Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 84446 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84446 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
“What? We friends now?” he asked. “Should I be sharing a sob story too?”
I didn’t fight the smile that tugged at my lips then.
Because, fuck, I had to respect this kid’s balls.
“Just making a point. You said you’d been through worse. I have too. Which is why I know if it was my ass in that chair, no amount of pain would make me talk either.”
“Yeah? Then the fuck you keep hitting me for then?”
Good question.
“How old are you? Eighteen?”
“Nineteen,” he said, straightening a bit. As if insulted I’d assume he was younger. Like there was any difference at all between those ages.
“How long you been on your own?”
“Since sixteen.”
“You got a name?”
“Coal.”
“You’re not from here.” It wasn’t really a question. Fact of the matter was, if there was a kid this tough in the area, there was no way I wouldn’t have known about him, wouldn’t have tried to recruit him myself.
“No. Camden,” he admitted.
That made sense. That was a rough area too. Like me and mine, he’d likely been on those streets young, likely working as a scout for drug dealers or other organized crime syndicates.
“How long you been here?”
“Couple weeks.”
“Right. Okay. And you’re freelancing,” I guessed.
“Don’t need no fucking boss.”
“Everyone has a boss,” I said, shrugging. “Except me,” I added. “Think you came here not knowing shit about how things work around here.”
“You might be a boss,” he said. “But that don’t mean you don’t got people who want to change that.”
“Clearly,” I said, shaking my head. “What I’m saying here is… they’re not gonna fucking win. Maybe this would have been a different story a few months ago. Before I created an alliance with all the other of the five families,” I told him, watching his mind work behind his green eyes. “Now, a move against me, is a move against all of us. Whoever you are working for, they’re bringing down the wrath of the entire fucking mob on them. Even if they kill me, they don’t win. That’s not how this plays out.”
He sat there for a minute, digesting this.
No, he wasn’t from the city.
But anyone raised by the streets understood the hierarchy of organized crime.
It wasn’t just the boss involved here. It was the capos, the soldiers, the associates. Of every goddamn family. Hundreds of fucking men. Ready to exact revenge.
Coal watched me, a muscle ticking in his jaw as he moved his mouth side to side.
“What if I told you that this alliance you’re boasting about is the reason I am here?”
“I’d say I’m not surprised. Lot of people haven’t been thrilled about it.”
“And if I told you this guy will do anything to get to you.”
“Seems like he’s working toward that.”
“No,” Coal said, shaking his head. “Anything. Hurt… anyone.”
“He’s gonna make a move on my people?” I asked, mind racing with how many soldiers and capos could be out there on the streets right now, unaware, unprotected.
Coal sucked in a deep breath, then winced as it expanded his lungs enough to make his ribs scream.
“If I say anything else, I want something in return.”
“What do you want?” I asked.
“My life,” he said.
“Don’t worry, kid, I was going to give you that, but also take that from you no matter what.”
“What?”
“You’re gonna live. But your life is gonna belong to me,” I told him. “You work your way up like anyone else. Associate to soldier to capo. You’re a fucking piece of work,” I went on. “Lot like I was at your age.”
“You’d hire me? After what I did?”
Again, the words came back to me.
“When you know better, you do better. And I’d much rather have you working for, rather than against, me. So that’s the deal. Give me my answers. And you walk out of here, recover for a few days, then show up to work for me.”
He was going to be a lot of work.
But I had a long history of taking wild street kids and turning them into productive members of this family.
“Okay,” Coal said, nodding.
“Okay,” I agreed. “Who hired you?”
“Michael,” he said, not a hint of deception in his eyes.
Michael?
Michael?
One of my actual fucking blood relatives? A cousin I used to ride bikes with, sneak drinks with, chase girls with? The closest thing to an actual brother I had.
But, it made sense, didn’t it?
Technically, in the order of things, he was the one who should have taken over as the boss.
The thing was, in this world, you didn’t just get fucking gifted the position of boss. You had to work for it. Earn it. Get the support for it. Then reach out and fucking… take it.
I wasn’t surprised that he wanted it, that he was even bitter about not having it.
But to make moves against me?
His own fucking blood?
On a growl, I got up from the chair, making my way to the door.