Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 82524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
“Legal drug dealing. Who would’ve thought?” Silas sounds serious for once in his life. “The Chinese factories are practically foaming at the mouth at the thought of getting their faintly regulated shit into the US market.”
“Everyone I know loves those GLP-1s.” Theodora checks her nails, shrugging. “I never saw the point.”
“With a body like yours, why would you?” Silas nudges her with his toe. “Come on, Dora, tell me your secret.”
“Good genes and not getting involved with fuckboys like you.”
Silas touches his chest. “I’m wounded.”
“Please, enough.” I rub the bridge of my nose. “I swear, you two are going to give me an aneurysm. I’m trying to have a moment here.”
“Right, sorry, bro.” Silas rubs his hands together. “Let’s get all sentimental some more, shall we.”
I give him a hard look. He shuts up, to his credit.
“When the deal closes and we officially own Denning Drug Supply, we’ll have a legitimate way into the market. While our competitors are busy knifing each other on street corners and selling meth in empty lots, we’ll flood the streets with completely legal Chinese knockoffs.”
“I wouldn’t say completely legal,” Theodora comments.
“The shape of our family is changing. I want to make sure everyone’s ready for it.” I stare hard at Silas. “Have you spoken with Cassian recently?”
Silas clears his throat. “I try but you know him. He only answers when he wants to.”
“Make sure he understands and is on board.”
“I’m not sure Cassian cares about much. I mean, so long as he’s got a list of targets—“ Silas stops and glances at Theodora. She’s doing her best impression of a woman who can neither see nor hear, which is one of her specialties. “Anyway, Kellan likes the idea of running an army of salesmen, and Devlin keeps saying he’s going to fuck every hot doctor on the East Coast, so you know them. Happy so long as there’s blood and treasure.”
“There will be plenty of both.” I lean my hands on the desk, staring at my oldest brother and my most trusted advisor. Both gaze back seriously. “Our enemies will not sit back and let this happen. We’re entering into uncharted territory, and I will make sure my family is protected. Do you understand me?”
“Legally speaking, I’m on top of it.”
“And less than legally speaking?” Silas stands and walks over to the bar cart. “We’re ready.” He pours a drink and raises the glass. “Here’s to the future.”
“This stays between us for now. The Capos and Lieutenants will have too many questions.”
“What about Ignazio?” Theodora asks softly. “He’s aware something’s happening.”
“I’ll deal with the accountant.” I look down at my hands, thinking how this is going to split the family in two. There are those that must be left behind but everything I do is for the greater good.
Nothing lasting is created without a little blood in the foundations.
Silas throws back his glass with a satisfied smile. “Better you than me, that’s for sure.”
I walk the pair of them out into the hall. Theodora discusses more trivial matters and Silas does his best to rile her. I keep my distance, gazing around at the house, wondering what my parents would have made of a place like this. Ten times larger than what we grew up in, ten times more expensive, and ten times more deadly. The nicest neighborhood in the heart of Philadelphia. Who would’ve ever thought criminals like us would live side by side with the wealthy and the elite?
Would my parents be proud of what we’ve become?
I doubt it. Truly, in my heart, I doubt it.
But nothing else matters anymore. My parents are in their grave twenty years now, and it has been up to me to guide my brothers and the remnants of my father’s organization into what we are today.
Nothing’s been easy. Every day’s a struggle.
Life takes. It takes and takes and takes. First my parents, my angel baby sister with them, and dozens of other slights and breaks and insults. Friends gone, bloodied and ruined. Associates gutted and left to rot in the street. Years pass, the scars thicken, the pain only ever gets worse, but I carry it all.
That’s what it means to sit on the throne.
When they’re gone, I return to my office.
My world doesn’t like change. There are too many entrenched interests competing for their slice of the kingdom. The Corvino Operation has gotten too big, too unwieldy, with several power bases spread throughout the United States. An offshoot in Chicago, another in Los Angeles, another in the Bay Area. Where there is money, we’re there working in the shadows.
But Denning gives us an opportunity for more.
A chance to grow more powerful than I ever dreamed twenty years ago standing in the driveway with the ruins of my family crying in the rain around me.
I slump behind my desk. My thoughts are crowded with too many bad memories. I try not to spend time in the past but now that I’m on the edge of something new, I can’t help myself.