The Devil's CrownPart Two - Monica James Page 0,24
small? Their business didn’t affect ours. But that’s not the point. I never thought that son of a bitch Serg could overthrow me, but he was able to because I was complacent. It also was because we have disloyal sons of bitches among us.
“I want to stamp out all competition, no matter how small, and have a close network of colleagues who specialize in their field. This way, there is no…temptation for a rebellion.”
What Alek is proposing makes sense. This allows him to control who’s in power and erases the risk of an uprising. But this means he’ll be putting his faith in Santo, practically handing him his business on a silver platter for Santo to steal.
Oh god…
“Of course, you will be the main distributor of weaponry, which you will obtain from Pavel. If you deal with anyone else, they must go through me first. Me, I will be the only drug lord in Russia. Anyone else will be eradicated. I will deal to everyone. No discrimination like last time. Pimply college kids and desperate junkies now all get their drugs through me.
“I will manufacture their product with any cutting agent. They won’t know the difference. They’ll be so desperate to score, seeing as the riffraff dealers are no more, that they’ll settle for anything, which increases my profit margin immensely.
“Which is why I need Raul gone without delay.”
“Who will you get your product from?” Santo innocently asks, but I know he’s only implementing his game plan.
Before Alek has a chance to reply, Santo adds, “May I suggest someone?”
Alek nods.
“I have close ties with some Sicilians. You could sample their product? If you’re pleased, they could supply you. The shipments come in cargo once a month with olive oil. It’ll be discreet, and you won’t need to deal with anyone from Russia.
“Getting supply offshore makes sense. And they’re new. Fresh beginnings are what we both need.”
Alek, no, please don’t fall for this. Please see through his ruse.
“How do you know this?” Alek questions, his gaze stern.
“Because they’re family, and nothing else matters more to us Sicilians.”
“What do you get if I agree?”
Santo grins, realizing he’s reeled Alek in. “I don’t want any of your profits. If this plan of yours succeeds, I’ll have more than enough of my own, but I want a say in who stays and who goes.
“I know The Circle was a tightknit group. Although they’re no longer, I want in as they did.”
Alek ponders Santo’s terms. “So you will introduce me to your…family and help me kill Raul, and in return, you want to pick and choose who will remain my loyal servants?”
Alek has chosen this term with intent. He wants Santo to know that neither he nor any of the remaining players once the cull is complete will ever be his equal. It may seem Alek is in partnership with Santo, but Alek works alone. He isn’t interested in sharing his throne, which is why Santo plans to kill him.
Santo nods. “Yes. That’s all I ask. As I see it, what you’re proposing will mean there will be very few…bosses, I guess you could say, in their expertise. We all have to co-exist as we once did. I don’t want to deal with some stronzo if I don’t have to.”
This is all lies. Santo wants to handpick men who will side with him once he kills Alek. He’ll choose men who favor him and won’t question the change of leadership once the time comes.
Sweat begins to collect along my brow. This is catastrophic. Is Alek doing this to punish me? I don’t understand why he’d agree to any sort of partnership with the man who was going to kill me.
But when Alek finally meets my eyes…I understand. I see it clearly.
Alek was prepared to fight, fight for me, fight for us. But he readily believed my lies, and now when he looks at me, all I see is death. Death of many. And the death of us.
I hurt Alek, and even though he is confident in all aspects of his life, when it comes to his feelings, when it comes to love, he is insecure and unsure. He told me he was left wounded and seen as weak after he opened his heart to Willow, and now, I’ve just done the same to him.
I’ve obliterated any hope of redemption for him. He has just taken three hundred steps back to the cruel, unfeeling drug lord he once was.