Ruthless Prince (Dark Syndicate 1)

“I’m here,” Andreas says. He walks to me and smiles.

His eyes are more like Ma’s. They’re ice blue while the rest of us have a darker shade. To me it makes it easier to see when something’s off with him. Like I can now.

“Sorry I’m late, Boss.” He gives me a smile.

“That’s okay.”

“Why are you late?” Tristan challenges.

Andreas snaps his head around and glares at him. “I was occupied fucking two waitresses I picked up at the bar last night. I saw the message late. Do you want more details?”

“No thanks.” Tristan grimaces.

“This is for you.” Andreas hands me the bottle of wine.

“Thank you,” I answer, taking it. He then holds out his hand. I shake it.

“Well done. I heard the part about you choosing Tristan to join you in the syndicate, and yes… I am wondering why you didn’t choose me.”

I clench my jaw. “Because you’re my second underboss, and I need you to focus on D’Agostinos. That’s why.”

It’s also because if I were to place my trust in anybody, it would be Tristan. Although Andreas is what you call ruthless and heartless. He’d make a good boss, a great leader. He’s exactly like me. It just comes down to trust, and he knows it.

He nods, and the corners of his lips curl into a smile.

“I understand, and my thanks to you.”

My phone rings. I reach into my back pocket to answer it. It’s Manni. I always take his calls, and I’ll definitely take this because some shit could have happened at home with the princess.

“Yes?” I say into the phone.

“Hey, Boss, you’re not gonna like this. They found Pierbo dead by the docks this morning. They said it was suicide. He hung himself.” My breath stills at that word. Suicide. Like it always does. And like always, I think of Ma.

Pierbo was one of our enforcers tracking Riccardo’s activities. It was only yesterday that I spoke to him. He worked solid with Dominic to gather intel. It was him who found out that Riccardo was mixed up with the Mexican cartel. Dominic did the rest of the digging. This is suspicious as fuck.

“You sure it was suicide?” I have to ask. In our world, people can make shit look any way they like. I have the attention of my brothers at the mention of death.

“Hung himself. And there was a note,” Manni replies. “Sorry, Boss. I’ll let you know more if I get anything else.”

“Okay.”

He hangs up, and I look back to my brothers.

Something’s not right… something’s fishy as fuck. Pierbo was supposed to see me later. He said he had something he wanted to talk to me about in person.

“Who’s dead?” Tristan asks.

“Pierbo. That was Manni. He said Pierbo killed himself.”

The guys exchange worried glances.

“Really?” Dominic asks. I nod, but I don’t believe it.

I’m so sick of having that feeling. Just like with Ma. I still don’t believe it.

On this occasion, however, I’m going to check it out.

Although nobody can easily ge