Page 2 of The Enforcer

So were we.

I’d come to New York with a single purpose in mind: signing a deal that had been in the works for several months. The family and our lucrative corporation were finally making the leap into the United States. New York would be our first stop. But the sky was the limit.

“Jeff Stern,” I said in reply.

“Yes. Come. I have a private room so we can discuss our upcoming venture.”

I trailed behind him, completely aware of the number of men hoping we’d make a wrong move. Once inside the private space, I was offered the head of the table. There were two men who’d been seated, both now standing. I didn’t appreciate being blindsided by additional guests to our discussion.

“Mack Wallace,” one of them said. “I work with Jeff.”

Nodding, I slowly turned my head toward the other man. He was older, already wearing a sneer on his face. “And you are?”

“Kenneth Baker, head of the New York State Laborers’ Union.” Neither man offered their hand in a gesture of solidarity.

“I came here as a courtesy. The deal has already been put into motion,” I stated without sitting down. This was going to be a short meeting. “I will not accept any additional codicils or interference. None.”

“Why don’t we have a drink and discuss the contract?” Jeff offered.

I glanced in his direction. He seemed anxious. His condition was easy to tell by the nervous tic in the corner of his mouth. No, it wasn’t every day a foreign crime syndicate tried to do the right thing, following the letter of the law and the union’s protocol when attempting to build another arm of our empire. Most would simply take what they wanted, leaving a reign of terror behind.

My family was more civilized, determined to make a mark in the entertainment industry. However, I wasn’t immune to the necessity of violence. As the Enforcer of our family, it was my job to keep the peace.

Even if that meant shedding blood.

“There shouldn’t be anything to discuss. The project is set to break ground in sixty days.” I was frank in my words, a sign that I wasn’t to be fucked with.

When Kenneth leaned forward, I sensed my body bristling.

“There are some issues we need to discuss.”

His words brought a smile to my face. “All issues have been worked out.”

“I’ll be frank with you, Mr. Nomikos. Unless you use men and women from our labor pool, this deal is off.”

I’d been prepared for a glitch. You weren’t successful in business if you didn’t plan for hiccups and problems. However, the labor card had been played at the end after hundreds of thousands of dollars had already been spent. Money we couldn’t recoup.

“As noted in the contract, we will use a predetermined work force of our choosing.”

Kenneth’s smile was an indication that somehow, he had the land developer by the balls. Jeff and his company had been vetted thoroughly, with no indication they were in bed with what had been described as a legal mob. The Laborers’ Union held significant political powers, the majority of companies refusing to go against them.

I wasn’t one of those men.

I planted my palms on the table, leaning over and staring him directly in the eyes. “Mr. Baker. I’m going to make this very easy for you to understand. If you attempt to place a cease and desist on this deal, I will use whatever methods necessary to ruin your organization.”

“Is that a threat, Mr. Nomikos?” he snarled.

“No, Mr. Baker. I never need to make threats to anyone. I’m simply stating a fact. I think this meeting is over with. Jeff, give me a call when we can discuss this between ourselves. But keepin mind, I’ll only be here for two additional days. After that, well… Let’s just say your loss of business will be significant.”

I turned around and headed for the door, half expecting either Jeff or his lackey Mack to follow.

No one did.

That was a clear sign of what I was up against. It would seem it was time for plan B. I doubted any one of the men would like what that meant.

CHAPTER 2

Valencia

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