I issued a brutal punch, knocking him and the chair over. My hand immediately ached. It was time to get back to the gym. Dammit. I wasn’t in as good a shape as I should be.
Without asking, my soldiers righted him.
Enzo lingered on the side, eager and willing to provide a form of encouragement should I desire.
“Do you know what happens to bastards who refuse to follow the rules?” I patted his cheek, offering him a kind smile.
“I don’t follow nobody’s rules. I don’t need to.”
He didn’t need to. The statement suggested he was considered some level of authority and not just a foot soldier. While fascinating, I also didn’t give a shit.
“No? I repeated, making a tsking sound. “When you came into this city, you knew the rules. Everyone does. When you dared steal from us, the same rules apply. Period. There is no grace period, no exceptions. Your days of being able to say anything are long gone, Vincent. You fucked with the Prince family. Now, you pay the price.” I waited until the information kicked in. The entire situation had already left a bitter taste in my mouth. For some reason, today I loathed this part of my job, even though there was no way that his behavior could be tolerated. I took a deep breath as I eased my weapon into my hand.
I glanced at my men, knowing they’d take care of handling the aftermath. They were good soldiers, loyal to the extreme. As I placed the barrel of my gun against Vincent’s forehead, I made certain to look into his eyes. “You had an excellent opportunity to better your situation, Vincent. You chose the wrong side to give your loyalty to. But I assure you, your death won’t be in vain. You’ll be an excellent deterrent for others stupid enough to defy the Prince family.”
I’d be goddamned if the man didn’t laugh. What in the hell was this world coming to? “My legacy will live on.”
Legacy. The grubby motherfucker had no idea what a true legacy meant.
Only a single shot was needed, his death instantaneous.
“What do you want me to do with his body?” Enzo asked.
“Dump him in the Bayou. I don’t want his body found. However, let it slip to our informants and a few others what happens when you dare cross the Prince family. I want his buddies flushed out as well as the traitor in our organization.”
At least I could put the fear of God into people.
“I’ll make it sound messy.”
I laughed. “You do that.”
“What now?”
“Now, to my day job.” A huge landscape deal that would help bring in another few million dollars. After the serious renovations were completed.
Maybe I’d suddenly turned into more of a businessman than before as I was looking forward to the meeting.
What in the hell was I becoming?
“Why aren’t we meeting the Johnsons in your office?” I asked the family’s attorney and Consigliere as soon as I approached on the sidewalk. As usual, Jacques Cornwell was unreadable, a product of being one of the best defense and corporate attorneys in the entire state.
“Because they hired a different attorney out of the fucking blue.”
I narrowed my eyes, noticing the name of the firm on the nameplate over the massive set of glass doors. I’d be goddamned. I almost laughed. “Greg Franklin.” The man was a slimy shark, but also good at his job.
Once upon a time we’d been friends.
“You got it. And no, I just learned of it this morning.”
“You should have called,” I barked. “You know how I feel about surprises.”
“I did earlier this morning. You didn’t answer.” He had the nerve to lift a single eyebrow.
Exhaling, my thoughts drifted to the reason why. I’d taken my eye off the ball because of getting my dick wet. I had history with Greg, only some of it pleasant. “I had my reasons.”
There was no room for friendship when business was involved.
“I’m sure you did. You should know that there’s another bidder as well.”
