Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 68858 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68858 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
I wasn’t worried about him getting robbed; no one was foolish enough to attempt it. However, once in a while, a rival or inexperienced law enforcement officer would test my patience. It never ended well for them. It had been years since I faced a legitimate threat, and I was confident in my ability to cover up any actions necessary to maintain my family's lifestyle. Of course, this success was not solely attributable to me; it was a team effort.
My aunt had people planted in the more legitimate places of power. My parents were still very much involved behind the scenes as well. When someone got the nonsensical notion to be a civil hero or flex their minuscule strength, desperate to take me down, they eventually fucked up and found out why smarter men knew to stay out of my way. If I decided to sit back and do nothing, another family would step in to handle it for me. The resulting bloodbath was always mildly entertaining.
After Theo left, I moved on to the next task at hand. "Could either of you explain why the shipment to Liberty City was two kilos short?"
"It was that new guy's responsibility. Joshua B-something," Sergio quickly responded.
"We're already taking steps to fix it."
Elias shook his head and chuckled. "What kind of idiot steals such a small amount when they'll have to pay so much more?"
"Your guess is as good as mine. Angel didn't seem too bothered by it. In fact, he found it amusing."
Sergio scoffed and crossed his bulky arms. "Of course he did. This is the same guy who tortured someone just for fun and then used it as an excuse to wipe out their entire family. What did he call it? A mercy killing? He's a sick fuck. I think he might be worse than both of you combined."
"Well, there's a reason our parents split us up," Elias agreed.
I chuckled, glancing at the time. Dealing with this mistake in the shipment wasn't part of my plans for today, but now that it had been brought to my attention, I knew I couldn't put it off for later. Why did recruiting new members have to be so difficult?
“Is Diablo ready for us?”
“Yes,” they replied in unison.
“Good. Sergio, bring your camera. You’re going to need it.” Knowing what that meant, his face lit up with excitement.
We left my office and exited through the front door of the house. To the far right, the UTVs solely meant to drive across my property sat parked and waiting. We climbed into one, me and Elias in the front, Sergio in the back with his black camera bag. We traveled down the long lane that ran between the stables and led to the warehouses. Horses grazed in the paddocks on either side, blissful in their protective bubbles.
The majestic creatures had always brought me an odd sense of peace. When I needed a place to think, I would come and watch them for hours. My mother was an avid rider and thus, made sure we were as well.
Arriving at a large three-tier building that didn’t look much different than the ones where the horses were kept, I bypassed the main entrance and then the second, going all the way around to the back where a single door stood. Once inside, we headed straight for the hall where the holding rooms were located.
“Those from the club are on the left, room four. The others are in two,” Elias stated.
“Let’s start on the right. When we get to the other room, I can consider it delayed gratification.”
He snorted in response. I rolled my cuff links back and pushed open the steel door. I was greeted by the sight of two men tied side by side with cloth bags over their heads. Yellow and green puss had accumulated around the gaping hole I’d left in one of their thighs. The maggots I sprinkled over top were sliding right through it. If I listened closely enough, I could hear their tiny bodies moving.
Diablo and his current trainee both stood waiting for my arrival, dressed in the usual plastic gear to protect their clothing from blood. The kid couldn’t have been any older than seventeen, but he showed promise, and his father had requested he be placed here.
“They haven’t said anything new since you questioned them. I pulled that one’s teeth out about a half-hour ago,” Diablo explained, pointing to the man on the left.
“Well, that explains why he's got drool all down the front of him.” I turned to my cousin. “I want you to capture every second of this. When it’s done, send a message to anyone you think might have the slightest inkling to do what these two did, or may find incentive to come forward.”
He placed his bag out of the way and began pulling out his gear. I glanced around the room while I waited, my gaze landing on a lime-green chainsaw. “Is that new?”