Chapter 65 THE NEGOTIATION II
“Do you think you're in any position to try and cut a deal with me?” Santiano asked, pushing his gun out of safety mode and the sound of the click struck fear into Pedro's heart again that he shifted in his seat, fumbling with his hands by balling them into a tight fist.
Then out of nowhere, the sound of his cackle began to fill the room until his eyes became teary as the realization of a hint in Santiano's words hit him like a bullet— hard and soft.
“You think I'm not worthy to strike a deal with you, huh?” He slammed back at Santiano, his brows furrowed as they made way for slight intimidation. “This is a dog eat dog world, Santiano, just because you helped my family become an affiliate in the Mafia world does not mean my entire loyalty belongs to you.” Pedro continued with a cry harsh against his throat.
“You bastard!” Santiano cursed.
“I should have killed you when I had the chance to and tonight might just be the night I get to make a redemption for my last mistake for your head.” Santiano growled at Pedro, his eyes turning void to what mercy was.
With slight panic in his tone, Pedro pushed himself at Santiano's gun, gauging the tip directly at his own head while slightly trembling beneath Santiano's stance.
“Go on!” Pedro shouted, a spree of spit flying out of his mouth.
“Go ahead and pull the trigger! Put a fucking hole right in the center of my head, Santiano!” He dared. “But you should remember this, the moment I die, your woman dies and you will never find her body— I swear it.”
Santiano turned silent, his finger gently squeezing the trigger of his gun as he was holding himself back from pulling the shot.
In his head, he had fired the shot already and Pedro had been thrown back into the cushion he had been sitting in, with a wide hole already bored at the center of his head while his blood painted his whole face in a dangerous hue of vile red.
“I know she means a lot to you— more than the whole world you have beneath your feet, but you will never find her without my help— never will despite how great you are.”
“You rat!”
“You need my help, Santiano and I am showing mercy on you by giving you an offer— a lifetime offer to get her back but all you have to do is to sign your family's distillery into my name and back down from trying to take over my casino. If you do these things, I will forgive you.”
Pedro had listed again greedily, his breath shaky but enough to deliver what he wanted from Santiano.
“Forgive me? You should be begging for mercy, Pedro.”
Pedro smiled a little, raising his hand at his henchmen for them to lower their weapons.
“You're not in any position to grant mercy to anyone anymore, Santiano— this is the reality of your situation.”
Santiano pressed his gun into Pedro's head, making the short, cunny, greedy man recline deeper into the cushion.
“I will get you my VIP slots during the auction for your woman— the game has already started and this auction is not for Italian mafia families anymore, Santiano.
The game is big and I am hosting visitors from all over the world.” He paused, swallowing hard as he had been talking continuously for a while.
After he had regained himself with his little break, he continued,
“Say, the Yakuzas will be in attendance and I heard you have been sorting after some prestigious Russian families to put on a deal with one of your businesses. Well, lucky me, I got to them first and I might just put in good words to them on your behalf.”
Santiano was only subjected to give Pedro that death stare. Pedro had had him all cornered from every angle.
With his woman, with the family distillery, with the casino he was supposed to take over as well as already being an acquaintance with the Russian Mafias he had been trying to get a deal with for his business.
Pedro was such a lewd man and all his actions had rendered all of his cards utterly useless.
Everything that was important to Santiano was already in his hands and he was maniacal enough to have everything destroyed if Santiano was not willing to submit to all the conditions he had outlisted— all for his own personal gain and as well ruin Santiano Rafael Devereaux when he could.
Ruining Santiano Rafael Devereaux was as well as leading to the fall of one of the most prestigious Mafia families in Italy— the Devereaux family.
Pedro, who was now grinning under the gun of Santiano reached for his inner coat pocket and at the sight of his movement, Rafael's men cocked up their guns at Pedro, aiming to stop him from pulling out a sort of weapon at their boss.
Pedro's henchmen also flared up, reacting on quick reflex as they countered Santiano's men by also cocking up their guns, ready to fire as they aimed at their targets.
“Easy, boys!” Pedro said with a lazy laugh, finally pulling out a card from his chest coat pocket.
He pointed it at Santiano as the card made it into light.
“What is this?” Santiano asked, his tone extremely cold and condensing, his furrowed brows telling a tale of his impatience at Pedro's game which he was losing at.
“A VIP card to my auction, specially curated for you or shall we call it— your last chance to reclaim your woman before Sergie DeLuca makes an offer on her?”
Santiano's eyes widened as he heard this, his anger brewing the more at the news that Sergie DeLuca would also be bidding for Vanessa.
“That bastard, he knows about your auction and about Vanessa being at the auction? He knows something about this sick game of yours?!” He growled, completely losing his cool.
“Of course,” Pedro replied with a nonchalant grin spread on his lips.
It was obvious to him already, this battle wasn't with Pedro or his family alone but he also had to battle with Sergie DeLuca as this ridiculous game could cost him his love, his woman— his Vanessa.