Ruthless Games

NERO

This is a fucking nightmare.

There’s chaos following Vance’s announcement, but I’m quick to fall into leader mode. There are too many people here for this to be a productive meeting, so I quickly send all but the essentials packing, leaving just Vance, Chase, and Miles.

Lily hovers, trying to make herself look inconspicuous. Fat chance. If she’s here, I won’t be able to focus on anyone else, and with the Feds closing in, I can’t take the risk.

“You need to leave,” I tell her, steering her to the door.

“But I want to stay,” she protests. “Maybe I can help.”

“With what?” I say bluntly. “This isn’t your shit to deal with. Go.”

She gives me a look. “What’s yours is mine,” she whispers, so nobody else can hear. Throwing my words right back at me.

It won’t change my mind. “Kyle!” I yell, and he materializes in the hallway. “Take her home,” I order him. “Eyes on your tail. And tell the guys at the house, no slacking off tonight. If a hobo pisses in the gutter, they pay attention ‘til he’s done.”

He nods. Lily looks frustrated, but she follows him out. I slam the door behind them and turn to the group.

“OK,” I take a deep breath, getting my head in the fucking game. Rival gangs, Feds closing in… it’s all happening at once, and I need to think straight. “Tell me exactly what happened. Start at the beginning, and don’t leave anything out.”

“It was a normal delivery,” Chase says. “Guys at the docks gave the all-clear, so Benny and Tito went in like normal to unload the crate. Then I get a call, ten minutes ago maybe, our guy on the watch tower says the Feds swooped in, swept them up.”

“They had to have had a tip,” Vance speaks up. He’s lounging on the couch in the corner, scratching his damn balls like this is casual chitchat.

I tense. “No way. This place is locked down. My guys don’t narc.”

“So how do you explain it?” he asks, still so cool. “They knew exactly where you’d be, which container to hit. That’s not a lucky bust, that’s intel.”

I glare. I don’t want him here, sticking his nose in my business, but I know, he’s got a direct line to my father.

I need to be smart. Show no weakness. I need to be the fucking Barretti boss.

“I told you to take a break with the imports,” I turn to Chase. “Keep us a low profile.”

“This was supposed to be one of the last,” he says defensively, but it doesn’t help. “No hassle, just a couple more deliveries.”

“Yeah, and how’d that turn out?” I demand, my anger rising. “That bullshit’s a liability! And now you’ve left us exposed, right when I need shit running smoothly for the development.”

“So, what are we supposed to do?” he says stubbornly. “Cede our territory to the fucking Kovaks?”

I get up in his face. “You’re supposed to follow my orders.”

Chase backs up, but just a little.

“It was probably them, narcing to the FBI. I bet you they’re the ones who tipped them off. Set us up, to fuck with our shipments and send a message.”

I look to Miles. He shrugs. “Could be,” he says. “Barretti men go down, they win.”

I pace, frustrated.

“I want damage control,” I spit out. Soon enough, this whole operation will be legit, and I don’t have to worry about petty street shit like this, but until that day comes… “Miles, get down to the courthouse, see about making bail.”

“Feds won’t give that up easy,” Vance speaks up again. “They’ll be leaning on them hard to flip. We should take care of them first chance we get.”

“What? Absolutely not,” I shake my head. “My guys are solid.”

“You sure about that?”