my brother was several years younger, only recently he’d made no bones about the fact he wanted a larger piece of the business, although I had serious reservations about what he could handle. It would seem the opportunity had presented itself. If the Los Charlines were forced out, he could inherit a significant portion of the coastal business. Maybe that would force him to grow the fuck up. When our father remained quiet, Dartanian walked toward the expansive bar, immediately grabbing two glasses. “Time for a drink. I know I could use one.”
I inched closer to the open doorway, the waning afternoon sun warm against my face. My father and I had never been particularly close, although he’d been a doting father. Since I’d been a teenager, our interactions had been strictly businesslike, devoid of any real emotions. Given the nature of the beast dwelling within me, that had always suited me just fine.
I had no room for feeding into emotional bullshit on any level. That only led to deadly mistakes.
“The shit is getting real, Father. Alviro has taken a stand.”
“Then the Dons’ concerns are justified. What happened?” my father asked quietly.
“A threat made to the entire family after offering a deal of taking only fifty percent,” I said, laughing. “There was a hired gun waiting for my departure. One of my enforcers is down.”
“Carlos?” My father never seemed troubled by any of these episodes. This time, he was shaken and only partially from anger.
“Yeah.”
“How is he?”
“The doctors aren’t certain. He has significant damage to his lungs.” I studied my father’s tired eyes. I wasn’t certain he could handle an open war, especially not on our own turf.
My father glanced into my eyes and I could see a hint of fear in them. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. Just pissed I didn’t follow my instincts.”
“You did what you thought was right. The meeting had to occur,” my father stated firmly.
Dartanian huffed. “The bastard has some nerve. We need to deal with this immediately.”
“And we will but we will do so in our way, the Santiago way!” My father’s voice reverberated in the open space. He rubbed his forehead, cursing in Spanish.
“For what it’s worth, I’m not entirely certain the assassination attempt on my life was anything but another warning.”
A few seconds ticked by.
“That may very well be the case. There was also an attack on two of Don Caruso’s men, one of them also in critical condition. As you might imagine, word of Peron’s death leaked immediately. Without a doubt, the Los Charlines leader will take the assassination as a direct threat, likely what they hoped would happen. There is already fear of the additional revenge tactics being used.” My father hissed after issuing the words.
“Then I would take the threats seriously,” I said after sighing.
“Those bastards got exactly what they deserved,” Dartanian growled as he walked closer, holding out a scotch.
My father shot him a pointed look. “That may be true, but there is significant risk if we allow this to continue.”
“We knew we were taking a chance at pushing us into a war and that’s exactly what we’re going to be prepared for.” I continued to fume.
“At this point, we cannot underestimate Calleja,” my father suggested.
“Agreed. Javier’s wife and children should be placed under protection.” My father had always had a soft spot for the Georgian blonde with the dazzling smile.
“See that it comes to pass,” my father instructed Dartanian, my brother’s short nod the only acknowledgment.
When he didn’t suggest they be required to return to Spain, I knew his concerns were significant.
“Any information on Calleja’s location? We should end this right now. This is just the beginning and you know it,” Dartanian snarled as he offered me a drink.
As my father turned his head, his dark eyes penetrated into mine. “Don Piero has certain connections. According to his sources, it would appear that Alviro has already gone into hiding.”
“Hiding?” I was taken aback by the answer.
“Then he knows exactly what is going to happen to him given the attacks,” Dartanian stated.
“Even so, that isn’t like the asshole. He’s predictable as fuck, refusing to back down to anyone.” I shook my head, my grip around the glass already white-knuckled.
“Which makes him all the more dangerous, Rafael. You of all people know what occurs when a beast is let out of his cage.” My father’s gaze shifted to the hideous scar on my face and neck. I inadvertently brushed two fingers across the unsmooth edges. My father would never let