was choking me in the hallway that night in the restaurant,” she said quietly. She quickly looked at the floor, her hands starting to fidget.
I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her to me. I kissed her temple. Trino looked surprised. “He did what to you?” he asked.
I held Sephie tighter, answering for her. “At the last meeting at the restaurant that Sephie used to work at, Anthony dared to lay his hands on Sephie in the meeting. He saw my anger when it happened. It was the first time I’d seen Sephie, but I knew I loved her from the first moment. Anthony caught her in the hallway alone later and tried to touch her, but she resisted. He choked her. Viktor and Andrei pulled him off her and beat him senseless.” I could feel my anger threatening to take over. Sephie, of course, felt it. She reached over and grabbed my other hand, holding it with both of hers. Her fingers lightly fidgeting with mine.
“And you didn’t kill him right there?” Trino asked, shocked.
“I wanted to, but I still had an ounce of respect for his father, Salvadori, at the time. I wish I would have now. We might not be in this mess now,” I said, sighing.
Armando spoke up. “I’m really beginning to question whether he needs the other bosses at all, at this point. I say get rid of all of them. Ghost can run the city on his own.”
Sephie looked up at me, somewhat surprised. I don’t think she’d thought of that option yet. “It makes sense. The city loves you,” she said, pulling her knees up so her feet were on the couch. She leaned her legs in my lap.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.