VINCENZO
“The Warui is trying to hone in on your territory, Sir.” My nostrils flare as I grit my teeth. I’m on a call outside, and the steam from breathing in the cold surrounds me like a cloud of smoke.
“How can you be certain, Lee?”
“Because I think Rebecca Kane is talking in their ear. She visited them two times this week, according to the boys. The Russians want allies, and it seems they’ve chosen Warui.” I inhale deeply through my nose, and the cold air stings my throat as I massage my temples.
“I either give ’em the kiss of death and start a fucking riot, or I put the X on The Russians. Odessa thinks they're slick, and I promise you they’ll regret it.” I know my veins are popping, and I’m trying to withhold my frustration. I’m being taken away from a night with my family and beautiful girlfriend, for this? Petty, ungrateful shits.
I hear the pause over the line, and I know he’s just being respectful, but it makes me second guess my approach. I can’t come in guns-a-blazing and make an enemy of them too soon. If the boys overheard something in the works, I trust them to handle it, even if they have to take people out to send a message.
“Send Bonnie, Marty, and Ray-man down to the West LA Warui territory line. I’ll meet them there in half an hour.”
“Yes, Sir.” I hang up, and Lee brings the car around, full of security. Silently, I climb into the vehicle, and he hands me a .38-caliber. I make another call on the way.
“I need a Molotov cocktail delivered to 13th street, West LA. Wait for my order.” I hang up and glance out the window. We’re about to arrive, so I make sure to conceal my gun. I don’t usually do this type of work, but sometimes if you want something done right… you gotta get your hands dirty.
The drive seems far too quick, and before I know it, I’m standing in the cold, out in front of the Warui’s locally owned spot. It’s closed for the night, so this makes for perfect timing.
“Let's clock the perimeter,” I instruct, and we flank to the sides of the building, circling it for any signs of surveillance. When I’m positive we’re far enough away, and the grounds are clear, I make another call.
“Now.” I give the order, and the entire building goes up in flames.
We cross back to the cars and part ways. The stunt reminds me of my younger days, fresh out of school, running errands for Capo. I quite like the thrill of getting messy, but I have to be smart, or I end up losing my crew to one-offs.
When I arrive back at Papa’s mansion, I check my Breitling for the time. It’s already midnight. Figures. The second I deal with one loose end, five others get frayed. Fucking Warui’s. Always trying to get what they can’t have. I’d take them all out if it wouldn’t sever important connections we still hold with the locals.
After I’m sure Jess is inside her apartment, I go home feeling rather stressed. I’m meant to be ready to take over everything in a short amount of time. How am I even supposed to handle that if I can’t even stop the Warui from defying me?
This is our territory, and it doesn’t matter what alliance they’ve made. They have no respect for what they could never earn. Do they think they can just waltz into my grounds and take it? Regret is all they’ll know because I’ll get the last say.
I lay in bed, boiling with anger and frustration. It’s the worst kind of night. I toss and turn, sifting my restless mind for some solution. Blowing up one of their assets only sends a message, but whether they back down is unknown. I fall asleep accidentally while thinking of a solution, although when I open my eyes, it’s already morning. I feel as though even in my dreams, I was calculating resolutions to no avail.
My weekend required many meetings with the boys about Warui continuing to reach out to our deals and attempt to make ones of their own. One of our bars south of the Hollywood reserve called to report their run-in and demanded more security measures. Warui was ruthlessly and shamelessly prodding, and if they continue, they'll scare our alliances into submission. But, if I threaten either side, we’ll have equally detrimental outcomes.
By Monday, I was swamped with work and heavily engulfed in the constant drama we encounter daily. We’d make a move against them, and they clap back stronger. They aren't even faltering, and they’ve already lost 5 of their guys.
Jessica called a couple of times over the weekend, but I couldn’t answer. There’s too much at stake, so I can’t get her involved in any of this. I don’t know why, but whatever we have feels more real to me than any other labeled relationship. I know it’s fake, that we fucked once, messed around a bit, and now we’re what we are… but it’s different with her. Scary, and I don't want to freak her out by telling her the truth about my family business. And I don’t know if I can truly trust her.
We cross paths throughout the workweek, but she seems off, and I can’t put my finger on it. On Wednesday, I look out my window and notice she has someone walking up to the building with her. He’s a tall blonde with messy hair and terrible taste in fashion. I don’t recognize him, but I make a note of it and continue on with my hellfire of a week.
Thursday, I see her with the same guy again. This time, he’s walking with her on her lunch break. I don’t like not knowing who she’s with, but I shouldn’t give a fuck, so I don’t know why I do. Maybe it’s because her whereabouts with him are peculiar. Fuck if I know why but she could be dating him. I hope not. He looks like a kid. It’s strange. The odd thing about blondie isn’t that he looks like a surfer kid who shops for his clothes at a quickie-mart. No. What’s peculiar is how he gestures when he speaks to her— like he’s dominating the conversation. Interviewing her.
So, I get suspicious. It’s my job in this line of work to be cautious. That’s why I’m nervous right now. It’s my natural instinct to protect myself that I’m concerned about. Maybe a little annoyed that Jessica is hanging around someone like him, but that’s really beside the point. I pick up my cell and make a call to Lee.
“Lee, I need you to have Ms. Lee and the tall blond man she’s been hanging around with followed.”
“Certainly, Sir. I’ll send your best guys.”
“Thanks.” I quickly hang up and watch as she enters the building again.
Saturday, Lee rings me in the late afternoon.
“They’ve got Antonio.”
“Warui?” I grit my teeth.
“Warui.” He affirms bluntly.