said.
Sorin tensed, but I did nothing and instead kept my gaze on Markov. This would be another test.
“Shut up!” Markov barked.
A more hands-off approach than I would have taken, but Markov’s men were his to handle as he saw fit. I hoped the other man would keep his mouth shut, though. If he opened it again, I’d have to respond, and I had no desire to delay my return home. A response of some kind was necessary, though.
“Do you think I’m afraid, Markov?” I said. His lapdog didn’t deserve my words or attention.
“Of course not. No insult intended,” he said, nearly tripping over his words with the speed of his speech.
He went quiet, and soon the room descended into silence, the bass of the music and the boisterous laughter so different than the grim, electric silence of this room.
It was Anton who finally broke it. “I believe Vasile asked you something, Markov.”
Markov looked at Anton and nodded tightly. “Cleanly. Discreetly. We’ll be shadows, in, out, and done. No trouble,” he said.
I had my doubts, but I’d considered this issue before, and Markov was the least of all evils. Relations with the Peruvians were nonexistent, and neither Anton nor I would handle the drug trade, and the other clans were too small to manage an operation of that size.
Which left the Russians. And Markov, who didn’t make a good first impression, had been running his own organization for nearly two decades, and that longevity said something by itself.
“Make sure, Markov. We won’t help you in this,” Anton said.
The man gave an icy smile. “This is easy. I won’t need your help. But why so generous? There’s money to be made. Why are you leaving it all to me?” he asked.
“Clan Constantin’s interests don’t lie in that aspect of the business,” Anton replied.
A bland answer that didn’t remotely touch the heart of the matter. Both Anton and I agreed that the drug trade was far more trouble than it was worth and had no problem leaving it to the Markovs of the world.
And Markov was more than happy with the deal. In fact, he probably thought he was getting one over on Anton and me.
I didn’t give a shit.
I was happy to fly under the radar. I got rich, my men got rich, and we all stayed out of jail. Let Markov have what he believed was easy money. Maybe he’d eventually come to realize there was no such thing. It’d be too late then. He’d be in custody, dead, or trying to hold together an organization that had been ripped apart. Clan Petran and Clan Constantin would be there to watch.
“We’re done?” I asked.
Anton nodded. “Yes.”
“You should stay. Let me entertain you, a small celebration of our new partnership,” Markov said.
Anton stood, as did Sorin and I. It would be rude to refuse his invitation, so as much as I wanted to get home, I couldn’t, not yet.
The next hours passed in a blur. I’d never been known for my social nature, but Sorin did well and managed to keep Markov entertained enough that Anton and I didn’t have to do too much.
After we’d stayed long enough not to offend, we finally left Markov with the whores and drugs and got the hell out of there.
“I’m pathetic,” Sorin said after we’d bid Anton good-bye.
“Yeah, what made you realize it?” I asked.
“I was surrounded by naked women and all I could think about was getting home to Esther and figuring out how I’m going to shut her up when she starts bitching about me smelling of smoke,” he said, laughing incredulously.
I did the same. “Sometimes life changes.”
“Yeah.” He hugged me quickly, got into his car, and then drove off.
I did the same, anxious to finally be home.
----
V asile
----
“ W hat are you two doing still up?” I said as I walked into the house, relief at finally being back to the place I loved most filling me and chasing away thoughts of Markov, Anton, everything except the joy of being back with my family.
“Technically, only one of us has a bedtime,
Sorin tensed, but I did nothing and instead kept my gaze on Markov. This would be another test.
“Shut up!” Markov barked.
A more hands-off approach than I would have taken, but Markov’s men were his to handle as he saw fit. I hoped the other man would keep his mouth shut, though. If he opened it again, I’d have to respond, and I had no desire to delay my return home. A response of some kind was necessary, though.
“Do you think I’m afraid, Markov?” I said. His lapdog didn’t deserve my words or attention.
“Of course not. No insult intended,” he said, nearly tripping over his words with the speed of his speech.
He went quiet, and soon the room descended into silence, the bass of the music and the boisterous laughter so different than the grim, electric silence of this room.
It was Anton who finally broke it. “I believe Vasile asked you something, Markov.”
Markov looked at Anton and nodded tightly. “Cleanly. Discreetly. We’ll be shadows, in, out, and done. No trouble,” he said.
I had my doubts, but I’d considered this issue before, and Markov was the least of all evils. Relations with the Peruvians were nonexistent, and neither Anton nor I would handle the drug trade, and the other clans were too small to manage an operation of that size.
Which left the Russians. And Markov, who didn’t make a good first impression, had been running his own organization for nearly two decades, and that longevity said something by itself.
“Make sure, Markov. We won’t help you in this,” Anton said.
The man gave an icy smile. “This is easy. I won’t need your help. But why so generous? There’s money to be made. Why are you leaving it all to me?” he asked.
“Clan Constantin’s interests don’t lie in that aspect of the business,” Anton replied.
A bland answer that didn’t remotely touch the heart of the matter. Both Anton and I agreed that the drug trade was far more trouble than it was worth and had no problem leaving it to the Markovs of the world.
And Markov was more than happy with the deal. In fact, he probably thought he was getting one over on Anton and me.
I didn’t give a shit.
I was happy to fly under the radar. I got rich, my men got rich, and we all stayed out of jail. Let Markov have what he believed was easy money. Maybe he’d eventually come to realize there was no such thing. It’d be too late then. He’d be in custody, dead, or trying to hold together an organization that had been ripped apart. Clan Petran and Clan Constantin would be there to watch.
“We’re done?” I asked.
Anton nodded. “Yes.”
“You should stay. Let me entertain you, a small celebration of our new partnership,” Markov said.
Anton stood, as did Sorin and I. It would be rude to refuse his invitation, so as much as I wanted to get home, I couldn’t, not yet.
The next hours passed in a blur. I’d never been known for my social nature, but Sorin did well and managed to keep Markov entertained enough that Anton and I didn’t have to do too much.
After we’d stayed long enough not to offend, we finally left Markov with the whores and drugs and got the hell out of there.
“I’m pathetic,” Sorin said after we’d bid Anton good-bye.
“Yeah, what made you realize it?” I asked.
“I was surrounded by naked women and all I could think about was getting home to Esther and figuring out how I’m going to shut her up when she starts bitching about me smelling of smoke,” he said, laughing incredulously.
I did the same. “Sometimes life changes.”
“Yeah.” He hugged me quickly, got into his car, and then drove off.
I did the same, anxious to finally be home.
----
V asile
----
“ W hat are you two doing still up?” I said as I walked into the house, relief at finally being back to the place I loved most filling me and chasing away thoughts of Markov, Anton, everything except the joy of being back with my family.
“Technically, only one of us has a bedtime,
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