Page 30 of Bound By Threads
Was she in pain?
Was her last thoughts of us? Even I know how selfish that sounds, but I was always a selfish man when it came to Scarlett Reyes. I wanted her undivided attention on me always and I would have done about anything to get it.
I thought as I got older, as the years passed without her, that my grief would lessen, and I would move on and leave her behind me, but I still feel like the eighteen-year-old boy who lost her. I remember how painful the night was after I locked myself away in my room after shutting down in front of my friends. How tired I became after I sat on the floor, my back against the wall, only able to think of how it happened. How I almost ran out of breath as I cried, and how I held my hand over my mouth so no one would hear the animalistic noises I was making, because the pain of finding out Scarlett was gone was nothing I had ever felt before.
“Crew!” Roman snaps his fingers in my face, jolting me back to reality, and I push it all back down where it belongs—my guilt, my anger, all of it, and step forward.
“Thank you for meeting us,”Roman greets the men we’re meeting as we sit down in his office space. I sit to his left, eyeing them both warily.
The big one nods his head but doesn’t say much more, and the one who I’m assuming is in charge fixes the cuffs of his shirt. “You want me to stop doing business with your father to do business with you instead? Do I understand that correctly?”
“Yes, Sir,” Roman nods his head, “I think it will benefit us both incredibly.”
“While you stick it to your father, I’m assuming?” The man laughs, his eyebrow raised. “I wasn’t born yesterday, Roman, and I find it a cliché in our business since not many of us have a loving relationship with the man who fathered us…” he reaches for the water on the desk, taking a sip. “It’s how I got here, after all. Now, I won’t dismiss you because of your age because I see the glint in your eye that tells me you mean business. So you get ten minutes to convince me, and if I’m not impressed, I walk.”
The room seems to thicken with tension as the two men before us seem to narrow their eyes, judging our every move. They are the kind of men who you don’t turn your back on because they will no sooner stab you in the back to get ahead than be in business with you.
Loyalty is everything in our world… unless you are promised more power. A better deal, an extra benefit, knowing that they will soon be more powerful than the man you’ve been in business with for the past thirty years? They all jump to the side they think will make them richer… more powerful.
Roman wastes no time in telling them what we can offer them if they cease business with his father. “I can give you a deal that guarantees the product is cheaper and the same, if not better, quality. My father has been slipping, fixating on something that isn’t business, and it’s affecting everything. He’s a sinking ship, and I suggest that you jump while you still have the chance.”
“Are you stealing his product?” he inquires.
Roman shakes his head. “I wouldn’t dream of trying to become my own man while profiting off of the theft of others, even if he does deserve it. No, I have sought out and verified my manufacturing, and quite frankly, I’m insulted you would ask.”
“My apologies, but I would have been stupid not to ask. You wouldn’t believe the number of boys who try to undermine their parents by stealing the product that has provided their lifestyles for their entire lives.”
“Too shady for my liking, Mr. Pacheco. Would you like to view the product before we discuss this any further?” Roman stands, not giving Mr. Pacheco any time to respond, and holds his arm out towards the door.
Mr. Pacheco eyes us both as if weighing his options. His gaze flickers briefly to the large man beside him, who gives a slight nod. Pacheco finally stands, straightens his cuffs again, and signals for Roman to walk ahead. “Lead the way.”
I follow them, my mind still stuck in the past as memories of Scarlett threaten to take over. The air in Roman’s office felt almost suffocating, or is it the withdrawals from the drugs I now rely on just to get through the day?
Roman’s play isn’t just about undercutting his father; it’s about pushing his dad out before he goes into the skin trade and pulling us all in there with him. If he succeeds, it could change everything.
We walk down the corridor,each step echoing as we follow each other. The space around us may be steel and shadows, but it’s organized—the kind of environment made to intimidate the lesser man. Everything is curated to do just that as we try to gain more power… more influence, and a fight to be taken seriously before this game between Roman’s father and us turns deadly.
No one here is concerned with warmth or light. It’s all about control, and Roman thrives on control.
Roman stops in front of the doors that lead to the storage area where the product is kept. The door slides open, and the cold air from inside spills out, carrying the faint smell of metal and chemicals.
“Here,” Roman gestures toward a row of crates. “This is the first batch. It’s yours to inspect.”
Pacheco doesn’t hesitate. Stepping forward, he examines the product with a practiced critical eye. He picks up one of the guns, an SA80, and holds it out in front of him towards the large man standing beside him. “Check it.”
The large man shifts slightly, reaching for the weapon, and dismantles and reassembles the piece with a precision that even impresses me. Roman doesn’t flinch, keeping perfect control always. His expression is eerily calm, even as Pacheco inspects every detail of the shipment.
After what feels like an eternity, Pacheco stands back, folding his arms across his chest. “I’ve seen enough. Quality is as you promised. Lower price, too?”
Roman nods. “It’s competitive, but that’s only a part of it. What I’m offering you is more than just product. It’s reliability, guaranteed delivery times, and no games. My father’s business is crumbling, and he is far too preoccupied with his personal business. I won’t let it happen on my watch. You get me. I know how you undercut your father a few years ago. You are a ruthless man, Mr. Pacheco, and I respect it. I’ll make sure your orders are handled with precision, but I do want to ask you for something.”
Pacheco raises an eyebrow, waiting for Roman to continue.
“I want loyalty, and when the time comes that I’m finally ready to take down my father, I want you to back me.”
“Back you against the other families? That’s a big ask. More than some loyalty over product.”
Roman crosses his arms over his chest, his fingers flexing. The only sign that he’s annoyed by having to explain himself. “I know how much of an ask it is, Pacheco, but it’s a necessary ask. My father is losing his mind by the day, and you don’t want to be on the losing side when he finally snaps.”
