Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 115964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 580(@200wpm)___ 464(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 580(@200wpm)___ 464(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Raize moved for the first time. He turned to Cavers and Jake. “Go back to the car. Drive away.”
“Boss—” Jake started to protest.
Not Cavers. He dropped the bag and started for the car immediately.
“Go.” Raize’s tone was calm.
Jake swung his eyes my way, alarmed, but he did as he was told.
Estrada watched as both men got in the car and waited until the car had turned around. “Even more interesting. What are you setting up here, Raize?”
“I’m here on behalf of Roman Marakov.”
I tensed, that name shredding my nerves.
The Marakov family ran the Russian mafia in Philadelphia, but over the last year they’d been expanding. I’d been a peon on the streets for them before I was sold to Bronski, and I knew the entire family worked together. Roman was the youngest of the brothers. There were three in total. Maxim was the oldest. Igor was the second. Roman was the only one my sister said she’d met, before she was taken.
“He’s nice,” she’d told me.
I’d snorted. “He’s mafia. This is dangerous. What are you doing?”
“Leo trusts them. He works for them. He says he’s going to go places.”
“Leo works for Igor, doesn’t he?”
“Yeah, but he wants to work for Roman. He says Roman is going to go places, and he’s the one not to underestimate. And by the way, you’re not supposed to know any of this. Don’t say a word or they could kill us both.”
A week later, she was gone.
Carloni worked for Igor.
Brooke’s boyfriend worked for Igor.
I had no clue how she met Roman.
I knew Raize worked for one of the brothers. I’d assumed it was Igor since he was the one running Philadelphia, but hearing this now… What did it mean? Did it mean something?
“I’m assuming you still want me dead,” Raize noted. “That’s fine, but before you take your shot, Roman is aware that you’ve been trying to get into Russia with your product. He is offering this to you. Work with him here in Texas. He’ll help distribute your product on the eastern side of the US, and you can expand into Russia.”
“Russian mafia doesn’t like the cartel.”
“This Russian mafia does.”
“Why, Raize? I’m aware of Roman Marakov’s reputation, and he doesn’t strike me as someone who needs me. What is he getting from this partnership?”
“He wants the 63rds out of business permanently. They’re too reckless and dangerous for the United States. They kill too many innocents, and it’s bad for business. They can’t expand if the 63rds continue to work in the US.”
“All of this was sent to get rid of the 63rds?”
“This was done so that further war wasn’t waged when the 63rds were taken out, and so he’s got a powerful partnership for expanding into Mexico. You work with the Colombians and you have a strong tie in Bolivia. That’s an alliance that helps him.”
“What’s the drawback?”
“You work with him, and him alone. Not his brothers.”
Roman Marakov was planning a takeover.
I got it then. All of it.
Well, almost all of it.
Wait. I had no idea, but that’s the only thing that made sense.
And that filled me with so much excitement, I wanted to do a TikTok dance. I didn’t know any. I didn’t have TikTok, but I wanted to log onto a computer somewhere and learn one.
That meant Igor Marakov would die.
Igor was on my list. He was the boss over Carloni, who was over Bronski, and I hated them all.
“Raize.”
“What?”
Estrada turned, holding out his hand to Abram.
Abram hesitated, giving Raize a look before he pulled a gun out and handed it to Estrada.
Raize watched the gun, his eyes darkening, but he didn’t move.
“I allowed you to leave as a gift to my sister, but I said if I ever saw you again, I’d kill you. I’m seeing you again, Raize. You know what that means.” He raised the gun, pointing it at him. “Have you considered that your boss knew I wanted you dead? He sent you to broker this relationship. Have you considered the thought that you’re the gift from your boss to me?”
Raize drew in a breath, but had no other reaction.
No fear.
No anger.
Nothing.
He didn’t pull a gun, and I looked around, wondering if his other guys were here somehow.
Then Raize spoke, “You think not having hills or trees around here would stop me?”
Estrada frowned. “What do you mean?”
“You’re right, Marco. I didn’t just bring those two men with me, and me sending them away wasn’t for the reason you’re thinking.”
“What am I thinking?”
“That I sent them away to regroup and come up behind you.”
Estrada went rigid, and I was pretty sure he hadn’t been thinking that because his head and his men’s heads whipped to look behind us.
That’s when Raize moved.
He darted forward. Watching him now, I knew that I’d always be mystified by him. He moved quickly and soundlessly, and no one saw him except for me. All of Estrada’s men had fallen for the trick.