"My two favorite boys! How are you doing this fine morning? Tell me the good news!" The Don spoke in a warm and condescending tone, befitting a man of power like himself. He sat in a lavish chair with his name embroidered with rare jewels on its head and was surrounded by beautiful women. A disgusting sight considering all the grease on his chin as he dug into a whole roasted pig, even with the large cigar still in his mouth.
Now the Don was a big guy, but not in length. Darius had a general understanding that, in the past, he was a good-looking guy, according to those pictures in the corridor. However, when he took over the family, he started to put on weight. Before he was the Don, he had strong sculpture like features, abs, and a head with nicely trimmed dark hair.
Now he looks like he ate that guy, along with the entirety of a large pantry. In response to all that extra weight and age, he's lost most of his hair, had a face befitting a bulldog's, and needed to wear custom clothes completely made of cotton to absorb all that sweat he constantly released. Too bad even all the perfume he wore couldn't mask the god-awful smell.
It wasn't just his appearance Darius found dreadful, though. Walking into the room, he was able to get a good look at what was giving the Don so much joy. An older man, probably in his 60's, was left strapped and beaten to an old chair missing most of its legs, while he cried helplessly on the floor.
Blood and bruises matted his face. It would have been impossible to tell who he was had his name, Jerry Tosh along with the word Liar, not been written in blood, in his own handwriting, on a piece of broken wood tied around his neck. Jerry Tosh is… was the Don's oldest and most trusted advisor, and supposedly one of his closest personal friends.
If this fact bothered Kori, he sure didn't show it. His face was absolutely glowing, in contrast of how he was just moments ago, just ready to tell the Don about everything he did for him, "Sir, our numbers are great, in particular my division. In a few more days' time we should be making some record profits with 150lbs of gold made in one month, and we-"
The Don momentarily looked up from his food and glanced at Kori, "That's my boy! Well done, Kori. I knew you were special since the moment I found you. Look at ya, already making returns on my investment!" It was all Kori could have wanted. The Don had praised him, he couldn't believe his luck.
"I feel like I should hand this back to you." Darius whispered as he placed the letter back into Kori's back pocket. "Make sure you break it to him gently, will ya. Poor Don Klaus is getting on in years, and I fear the shock may be averse to his health."
Darius could now see veins pop in Kori's neck and arm, having suddenly been pulled out of his euphoric daze. It took everything inside him not to throw a swing at Darius.
"T-That's not all I have to say, Don Klaus."
By now, the Don had already moved on from their conversation and was conversing with some scantily clad women when Kori moved to grab his attention.
"More good news?"
"N-No Don Klaus. Here's the letter from Commander Tony."
The Don took his time while reading the letter as if savoring every word, or maybe savoring every moment as Kori became more and more unsettled.
"Take that liar and get him out of my sight, I'll play with him some more later." Following the Don's orders, two men picked up Jerry Tosh, chair and all, removing him from the room. "I must say Kori, I'm very disappointed."
"Of course, Don Klaus."
"I do not like being disappointed, Kori."
"Of course, Don Klaus."
"Kori, do you know how I got to the position I'm in?"
"Yes, Don Klaus. A combination of effective business, great investments, and merciless leadership."
"Then what, pray tell, do you think I should do when one of my investments does bad business?"
"Don Klaus, if I may, since you posted me there, business has been booming. Security is supposed to be handled by Commander Tony and I-"
The Don had moved from his seat. His rotund body shaking the ground with every step, he stopped directly in front of Kori. With a smile on his face, he put out the cigar in his mouth on Kori's shoulder. "I put you in charge. I took a risk and under your watch I lost product. It's not the money I care about. Don't worry, Commander Tony will get what's coming to him."
The crowd surrounding Don Klaus and Kori were practically salivating for more bloodshed. Typical of the kind of people the Don would surround himself with. Seems Commander Tosh just wasn't enough for these people, and now they looked to Kori to further their enjoyment.
Rather than try to fight back anymore Kori relented. "I will accept any punishment you deem appropriate. I hurt the business, not only that, but I hurt you. Never in any life should anyone be able to do that without being rightly punished." He dropped to his knees in front of the Don. "Without you Don, I'd be nothing, so please… do as you will."
"I intend too." The Don lifted his foot, intending to bring it back down hard against the young man and the polished wood floor.
"The Grande Verde, the diamond you wanted, and you'll have it in the next three days… so long as you stop what you're doing." Darius's words rang out as barely audible amongst the rowdy crowd, but the Don's foot missing Kori's head by a few centimeters proved that they reached his ears.
"Really? That's fantastic! My overseas partner will be quite pleased, however, I'm left a little confused. This matter and that matter are totally unrelated. When a dog pisses on the floor it must be punished, or it'll just happen again."
"Not my problem, I'm just saying Charles, you'll get what you want sooner if my work partner isn't crippled days before we do the job." The room went silent, the people couldn't believe what they had heard. "Oh, excuse me. Don Klaus."
The Don looked around the room surveying everyone inside. What Darius had done was a serious sign of disrespect. It suggested that he was on the same level as the Don, and he just did so straight to his face in front of a dozen people.
The room continued to stay quiet until the Don's hearty laughter filled it, "You little scamp! You always knew how to make an old man laugh!" Even with his laughter the room was tense, no one really knew how to process everything that was going on. However, one mad look from the Don and they all joined in his laughter. "Darius, you remember the one thing I hate most in this world?"
"A liar," Darius said slowly.
The Don clapped his hands together, satisfied that his point was made clear, "Go get me my diamond."
He waved the two off and got right back into eating his food, discarding all utensils and going in with his hands. "Of course, sir," Darius said while walking away. "Creep. Come on Kori, we're leaving."
Kori didn't need to be told twice, he scampered off right behind Darius, not wanting to incur any more of the Don's wrath. "Darius… thanks. You really covered for me in there. Not bad for a freelancer. Listen, about my payment. Give me a couple months and I can-"
"Don't need your money, that's not why I helped you out."
Kori was afraid of that. "Fair, what do you want then?"
"Don't know yet, didn't really give it much thought. Plus, I think I like it better when you're indebted to me."
"Then I'll take back what I said, you're still a worthless freelancer. I don't know why the Don told me to be friendly with you."
"Called it," whispered Darius as his assumption about Kori's sudden niceties were proven correct. "And I don't know why you still work for that scum. If I hadn't stepped in, he would've caved in your skull."
"If he wanted to kill me, that's his right. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be alive in the first place. I owe my entire being to that man, but that doesn't mean I'm ready to die quite yet."
"I won't ask, so please don't tell. Instead, you can help with the job, so I can get it done sooner."
"That's right, you said you can get it done in a week. Were you just blowing out hot air?"
"Definitely, so I'm going to need you to gather some last-minute supplies for me. Know where I can get a lot of paint?" Kori raised an eyebrow. "No time for questions, just get it done!"