Page 49 of Devious Lies

Asleep, I dream of her.

Awake, I think of her.

I need to know what she’s hiding.

Well, you’re not going to find that out in here, asshole.

My inner voice can be a real dick sometimes.

“Luc, what do you think?” Nico asks, and I make a noncommittal humming noise.

The discussion has moved on to other properties we have in development, and I half listen while our realtor gives us his report.

My job is to serve the king. That’s why I got my law degree. That’s why I do what I do.

All our dealings, legal or not, require thoughtful inspection. Having a degree, or several, does not make me smarter than anyone else. But it makes me the right man to deal with some shit Nico simply doesn’t have the patience for.

He is fine with letting me do that. So, I do. I handle the stuff he doesn’t want to.

I use all my education, my expertise, what I know about the area where we choose to invest our hard earned money.

Sometimes it is a simple deal, sometimes we invade, depending on whether it’s Viper Enterprises or simply the Vipers who are taking over.

You see, when you have an infestation of snakes, you either get rid of them or they rule.

The government didn't get rid of us.

The cops couldn't, or maybe they just wouldn’t, because we cleaned up the streets they refused to.

We take care of people who come from the same place we did.

That's why we're in power and that's why we will remain in power because the real power is with the mob. The forgotten people on the fringes of society.

They need someone to look out for them, and that's what we do.

We provide for them.

The Vipers.

We keep the schools clean. We fund recreational centers, senior aid, and daycare.

We control the so-called government heroes.

Who do you think started the real epidemic hurting society? Who do you think allows the cartels, murderers, rapists, and worse to walk free just to get a deal done?

It is not us.

You cross a Viper, you get bit. Period.

We do bad things. I’m not saying we don’t. But the way I see it, so does the government. Some of it is worse than anything we’ve ever done.

If anything, the Vipers have more ethics than most politicians I’ve met. And yes, I have met many.

It is simply part of the package, being a Princeton trained lawyer representing Viper Enterprises.

Every government everywhere in the world has their own issues. Their own slimy politicians, greasy dealings, and coverups. It’s like they have their own morality.

And so do we. I'm not trying to say we're better. I'm just saying we're not all that different

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