Page 51 of Playing for the Dark
She’s still looking into the room and says, “He might be more unhinged than you, and that’s saying a lot.” They’ve been training together since she killed her dad and working on building a team around her that she can trust and rely on.
We walk into the back room, and I sit at the far end where I can see everyone and only Vincent can be behind me. Mar’s to my right, and the other five seats are open.
All the other leaders file in one by one. Mickey, the head of the Irish; Enis the head of the Albanians; then, the gang leaders come in last. Bones, Mad Hater, and Clyde—or who I refer to as dumb, dumb, and dumber.
We each have one under us that works in our territory. Besides Igor, he had his gang privileges taken away. They were conspiring, so I cut that shit real quick. I’ll have to ask Mar once this is over if she wants to take one of the gang leaders once she’s settled in. It may end up being sooner rather than later, depending on how this meeting goes.
The gangs push drugs, guns, or whatever illegal thing we need them to, out into the streets. Their seconds are lining the walls behind them, and I start to speak, “We’ve been having some issues…” I let that fester with them, reading each one of their faces, and I know Vin is doing the same with the seconds. Enis has looked uneasy since he’s stepped foot in here, but I’m letting him ride for now. “I want to announce the new head of the Russians, Mar Sovereign.”
The dumb-ass beside her, Mad Hater, starts to laugh and asks, “Why is there pussy in he—” He doesn’t even get the full sentence out before Mar is up out of her seat, shooting her arm out, hammer-fisting right into his throat. He’s bent over coughing and crying.
She leans down by his ear and grits out, “I’m not the pussy to fuck with.” She grips him by the back of his grown-out, greasy hair. Pulling his head up she looksright into his eyes. “I don’t care who you are; disrespect me again and there will be a matching bullet hole in your skull to match my father’s.” She leans in and whispers, “I killed him, in case you’re wondering.” She slams his head into the table, he cries out again, and she sits down in her seat like nothing happened, smiling at all the others.
Maybe he’s not as dumb as I thought. He keeps his mouth shut, just rubbing his head where she slammed it, still coughing here and there. I continue, “Well, does anyone else have objections to Mar being here with us?” She looks at every one of them, and they all cower away, shaking their heads. “Good. Now, back to the issue at hand. Someone has been fucking with my shipments that were coming in, and banned cargo has also made its way onto my airstrip.”
All of them are wearing semi-shocked expressions, all except fucking Enis and his second. They’re both wearing the smallest of smirks, and if I weren’t used to reading people, I probably wouldn’t have noticed. I notice Mar staring at the second.I’m about to give her the prize of a lifetime.
I had a feeling it may be the Albanians after what happened this weekend with myRagazza Dolce. Someone in their ranks has been snooping on her and her involvement with me. I figured it was Zamir, but I may have put her in danger, thinking it was one of the guys doing it. Or his guy is running back with the information…
I slam my hand down on the table, and Vin knows that’s code for somebody’s about to be getting their shit knocked in. He’s beside me in a flash, and I grit out, “Mar, it’s your lucky day today. You and Vincent take Enis and his lovely guest to the room you wanted to play in.” All weapons get checked at the door. They know better than to come in with them at this point. Vin grabs a hold of Enis, and Mar takes the second. They walk them out of the room, shutting the door again.
“Do we have any other info I need to know about?”
Bones responds, “I’m sure your psycho second, and the girl—”
“Mar, and you will refer to her as that. You won’t be warned again. Got it?” I don’t even fight him on calling Vin psycho, that’s accurate.
“Yes, Boss. Mar. They’ll get the info out of them, but there have been Albanian men in my area asking questions. I didn’t think anything of it until you called the meeting.” I nod my head, and he assures me, “If they come around again, I’ll take care of it.” Bones is the one I can tolerate out of the three, but that’s not saying much.
“Not necessary; when you find another, call me, and we will bring them in to get our answers.”No need to waste perfectly good organs, either…“You’re all dismissed.” I stand and walk out the door, going to watch the camera of Vin and Mar putting in some work. And to call the doc in because these two aren’t making it out with organs intact.
I’m leaning against my apartment door, waiting. Noah let me know they had just entered the building. We have to have a little conversation about all the shit that happened this weekend and the protection of Ellie.
I hear them both laughing before I see them. The laughing abruptly stops when they see me leaning against the door. I slowly turn my head to look at them, not intentionally being creepy, but Zamir breaks the silence like always, “Bossman, nice to see you with clothes on today.” Nash hits him in the chest, telling him to shut the fuck up, and a small smile finds my lips, something that doesn’t happen often.
“I need to talk to you two.” I shrug my head backward toward my apartment.
Nash looks like he’s about to piss himself and whispers to Zamir, “He’s about to kill us.”
“Il Novellino,I wouldn’t kill you yet… You haven’t made me enough money.” I hear him gasp and I chuckle inwardly. He’s growing on me, but I’m sure as hell not letting him know that.
1. One Of Us - The Word Alive, Bad Omens
Chapter 39
Nash
We’re sitting in Marcello Barone’s apartment like we’re here for goddamn brunch and mimosas. We had an early flight back this morning, and after the fun we had last night, that early wake-up call was not enjoyable.
Leaning into Zamir, I whisper so the scary mafia man doesn’t hear me, “Should I be scared right now? Because I am.”
Not whisperingat all,Zamir practically yells, “No, Nash. Marcello’s already said he’s not planning to kill us. Now chill the fuck out, and quit bouncing your goddamn leg before it’s me that hurts you instead.” If I could melt into this fucking seat, I would. I shoot him a death glare, but Marcello comes back into the kitchen and leans against the counter like he didn’t hear a thing.
Should I be checking this man out right now?
Absolutely the fuck not.
Am I? You bet your ass I am.
