Page 8 of Lord of Punishment

“Anytime.” I’d purposely kept the Russian as last. His temper was widely known, his refusal to play ball something he was well known for. “And Maxim Nikitin from South Florida and the beloved New Orleans. Voin s serdtsem Boga.” My Russian was limited and I could tell I didn’t impress him in the least.

“You have me curious what was said,” Diego said in an amused voice.

“A warrior with the heart of a god,” I repeated in English.

Everyone burst into laughter with the exception of Maxim.

“You obviously do not know our Russian friend here,” Constantine offered. “He will eat you alive.”

As if to reiterate the point, Maxim growled like a rabid dog. I simply gave him a look full of ire. My father had tried to teach me that facial expressions could be as damning as words. I hadn’t learned that lesson and likely never would.

“Svin’ya v ovech’yey shkure,” Maxim gritted out. “For our newcomer here, I told him he was a pig in sheep’s clothing.”

“At least I know how to fill out a suit,” I said in response.

Maxim puffed up then laughed. “He will do.”

His statement was as if he made the decision in whether or not I would be allowed to join the Brotherhood. I noticed the look shared between Constantine and Gabriel. They were close, more so than even Dante and Diego, although those two shared a twin thing. That much had been documented.

“Gentlemen, this is Sabatino DiMaggio. I’m certain you’ve all had a chance to read the dossier provided to you on the candidate’s attributes and holdings as well as his basic resume.” Constantine acted as if I wasn’t in the room. That pissed me off.

I took another swig of the drink, trying to keep my anger in check. “I assure you that I had no desire to consider becoming a member of this… organization,” I spat out with far too much scorn in my voice. The others bristled, which didn’t concern me in the least. This wasn’t a popularity contest.

“Then why are you here?” Phoenix challenged.

“Because our fathers go way back,” Constantine answered. “Sabatino is to be treated with respect if nothing else. Understood?”

The quiet between the men was unnerving. They certainly weren’t friends.

“I understand the New Generation Cartel has made a move on Baltimore,” Gabriel said after a few seconds of awkward silence.

“Yeah, by way of stealing product and killing one of my men. What can any of you tell me about them?”

Dante rubbed his jaw, glancing at Diego before answering. “Both Rico and his younger brother Raphael are true savages.”

No wonder Raphael had shifted into an animal after what he’d been forced to witness.

“That much I know but it’s not particularly helpful. What else?”

“They’ve recruited hundreds if not thousands of soldiers given the living and financial conditions in Mexico. They are definitely looking for a better way of life,” Diego added to the conversation. “We’ve had a few run-ins with them in LA but nothing serious yet. I think they’re testing the waters. Rico owns property but acts as if the city is his playground, not his landing for business.”

“He’s that way in Miami too, although attempting to use one of my ports to bring in heroin. Fortunately, I hijacked one of their shipments and since then, they’ve laid low,” Maxim said quietly.

“One thing is certain. They are highly dangerous given the fact they don’t follow any rules,” Constantine said to the entire group.

“If they’ve placed you in their target zone, what you experienced is nothing in comparison to what will occur in the future.” Dante seemed to know what he was talking about.

“That much I suspected. Any idea if a company of soldiers is in the United States?” I asked more out of curiosity than anything.

“We’ll run some feelers, check with our most trusted informants, including some residing in Mexico, and let you know.” Diego’s offer was something I’d hoped for.

“What about any weaknesses?” I added. It couldn’t hurt to try.

“He has an affinity for blondes, tequila, and showmanship. He once killed a man on Mexican television just because he was bored,” Diego stated, shaking his head.

“So a crazy SOB.” Yeah, men like that were difficult to capture or kill.

Dante lifted his eyebrows. “During my years as an attorney in Colombia, his father’s name was often mentioned as the god of death. Rico had stepped directly into the man’s footsteps.”

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