“Fine,” Viktor says, pushing back from the table. “Walk with me. The grounds are quiet at this hour.”
We step outside into the cool night air. Viktor’s upstate mansion sits on sprawling acres of manicured lawns and dense woodland. The moon is half-hidden behind thin clouds, casting pale silver light across the grass. The three of us walk in silencefor a while, the only sound the crunch of gravel beneath our shoes and the distant hoot of an owl.
Eventually, the conversation drifts, as it always does when powerful men are tired and honest, toward the softer parts of our lives.
Ivan speaks first, a rare softness in his usually sharp tone. “My boy… he keeps me grounded. Before Landon, every night was the same. Blood on my hands, ghosts in my head. Now I come home and he looks at me like I’m not a monster. It changes everything.”
Viktor nods, a faint smile touching his lips. “Same for me. My sweet boy makes the brutality bearable. He doesn’t flinch from what I am, but he reminds me there is still light in this world. Without him, I don’t know if I would still be standing. It’s heavy, but I don’t know if I could be the man I am without his presence in my life.”
They both look at me expectantly.
I stare out at the dark tree line, jaw tight. “I’m conflicted,” I admit quietly. “Teddy is bright. Optimistic. Untouched by our kind of darkness. Bringing him into this world feels like dragging him into evil. I don’t know if he can handle it. I don’t know if I can handle what it might do to him.”
The words taste heavy. Ivan and Viktor exchange a glance.
Viktor speaks first. “If you care for the boy, give him a chance to see what it really means. I could arrange a playdate… my boy and yours. Safe, private, no pressure. Let him talk to someone who understands this life from the other side.”
Ivan nods. “Mine would come too. It might help Teddy understand that being with men like us isn’t all blood and shadows. There is protection. There is loyalty. There is… love, if you let it happen.”
I consider their words.
The idea has merit.
Teddy needs to see the reality, not just the fantasy I allow him in stolen moments. But not yet.
“Thank you,” I say, meaning it. “I will consider it. But only after this situation with the cartel is resolved. One war at a time.”
We walk a little farther, the night air cooling the frustration from earlier.
When we turn back toward the mansion, the tension between us has eased. We are no longer three men arguing, we are three men of business united against a common enemy.
Back inside, we return to the table with clearer heads. The plan takes shape: a coordinated strike on two fronts, precise intelligence gathering, and a contingency for every possible betrayal.
By the time the sky begins to lighten, we have a workable strategy.
I leave Viktor’s mansion as the sun rises, sliding into my sports car alone. The drive back toward the city is quiet at first, the long road stretching ahead through rolling hills.
Then I notice it.
A dark sedan, three cars back, matching my speed. It has been there for the last twenty minutes, maintaining distance but never falling too far behind.
Who do we have here?
It ain’t one of Viktor’s men.
It’s no one from my family…
Paranoia kicks in hard.
I take the next exit abruptly, speeding down a narrow back road. The sedan follows. I push the Aston Martin harder, tires screeching as I take sharp turns, weaving through smaller streets and then onto another deserted country road. The game of cat and mouse intensifies and I accelerate dangerously, the engine roaring, taking risks I would normally avoid.
For ten long minutes we race.
Finally, I lose the tail by cutting through a narrow service road and doubling back through a small town. When I am certain no one is behind me, I pull over on the shoulder, breathing hard, heart pounding.
I fire off a quick message to both Viktor and Ivan…
VIKTOR: Being followed on the way back. Dark sedan. Lost them, but it was deliberate. Could be Mexicans. Could be cops. Time is of the essence, we need to move urgently.
