Chapter 138

Nico

Yashimoto-san takes a seat in the office, his dark suite with a cream pinstripe reminding me of a different era. I swear this man thinks he is stuck in some gangster movie starring Al Pacino. Hell, maybe he even thinks he is the Godfather himself. Ha, not on my watch.

I watch as he crosses one leg over the other and folds his hands together, placing them on his lap. “Thank you for coming back,” I say to him as my assistant closes the door behind her softly.

He nods. “Let’s not beat around the bush,” he tells me with his heavy Japanese accent. Even though he has spent over twenty years, perhaps more in our country – he still maintains his accent.

“We will not be getting involved with you and Petrov. Some battles you will need to take on alone, Nico. The syndicate is not happy that there is such discord on the streets at the moment.”

My stomach twists, I really needed his help. However, if he won’t then so be it. Our men can take on Petrov. It means I may need to enlist some back-up from old man, Gianluca. Not ideal but when needs must and all of that.

“That is fine, I understand. Have you already taken it to the syndicate, Yashimoto-san? Only, I haven’t called the meeting and I am the head.”

He glances between myself, Tony and Dario.

“I might have spoken to some of the other members, yes. The consensus is that if we get involved, Petrov will only call upon his allies from Russia and there will be an outright war on the streets of New York. Nobody wants that, Nico. Surely you can understand. No?”

Whereas he is right, I do not want that, it seems to me that Petrov is forcing my hand to retaliate. The motherfucker just won’t let it go. He has his own racket on the go and we have all managed to live harmoniously for the past decade or so.

Sure, there have been fights here and there, and battles for turf. I am not an unreasonable man and often have been able to discuss situations with his minions. This, however, is different. He has harmed some of my men, he has stolen from me and nobody on this planet messes with Santangelo’s men.

It has taken being engaged to a Gianluca, admittedly reluctantly initially to gain the streets and the power to crown myself as the King of New York. Thus, you can understand I am not giving it up to a man like Petrov. He can crawl back under the rock he came from.

“Naturally, I do understand Yashimoto-san. It is with sadness that we cannot receive your assistance in this matter. However, we accept that in this instance you cannot step in and be there for us. In any case, Petrov will bring in more men. It is the way he is. We will battle our own way and win.” I thump my fist on the table causing Dario’s head to jerk up. Tony is used to my random outbursts and probably could sense one coming on from the latest news.

“Very well then, Nico. I think our business is done here for today. We prefer to stay out of it.” He releases his clasped hands and stands, stroking the front of his slacks down.

I stand at the same time and walk to the front of my desk and shake hands with him. My ever-trusty assistant must sense that the meeting has ended and opens the door. Yashimoto-san doesn’t even bother to acknowledge Dario or Tony. You can’t win them all. As far as he is concerned, they are merely my brothers and carry no weight in the dealings of our business. How wrong he is.

Dario will soon be heading up one of the largest hotel and casinos in Arizona, bigger and better than the Mirage in Vegas. Tony is the mind behind our security and our strategy process. We are all involved in the Santangelo business. And I am open with Tony about all things necessary.

I watch as he leaves, his shoulders back and head held high, until my assistant pulls the door closed and leaves myself and my brothers alone.

“Fucking uptight asshole,” Dario spits out. I raise an eyebrow at him.

“He has the right not to be involved, brother,” I tell him as I take a seat behind the desk once more. “Nobody wants a turf war, Dario least of all us. We will get our men onto his and somehow, we will track where Petrov is.”

“And then what?” Tony asks as he reaches for the glass of water on the table beside him.

“Then my brothers, it is time to cut off the snake’s head!”