Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 115964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 580(@200wpm)___ 464(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 580(@200wpm)___ 464(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
He paused and let out a soft sigh. “Your list aligns with my boss’ timeline,” he said flatly.
“You didn’t tell him—”
“No. I went to Roman. I reported in, and he decided it was time. I left that team behind for surveillance on Marco. They called in, said Carloni was down in Texas.”
I stumbled back, but he caught my hand.
“Carloni made a move. He might’ve done it behind my back, I don’t know. Maybe Carloni found out I’m really working for Roman, not the brother Carloni answers to. Again. I don’t know, but Roman made his decision. I got the order to take Bronski and Carloni out.” He was quiet. “You gotta pack everything you want because when we leave this house, it’s going to get torched. Everything is going to change.”
He tossed the mattress, flipping it over and shoving aside the frame. There was another safe in the floorboards, this one much longer. Raize began pulling out gun after gun.
We were going to war, and he had an entire arsenal for us.
33
Ash
I’d never been in a mafia war before. That’s the stuff you see in movies, but being one of the foot soldiers, I didn’t know what to expect. I thought we’d kill Bronski right away, but that didn’t happen. We were five weeks in, and my experience was as follows: we’d set up somewhere, we’d wait, Raize would get a call, he’d go off—sometimes he took Cavers, sometimes Jake, and a few times me.
Then he’d come back, usually bloody, and we’d change locations.
Repeat.
Basically, Raize got his orders and then he gave us orders. We followed them.
What had changed was that our shit was out in the air—not that any of us talked about it. And the it was Cavers’ first boss, Jake being under Carloni’s control, and the relationship between Raize and me. But nevertheless, there seemed to be an easier camaraderie between all of us.
Raize no longer cared if I rode alone in a vehicle with Cavers.
Cavers said more than a few words here and there.
Jake went back to telling jokes every now and then.
And something inside of me was thawing.
The only one that hadn’t changed was Gus. He got pets from everyone. He’d plop his head in anyone’s lap, and that human was obligated to rub his ears.
34
Raize
I went to the coordinates I’d been sent, and an hour later, headlights came toward me.
This was how my meetings with Roman Marakov always began. Three cars drove up this time. Sometimes it was one, sometimes two, sometimes a truck and a guy gave me a phone. This time, all three cars circled around me, and when they came to a stop, Roman’s head of security got out of the front seat in the third car. He walked around and opened the back door.
Roman Marakov emerged, taking a moment to regard me, smoothing down the front of his suit.
This, also, was habitual. The three-piece suit he wore was his uniform.
I waited until he approached.
He dipped his head in greeting, his security fanning around us. This, also, was routine, but it was an act.
“Clay,” he said.
My first name.
“Roman.”
He grinned. “I’ve been getting regular reports of your team hitting my family locations. You’re doing good work.”
I nodded. “I’m doing what you sent me to do.”
“It was three years ago when I told you to start working for Igor. You’ve proven over and over that you are a worthy fighter for me. I am appreciative of your work.”
Roman never complimented me. I waited because he was working up to something, and fuck, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t like it.
He smoothed his suit again, standing as straight as he could. “Having said that, we’re changing our scope. I’m going to step in as the new head of our family’s operations. I’d like you at my side when I do that.”
“What?” No. I did operations in the field.
When he’d sent me in to work for Igor on his behalf, it was a form of mafia undercover work. That’s what I did. I was the guy sent out to kill, to take down. I didn’t do management. I glanced over at Downer, his head of security. I didn’t do that shit.
“Because of your attacks, Estrada’s pulled back his support of Igor,” Roman continued. “Carloni returned to Philadelphia. Your half-brother’s decided a relationship with the Marakov family is not something he’s open to anymore.”
He wasn’t my half-brother. “You sent me down to make a connection.”
“Yes, that’s what I told you, but I really sent you down to test whether Estrada would be a worthy ally. He’s proven that he’s not. Because of this, I’ve decided to stop waiting. I’ll be coming to America permanently. When that happens, I’d like all obstacles for my family eliminated. You’re aware of what I’m saying?”
“You’re ordering the execution of your brothers and their heads of operations?”