Page 82 of Lord of Vice
“And they are?” Diego asked.
“One is a prominent judge out of DC. The other is the good mayor of this illustrious town. While Peterson has been fair up to this point, I have reason to believe he could be a pawn.”
Dante sighed. “It would seem some high-ranking officials in various cities have been targeted as such. We’ll check and let you know.”
“Please do as both have some… personal interest.” I was already thinking about the terrible things I wanted to do to Carson and his worthless son. “One last question. Have you heard the name the Butcher?” I might as well place all the cards on the table.
Diego whistled. “Yeah, but as you might imagine, there’ve been a lot of assassins who call themselves that. I can tell you that there is some concern about what the man is doing and if he’s the leader of the assassins hired by the Death Squad. We’re doing what we can to narrow down his whereabouts, but the organization has their own version of safehouses all over the world. Why?”
“I have a feeling this person is connected to the newly crowned cartel leader Emiliano Cabrera. I also have the distinct feeling he is vying for some control in Vegas.”
“Now, he’s a butcher,” Dante offered, giving his brother a quick glance.
Their twin speak was getting on my nerves.
“Yeah, I know. He slaughtered his own father.”
“Try his entire family,” Diego growled. “Have you met him?”
“No. Why?”
Dante answered my question. “Because he also carries the branding of a Death Squad assassin.”
“So he killed his own father to gain control only to become an assassin for these idiots?” I wanted to laugh but at least some pieces were falling together.
“Remember that the Death Squad is connected and wealthy and they’re not going to entirely eliminate every syndicate. They’ll train a few to control and use.”
“Also interesting. Were you aware his father was once considered an enemy of my father?” Revenge was something that lasted often for generations. My father had not only clashed with the patriarch but there’d been more bad blood than I’d been told about. At least that had been my intuition. However, the attacks were starting to make more sense. Except how the fucker knew where I was and how his men had gained entrance to the resort and my suite.
Diego and Dante whistled together. “It would appear, my friend, that your family has had a target on your backs for years.”
I glanced at Diego, trying to reconcile everything that had been said. At least by going to see the Morellis, I could potentially find out more about the man’s plans. No wonder the assholes sent to kill me had been more highly skilled than what Sylvester or his dumbass brother could organize. Not that it made me any happier. And not that the newly discovered information was going to change anything.
“Nothing I can’t handle. However, I’d enjoy any information you might have, including if there’s something your birth father might be able to offer.” I looked from one to the other.
It was obviously a slightly sore point between the two men. “I’ll see what I can discover and let you know,” Diego finished.
I wasn’t certain what to think about the Brotherhood. “Thank you. As you might imagine, I’m eager to continue killing anyone involved in the personal attacks on myself and my men, but I do things very carefully. I need time to think about your offer.”
“Understood. You should know that from what we’ve learned collectively over the years, you singlehandedly took out the highest number of assassins. That will further place you on the radar.”
I glanced over my shoulder. “They don’t know who they are fucking with, Diego.”
“Maybe not, but we do,” Dante piped in. “You’re perfect for the Brotherhood.”
“Who are the other members of this alliance?”
“As you might imagine, Kraven, anonymity is one reason we are able to keep the vultures at bay. There are formalities to joining the group, a nondisclosure to sign and rules to follow.” Diego wasn’t telling me anything I hadn’t already suspected.
“Fine,” I said in passing. “I will keep this meeting private. You have my word. But I will need to be provided with additional details if I am to wholeheartedly consider joining.”
I had to admit to myself, I could see no real downside.
“We can tell you that as of this date, ten members are involved. While you might think that small, we all have our contacts that bring hundreds of resources to our fingertips. Every man was chosen specifically for skills, contacts, wealth, reputation, and leadership ability. We are the future of our world, Kraven. Ignoring the Death Squad, there are other prominent issues to deal with including the war on drugs and weapons, and something that we know is dear to your heart, sex trafficking, especially of minors, something none of us find acceptable.”
“Like the Morelli brothers.” I said the name in passing as I turned around, noting they’d given each other another look. “I understand and I don’t take the offer lightly by any means. I simply need to ensure my guest and my brother are protected and my businesses not compromised.”
“Of course. A word of advice,” Dante said as he stood. “If the girl saved your life the first time, she will be a target for no other reason than target practice and to send you a message.”