Page 6 of Lord of Vice

And of course whom.

I sat back in my seat, my gaze still captured by the young woman, my curiosity piqued as to how she’d found the place, given it was off the beaten path, only the aging locals bothering to slide inside for slice of pizza or to use the location as a meeting ground. I couldn’t remember the last time a beautiful woman had walked inside.

I owned Giuseppe’s, a purchase made after a buddy had almost defaulted on the crooked loan he’d signed. Why he hadn’t come to me in the first place I’d never know, but I’d taught the shark who’d provided the forty percent piece of junk with an escalation clause a lesson I doubted he’d forgotten.

Although Tony still worked as manager, paid very well considering the shitty money the place made, he was free to indulge in his passions without the hassle of ownership. Meanwhile, the location was perfect to handle both internal and external business.

While I hadn’t been to the place in almost two months, I knew every regular as well as the usual crowd that meandered inside. Maybe that was why the stunning redhead caught my eye the second she’d walked in. While she was dressed casually in jeans and a simple emerald green top, there was something about her that called to me more than just her fiery hair.

She had an attitude that wasn’t about arrogance but the kind of confidence few women had, at least in this town. While it was easy to pick out the tourists, the bread and butterof my legitimate businesses, I considered the showgirls and powerhouse women fluffy arm pieces.

In my mind she also looked vulnerable. This wasn’t the best part of town to be in, which was another reason the location suited my world and certain business activities.

However, this girl looked like she could wrangle a bear if she wanted, even if she wasn’t particularly tall or muscular. I found it fascinating that my cock was already throbbing just from the sight of her. That just didn’t happen to me. Women were beautiful objects, something I had indulged in many a time, but I never mixed business with pleasure and right now, the strategy meeting should be all I had on my mind.

“Yeah, it’s bad, boss. Three overdoses in two weeks,” Konstantin said under his breath, ensuring no one else heard us. We had a special round table meant to seat six, a prime position in the restaurant allowing us to see out the glass front and anyone who came inside either by the front door or through the service entrance. It was also far removed from other customer tables. However, the DEA, the ATF, the FBI, and the local police were always on the hunt, their technology getting more and more sophisticated. That included the use of specialty long distance listening devices. That’s why we swept every club, and every public room in our resorts, houses, and corporate offices on a regular basis.

“That doesn’t bode well for maintaining a low profile,” Dima growled.

I took a deep breath. “No, it doesn’t. What illegal substance are we talking about?”

Konstantin glanced in my direction, clearly anxious about what drug had been used. He picked up his drink before answering. “Gray Death.”

What the fuck? As the name implied, the ashy gray substance went straight to the brain through the tissues of the body without being metabolized. Made of heroin, U4 or Pink as it was called on the streets, and fentanyl, either one was deadly enough alone. Together the substance was lethal. And it was something I did not want inside my resorts or casinos.

“How much?” I snarled, fisting my hand around my drink.

“Personal usage volume at this point but it was handed out like candy to unsuspecting tourists, for fuck’s sake.”

I didn’t like Konstantin’s answer. Some people came here to let go of all their inhibitions. They didn’t need to die because of their stupidity.

“Who is suspected to be bringing it in?” My demand was met with sheepish looks on all their faces.

“We don’t know,” Misha said after clearing his throat.

I dealt in party favors to a select few only, a leftover business activity started by my father. He had reliable sources both in South America and Mexico that I continued to use. It was good shit, every shipment tested for quality and distributed to responsible people who could pay the price to play. What I didn’t allow was for coke to be sold on the street or for any of my people to consume a single line. That meant instant termination.

For someone to be bringing Gray Death into my world meant they were purposely defying my rules.

“Find out the source. That is your number one priority. The little shithead who stole from me comes second.” A couple hundred thousand dollars in my world was a drop in the bucket. Being in the crosshairs of the local law enforcement could cost millions. That couldn’t be allowed.

“You got it, Pakhan,” Misha said.

I gritted my teeth when the kid used the term. I’d done my best to move away from the old ways including the need for savage brutality, but as of late, it was becoming more and more difficult.

They returned to their conversation while I returned my gaze toward the woman once again. She appeared even more nervous than when she’d walked in, constantly staring out the window as she munched on a breadstick. Was she in some kind of trouble? I was more than curious, which also wasn’t like me. But people usually had a reason for doing things. Including the choice of restaurant where they dined.

Dima followed my line of sight, huffing under his breath. “You with us, oh great Pakhan?”

I slowly turned my head, glaring at him. My father had been the Pakhan until he’d been murdered in cold blood alongside my mother, leaving my much younger brother under my wing. I hated the title, even though I’d accepted the role, taking over the man’s empire in its entirety. I’d built and strengthened it, adding millions to the accounts while keeping a firm hold over the city even with the other syndicates coming into my home in droves.

While most were happy with the profits they’d achieved, our unwritten rules of conduct followed without incident, there were always a few who poked the bear for fun.

“Tell me the details again,” I instructed.

Dima groaned. We’d gone over the situation three full times, but each time I’d learned a little more. Each man gave his take on what he’d seen or heard, including a play by play of how David had managed to get into the locked room where the vault was located, let alone the wired to the hilt vault itself.

I was only half listening because of constantly glancing in her direction. Goddamn it, I was attracted to her. And I couldn’t help but notice she was giving me a few subtle looks from time to time, still gobbling her food while doing so.

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