Niko and I got an eyeful of them upon entering Alexi’s Crystal Palace, the man’s arms wide when he saw Niko and me.
“My boys,” he proclaimed, having gotten up from his throne encrusted in jewels and glistening diamonds. The whole display was a bit much, but who was I to judge a guy for what he was into? Alexi obviously enjoyed nice things, and since I appreciated that too, I merely smiled once I approached.
He gave both Niko and me large and inviting hugs, part of the family until one wasn’t. This was very much known to both Niko and me. A guy didn’t fuck with the Marvellis. Not unless he wanted to be killed. This was precisely why Alexi was getting a generous donation today on top of what we owed him for his product on campus. Today was the last business drop, a day I’d been very much looking forward too. With the semester of my junior year winding down, I’d finally gotten to a place where I felt my family and I would be all right. I had plenty of money tucked away, and if I wanted a little something, I’d just promote my parties again. It was quick and easy money and held less of the stress of being the “kingpin” on campus.
I still can’t believe Beauty Queen called me that.
Obviously, that was what people called me but her calling me that felt weird. A kingpin was in charge of his surroundings, called the say of the who and the what. He was also ruthless and willing to do anything to get his. I may be a few or more of those things, but I wasn’t sure I necessarily wanted her to see me that way. I was also unsure, like many things, why I actually cared about her opinion, but I guess seeing her almost burn her house down the other day with herself inside had some kind of affect on me.
There was also her hair, soft and fragrant and nothing like doing my sisters’ hair. I’d had to rub one off that night badly after touching it, and getting my head out of the gutter now, I checked back in on my meeting with Alexi and his bodyguards. He had them strategically sprinkled around the room like houseplants, “just in case.”
Dual kisses on either side of my face from Alexi and Niko got the same when he came over to my buddy. Seeing what we held today, Alexi guided one of his goons, er um, bodyguards, to take today’s large and final payment from us.
A nod and I had Niko hand the lot over, our hands behind our backs after that. We didn’t typically come over to Alexi’s clubs to conduct business exchanges, an exception made for today. Today was the last one so we did, and when we did do exchanges, we never stayed long. This was just how the pair of us did things, well-known on Alexi’s end, but that didn’t stop the man from inviting us into his sanctum for a drink after he got his money.
“Just one, my brothers?” he asked us, guiding a girl with glittery skin and gorgeous tits to get it started. Alexi’s smile widened. “After all, it is the last time. Please? You’d do me the honor. We’ve had such a great relationship.”
We had, and we wanted to keep it that way. Since he was right, today’s drop the last time, I supposed I could break my limited contact rule—just once, of course.
Niko gave me a look, and when I nodded, Alexi clasped his meaty hands together, a large motherfucker in a suit the color of blood red, full crimson with black silk shirt and necktie. Alexi gestured toward his viewfinder, his private booth with an overlook of the entire club. “Please. My space is yours.”
We took him up on the seat, the circle booth like a VIP section at a normal titty bar.
His club was gorgeous, high stakes clientele, and nothing like the smaller, more modest venues he had closer to campus. Those were more moderately priced to attract college students and the less affluent in town, but Alexi had people to oversee those. He maybe dropped in on them once a month for a check-in, something I knew since before Niko and I had started doing b
usiness with him, we’d seen him there on occasion. Of course, once we’d started working with him, he had given us the ins and outs of his business. This was a sign of trust, and I did take notes. I was nothing if not an entrepreneur, and though the guy and his family may have their hands in stuff I’d never touch, it couldn’t be denied the Marvellis ran a smart and successful business. Alexi himself was head of the family, younger, but I’d heard his father had died of heart disease or something back in the nineties. He’d had to step up to the throne pretty quick, something I related to as well since I also came from a household sans a father.
Niko and I both clinked glasses with Alexi, but I nursed my scotch while Niko played with his. Alexi kicked his back right away, of course, grinning like the mob boss he was when he stamped his glass down. He lounged his big body back in the booth. “So sad to see you both go, but this will be a happy day, yes? How are your families? Niko, your mother? She doing well?”
We really were like family, and Alexi did know a lot about our lives. I guessed he had to, more of that trust, and we did know a little bit about his too. As much as he’d give up, of course, over our quick drop visits and check-ins about how our own business was doing.
Niko nursed that glass again, his smile a slight one in his gray suit. I was well aware of his mom’s condition. She could definitely be better, but she hadn’t been as bad as she was in the past. Her most recent clinical trial had been doing well. Niko pulled his drink over. “She’s responding to her most recent clinical trial. She does have a long road, though.”
“I can imagine.” This saddened Alexi and upon getting his glass topped off, he clinked it with Niko’s. “Cheers to you, my brother. I also had a mother with breast cancer. It will turn out all right. My mom’s did.”
“I hope so.” The gruffness in Niko’s words worked at my heart, this guy my own brother since coming to college. No one could ever replace my boys from my hometown, Maywood Heights, but that family definitely could grow. Niko had done that for me, the guy my real fucking brother, and I hurt for him. Especially when he was hurting.
Alexi displayed a soft smile. “Never worry, friend. Never worry. Fate is on you and your mother’s side. I know it is.” Placing his glass down, he slapped his hands together. “I’m sure she has lots of medical costs. Perhaps I can help. I have many jobs coming up. A perfect way to help? I’d love to relieve some of those burdens for you.”
Alexi never failed to push, create ways to draw us more and more into the dark underworld in which he dealt. The answer had always been a resounding no, but he never ceased to ask.
This was the biggest reason Niko and I never stayed for drinks, interaction best to be limited. I wasn’t the type of guy to be drawn in easy. But even I had been tempted to touch the forbidden fruit of Alexi’s exceedingly lavish life when we first started dealing with him. The man lived large and could make both Niko and I like him, struggling trash from small towns transformed into gods like himself.
The temptation was definitely there, always, and after an exchange with Niko, his eyes cut right back to Alexi. My buddy kept his head shake firm but polite, his hand tight on his glass. He passed that off by putting his hand back on the table, but I did notice it, the denial obviously hard for him, and I couldn’t blame him.
How easy Alexi could fix everything in our lives? It was just how he fixed things that was the problem, and Niko knew better than to get in any deeper than we already had in the past.
Though this denial saddened our friend and brother, Alexi so obviously understood. After all, this hadn’t been the first time we’d told him no. And smiling, Alexi got another drink before tipping his glass at me. “And you, Jay? Things well? How are those sisters? You have one on the way to college, right?”
“Yeah, and hell raising,” I said, chuckling and making the table laugh. Dasha definitely had an attitude on her, strong-willed like me. As she was getting older and stir crazy to be out from under my mom’s roof, the two were basically driving each other up the wall. Like a pair of titans constantly clashing, and without me in the household to keep them away from each other, I’d been getting more than one call lately from mom about her daughter’s “attitude.” I grinned. “She’s doing well. Top of her class.”
Dasha had already gotten into Woodcreek and was getting a full ride scholarship like me. She didn’t even need the savings I’d put aside for her four years, doing her part just like I had to take the burden off our hardworking mother and, technically, me. My family was never a burden, though. I’d do anything for them.
My current dealings with the mob proved this, Alexi’s smile strong on me.
“Of course she is. Gifted like her brother.” He tapped the side of my neck before resting his arm behind the booth. “Well, if she or any of your family needs anything at all, let me know. We don’t have to be done here today.”
“Yeah, but I think it’s time,” I said, exchanging a glance with my boy. When Niko smiled in agreement, I did too. I waved a hand. “It’s time to be getting out on our own, Alexi. But of course, we appreciate all you’ve done for us. You know that.”