Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 40037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 200(@200wpm)___ 160(@250wpm)___ 133(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 200(@200wpm)___ 160(@250wpm)___ 133(@300wpm)
A beep sounded.
Then an ambient white light shot out from the projector.
To my shock, a black family portrait appeared on the screen. The image was grainy and a little blurred, as if an old black and white film had been burned onto a modern piece of digital-paper.
The photo showed around sixty people in four rows. Kids sat in front on the grass. Another row of people lounged in chairs. Then two rows of people stood behind them.
A massive mansion loomed behind them.
A lake rippled on their left.
Where is this place?
And they were all various complexions. Some boasted dark-skin, as beautiful and dark as berries, as velvety as the night sky. Others had lovely shades of brown. Some were the color of coffee with cream.
“O-kay.” I leaned forward to get a better assessment.
They all wore the same color red—suits, ties, dresses, and shoes. Everything dripped with that color.
And they must’ve been wealthy. Diamonds and pearls dangled from the women’s ears and necks. Plus, there was a finery to all their expressions and postures as if they’d been photographed in posh surroundings all their lives.
“These are the Killer Crows.” Tomasso walked up to the screen. “They not only rule West Paradise. They own the very hotel we are standing in right now as well as most of the buildings on this boulevard.”
“Interesting. Is this a family?”
“Not all of them are related. However, Killer Crows run in all of their blood. Long ago, the organization began as diamond thieves.”
I quirked my brows. “How do they make money now?”
“They mostly fence luxury items—sports cars, jewelry, art, et cetera.”
“And it’s been financially lucrative for them?”
“They bring in over eighty million a year.”
Leonardo sat down and whistled next to me.
Tomasso snapped his fingers at his assistant, Knight.
A new image greeted my eyes.
Three young, black people stood next to a water fountain. A tall man was on the left, dressed in a designer red suit. Two woman were on his right. Both wore elegant red gowns. They all smiled and held hands.
Tomasso pointed to the man. “This is Romeo Jones. For the past five years, he’d been considered the Chairman of the Killer Crows.”
I leaned back on the couch. “You said been considered. Why past tense?”
“Romeo was killed.” Tomasso pointed to the woman next to him. “This is his sister, Chanel. She stepped into the Chairman position as the first female leader of the Killer Crows.”
I took in the beautiful woman.
She had a fierce elegance in her eyes.
Tomasso continued, “Chanel had only been Chairman for less than a week before Romeo’s killer took her too.”
“Very interesting.” Excitement hit me. “Then, I’m here to find and kill the murderer?”
Tomasso shook his head. “The murderer was discovered. He came from the East of Paradise.”
Disappointment came. “I’m sure that didn’t help this Syndicate.”
“It didn’t. The Syndicate is shakier than ever.”
“Now, I see.” I smirked. “And now Don Enzo believes this may be a perfect moment to end the Syndicate and take over Paradise city?”
“He does. However, it won’t be the usual way, Santino.”
I held my hands out. “What is a better way to take over a city, then to get rid of all competition?”
Tomasso wagged his finger. “The Syndicate is shaky, but not fractured. They’ve been in control for a long time, and won’t stand for a lot of bloodshed in Paradise.”
I let out a long breath. “Then, what am I supposed to do?”
Tomasso snapped his fingers.
The picture zoomed into the last woman in the photo.
“This is Kashmere Jones, the baby sister of Romeo and Chanel as well as the new Chairman of the Killer Crows. She is the second female to hold the position and the youngest Chairman in history.”
“Hmmm.”
The first thought that rushed to me was that she was an impossibly beautiful woman with a captivating face and soft curves.
In the picture, her long black hair fell over her shoulders in waves. Her skin was the color of milk chocolate and looked like expensive silk. Those brown eyes held intelligence and passion, as she looked into the camera.
She wore a sexy gown that was simple yet elegant. The shimmering fabric clung to her body. The top was cut low enough to expose her full breasts, and slightly transparent. The delicate mounds of her breasts were visible even in that angle of the photo.
I grunted.
Tomasso watched me with a hint of a smile. “Do you like what you see?”
“She’s a beautiful woman. Of course I like what I see.”
“Good.”
I quirked my brows. “Why is that good?”
He snapped his fingers.
The image changed to thirty men in red suits standing in some room that resembled a courtroom, but not exactly.
I missed the image of Kashmere immediately. “Who are these men?”
“This is the Killer Crows’ Board of Directors.”
“This gang is set up like a corporation.”
Tomasso nodded. “That’s the easiest way to think of it.”