"Boss! Boss!"
My body jolted in stun, I ran my fingers through my hair and took a look around. I was no longer in my house, and Elio banging the life out of my car's window reminded me physically of that fact.
I rolled down the tinted glass, sending him and the rest of my men into a sharp relief.
"What's the situation?" I asked calmly, forcing myself into composure. Ferrari had occupied my mind with the proposal he made he back at the house. So much so that I was dreading to go back home today.
The puzzled look planted on Elio's face matched the rest of my subordinates. It was only after asking the questions that my senses fully returned. I rolled the glass back up and face palmed when no one could see me.
"Rowan you fucker…" I cursed myself, I was the one who gave strict orders we come to this district, they must've all thought that I was insane or something.
My body remembered him, and my both was scared of him doing good on his promise.
After about a minute of self loathing I stepped out of the car, and into the human wall waiting outside.
"Boss, we've arranged for a meeting with their rep, however, he wants to have a private audience with you." Elio informed me.
"I refuse, call the bastard up and tell him to come out here, now." It was already insulting enough that I had to come all the way over to fifth, just to meet with this guy. And now he wanted to have a private meeting? Just who the hell did he think he was?
Elio nodded and broke out of the wall to make the call.
I peeked through the wall, at the rows of houses on each side of the street. There were less of houses and more of hideouts. Heavily vandalized, with the fire hydrants on each block swapped out with signs that spelled 'Keep out' in block red letters. Some flies hung around the signs, and I knew for a fact that wasn't spray paint used in writing.
The 'neighbourhood' wasn't welcoming, they kept to themselves for the most time, and the only time we caught wind of these crackheads was when they were causing trouble.
"Boss." My men called out to me, "He's here."
"Step aside, I want to see him." I said reaching into my breast pocket to make sure my bullet proof vest wasn't out of place. Some men thought it was cowardly to come out in protection, that being cautious wasn't manly.
But I could give a rat's ass what they believed in.
My men parted way, tearing the wall so I could take a good look at their rep. The first thing I caught sight of was the large stitch that ran through his face, from above his left eyebrow to the alternating side of his jaw. It was a nasty thing, but I'd seen worse and had to stomach it too.
"What's one of you bitch-ass snakes doing on our turf?" he right out asked, flashing a sliver pistol at me. It wasn't the cheap kind most of his men used, and I knew guns like that didn't come easy.
"Colton, I just want to talk."
He made a face, probably wondering how I knew his name. With his gun still pointed at me he said, "We don't talk to your kind. So get the fuck out of here." He took two steps forward, "While we're still telling you."
"My kind?" I scoffed, I knew Serpiente was shit, but when it came to being the lowest of the low, these crackheads took the cake.
"I'm not trying to play saint, but a shithead who uses the blood of his own men to write on a sign can't judge me." I said.
He hissed, "They had it coming. Anyone who betrays us out, deserves what's coming to them."
In gangster logic, that should've make sense. Save for the fact that they weren't actually betraying. Colton would have a man or woman skinned in front of their family, if they didn't pay their dues on time, or give back what they owed.
At the very least, we don't piss in the same pot and call ourselves a family. He was a hypocrite, and a sell out who'd wag his tail for a bone.
"I didn't come here to talk shit with you. I have some business to discuss." I really didn't want to deal with them, but if they were working with the Russians, then I wanted to know what exactly they were dealing.
"Business?" He raised his brow, "So now you privileged assholes want to talk business?! That's rich, you piss drinkers run us out of our houses into this hellhole and think for a second that we'd want to talk business with you?!" He reaimed his pistol. "Get the fuck away before I-"
"Does Robert Martin ring a bell?" I cut him off. At the mention of that name, Colton turned pale, his eyes quickly looked here and there, making sure no one was clear enough to hear it.
"I asked you a question, does the name ring any bells?" His reaction gave me the confidence that I was right. Robert Martin worked in the redevelopment unit, and had made frequent visits to run down areas in the city, cleaning them up.
Of course, he wasn't a saint. He ran people out of houses, but the compensation money was tempting enough. At least in the short run.
And Colton, here, had turned down every single offer made by Robert to have the place redeveloped by the government. It was his base of operations, it served as his warehouse, and most importantly his hideout.
Fifth was far too valuable for him to let the government have their hands involved. From the Intel gathered by my men, he paid a massive sum to stop the projects. And what's worse, he had the people living here eating out of his unwashed hands, playing liberator.
"You got a car parked nearby?" He asked in a mellow tone. "Where we can talk?"
I turned around, and my men formed a tight wall around me. "Get in. Before I fucking change my mind."
Like the bitch he was, Colton kept up appearances and called some of his men out of their hiding place. Gave them orders to watch my men, while the both of us went to discuss.
And of course, his men trusted him fully, and even offered to go with and protect him.
Once we were inside the car, his 'intimidating' glare softened into a fearful expression. "Who the fuck have you been talking to? Was it Robert?" He interrogated agitatedly.
I went straight to the point. "You tell me what I want to know, and I'll tell you who the rat is."
There was no rat. It just felt strange that in all these years, the government kept their hands off fifth. It would've been a beautiful area, had Colton not gotten his hands on it first. That's why I had my men look into government records, and trace the connection from there.
"Fine." He relaxed into his seat, still clutching tightly onto his pistol. "What do you want to know?"
"The Russians. I hear you're getting involved with them. What are they offering? And what do they want?"
He gasped, "The hell?" He muttered angrily. "That rat is a dead man."
"That's irrelevant now. You crackheads were scum, but it was admirable how you never let yourselves get swallowed up. So why now? And why with the Russians?" While I asked, his free hand reached into his pockets and pulled out a beaten up pack of cigarettes.
He tapped a little button I had only just noticed, and blue flame came out of the butt of his pistol to light up the cigarette.
Cool trick.
He smoked a blunt, filling my car with the scent of cheap cigarettes. He blew a thick cloud through his nostrils, then said to me. "I can't say nothing."
I frowned. "Why?"
He vehemently shook his head, like he was convincing himself against spilling what he knew. "I can't afford to mess with those men. Do you think I fucking want to do this?"
"So you'd let this rat keep singing your secrets to me instead?"
"I just can't do it!" He got a bit hysteric, and tossed the cigarette on the rug. I quickly crushed it under my shoes before it started anything.
"Hey, calm the fuck down…" I tried yelling over his frantic breathing, but the smoke wasn't helping matters. I rolled down the window, thinking it would help calm him down. But he kept stomping his feet and pulling at his hairs, chanting inaudible curses.
"They'll screw me over. They'll fucking screw me over If I-"
It happened in the fraction of a second, it was quick, loud and precise. Colton who looked like he would shit his pants, now had a bullet through his head, and blood splattered all over my car's interior.
He was shot at, and I was the only one at the scene. Damn it!
Colton was a fucking set up!
And I fell hook line and sinker into their trap!