Page 79 of Precious Legacy
“So he’s a mole?” Haldon muses.
“Or a cop.”
“Doyouthink he’s undercover?” Haldon asks Varo because he’s the one person out of all three of us that would probably know the answer.
Varo scowls back at us, picking at the peeling label on his bottle. “I don’t know,” he shrugs. “It’s not exactly something that’s come up in conversation.”
“So you admit you’ve been seeing him?” I snicker into my beer bottle.
Varo has never been the type to open up about relationships. He’s not one to sleep around or boast about it like Haldon. He’s quiet, reserved when it comes to that side of things. He likes to keep business separate and I admire him for that, especially because it’s clearly one hell of a task keeping his dick out of Milo’s pants.
“Fuck off,” he snarls. “If you’re allowed secrets, so am I.”
Touché.
“I’ll find out either way,” I reply menacingly.
Since we found out about Milo’s little rendezvous with Chief Madden, I’ve enlisted the help of Gracie and her superb hacking skills, to see what information she can find out about our sneaky Russian foe. I’m yet to hear back about what she’s discovered, and the more time passes, the more I grow impatient.
Unfortunately, Gracie is doing this as a favor, so I can’t push her too hard or Lucchese will be after me. He’s a mean looking motherfucker that I don’t want to get on the wrong side of. I can count on one hand the amount of times that guy has spokensince I was born and it’s intimidating as fuck. Of course, the guy is fiercely protective over Aunt Jem and her daughter, which is why I’m letting Gracie conduct her investigation in her own time.
Obviously, the quicker she gets results, the better it will be for everyone. Well… maybe not the Russians, but that’s not our problem. Wewantto be rid of them.
We’re still uncertain how we’re going to exterminate the Bratva. It’s not an easy feat to extinguish a crime gang that thrives on violence even more so than ourselves. When I was out in L.A., we steered clear of their territory. They ran trafficking down the strips and we ran the underground rings. It was seamless and we remained somewhat amicable. We had an understanding, and I’m trying to mirror that here, tonight.
“Might as well ask him yourself,” Varo grunts as he finishes off his drink and slams the bottle down onto the table. His glare is ice cold, focused on something over my shoulder.
Turning, Haldon and I both spot the Federovs heading towards us with Milo in tow. Their presence feels like a black cloud, sucking the energy from the room in one fell swoop. There’s no doubt about it that they’re dangerous. The brother’s look the part, despite Konstantin hobbling with his cane, while his brother glares at us with one eye. Milo looks indifferent and that only feeds the suspicions that have been going around our table.
“Gentlemen,” Konstantin greets with an open hand.
We don’t stand to address them. Maintaining the upperhand, we remain seated. Varo is the first to shake hands with Konstantin, followed by Haldon, then myself.
Vadim signals to a passing waitress, offering no pleasantries to us, which is to be expected. The guy looks like he’s constantly woken up on the wrong side of the bed for decades. His skin isweathered, like stretched leather and his expression is that of boredom as he pulls up a chair to the booth.
“Let’s get down to business,” Konstantin says, clasping his hands together. “Have you made a decision?”
“We have,” Haldon replies begrudgingly.
“No thanks to your little stunts,” I remark.
Not only did I have to deal with the aftermath of Black Jack going up in flames, but Haldon had to make calls to old suppliers and practically bribe them to make some urgent deliveries. He’s still harboring a grudge against the Federovs for that because it doesn’t look good on him when he’s got Gambino Enterprises to run. We pride ourselves on the legacy our families left to us, and this little slip up has well and truly put a dent in the empire’s reputation.
“So we’re in agreement?” Konstantin asks as two glasses of neat vodka are placed on the table. “Unlimited use of the docks and we’ll resume deliveries.”
“Yes,” Haldon huffs.
“But we want the fight clubs, too,” I add sternly, gaining an irritated look from Vadim. “You took advantage of the lack of presence in the city and I don’t take kindly to that.” I’m not only protecting my businesses, but sticking up for Varo and Haldon. It’s no secret that The Five isn’t run by five separate families now.
Colombo and Lucchese have no heirs—despite Gracie probably being more than capable—so it’s up to me, Varo and Haldon to continue the legacy. The fact the Russians knew this and slithered in like the snakes they are, pisses me off.
Konstantin seems to recognize that, nodding slowly. “I’m impressed, Genovese. Your family disappears from the city and returns thinking they still call the shots.”
The anger I feel from his words bubbles beneath my skin. My fists clench as I stare at the oldest brother.
“Alas,” he sighs, bringing his glass to his lips. “The fight clubs are yours.”
Milo sits to the side of the booth we’re in. His body is relaxed as his arm drapes over the chair beside him. His expression flickers with an impressive smile as he glances at me. I don’t know what it is about him, but the more I observe him, the more suspicious I am. Add that to the fact Alanis saw him with Chief Madden, and that’s definitely something to be wary of. If I was a big enough prick, I’d call him out on it, right here, right now. But if I do fuck Milo over, I’ll be fucking my best friend over, too, and our friendship isn’t worth destroying.
