Page 28 of Lured By the Cartel

"Let's discuss territory, shall we?" Giovanni began, crossing his arms. "Your little empire is crumbling, Rossi. Time to face facts and step down."

I scoffed, not taking my eyes off Lucas. "You think you can take what's mine? You're mistaken."

Giovanni shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. But we have something you want. And you have something we want. Seems like a fair trade."

"What do you want?" I snapped, ready to get this over with.

"Step down from Nightshade. Hand over your territories to us. Simple as that."

A laugh escaped me, harsh and bitter. "You think I'd give up everything I've built for this? You're delusional."

Giovanni's smirk vanished, his expression turning cold. "Then maybe you need some convincing." He nodded towards one of his men, who stepped forward, gun pointed at Lucas.

Fury surged through me, but I kept it in check. Losing control now wouldn't help anyone. "Wait," I commanded, holding up a hand.

Giovanni raised an eyebrow. "Change of heart?"

"I'll consider your offer," I said through gritted teeth. "But only if Lucas goes free. Now."

As I stared down Giovanni, my mind raced, sifting through various scenarios, searching for the perfect solution. Luckily, I'd planned for such contingencies beforehand. Preparation was key; fortune favored the prepared, after all. My men knew what they had to do too, of course.

Lucas was the priority here. Get him safe first, deal with these fools later. Once he was out of immediate danger, we'd revisit options, reassess strategies, and re-evaluate alliances. Until then...

Plan A - Negotiate. Buy time, gather intel, and wait for backup. Classic tactics applied here. Offer them something valuable enough to convince them to release Lucas temporarily while maintaining a facade of cooperation.

Plan B - Bluff. Pretend acceptance, feign agreement, then strike when they least expected it. This route held risks, especially considering their unpredictable nature and Lucas' life on the line. Yet, desperation fueled reckless decisions sometimes, and right now, desperation fueled me from my head to my toes.

Plan C - Direct action. Overpower them swiftly, rescue Lucas immediately, and deal with all possible consequences afterward. Dangerous path, with high casualty potential, yet it also provided the quickest resolution. Tempting indeed, but not without severe repercussions. Not sure if I could afford the extra risk.

Weighing pros and cons, calculating odds, assessing risks... choices swarmed within my mind, clamoring for attention.

At the same time, one fact remained unchanged—Lucas needed extraction ASAP. No further deliberations, debates, or discussions. Action alone mattered now.

Chapter 14

Marco

Giovanni's smirk made my blood boil as he circled Lucas's chair. My omega sat there, bound but defiant, and I had to suppress the urge to tear Giovanni's throat out on the spot.

"You're bluffing, Rossi," Giovanni drawled, stopping behind Lucas and placing his hands on my mate's shoulders. I watched Lucas flinch, and something dangerous roared inside me. "We all know you won't give up your territory. Not even for him."

I kept my expression neutral, though my hands itched to reach for the weapon concealed at my back. "You think you know me so well, Giovanni?"

"I know you're Marco fucking Rossi," he sneered, squeezing Lucas's shoulders harder. "The man who executed his own cousin for stealing from the family. The man who burned down three rival operations in one night. You really expect me to believe you'd throw away everything for some college kid?"

I let out a low chuckle, the sound devoid of humor. "That's your problem, Giovanni. You see him as leverage. I see him as mine." I took a step forward, noting how several of hismen tensed. "And anyone who touches what's mine learns very quickly why that's a fatal mistake."

Giovanni's smirk faltered slightly, but he covered it quickly. "Big words from a man who's outnumbered."

"Am I?" I raised an eyebrow, checking my watch. "You might want to count again."

I'd already set my plan in motion the moment I stepped into this hospital. Giovanni might have thought he was clever, but he'd forgotten one crucial detail about me—I never walked into a situation without having complete control.

"You want my territory?" I kept my voice steady, watching Giovanni's eager expression. "Fine. Let's see what we can agree on right now." I pulled out my phone, making a show of checking something. "I have access to all our offshore accounts right here. You let Lucas go, and I'll transfer everything over."

Giovanni's eyes gleamed with greed—exactly as I'd predicted. "Show me."

I took a few steps forward, angling the phone so he could see the screen. The account details I displayed were convincing enough—I'd had my tech team create this elaborate facade months ago for situations just like this. The numbers were impressive: eight figures, enough to make any man's mouth water.

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