CHAPTER 56 Negotiations.
Liam
“I know both of us can agree a Cohen seated in town hall will be profitable for all of us. If I were you,
Capo Bas tone, find someone else to tickle your fancy. For the mean time, let us refrain from abducting
women from this town, especially someone like Virtue Sullivan,” I
reasoned.
I was standing in front of Peter McDowell, the underboss of the West North Central States
Organization, while he was seated on the ck leather couch of his basement office with a young girl
seated beside him fondling his cro tch. It was disgusting, but I needed to put up
with it.
“You just don’t understand the satisfaction I get when I’m able to tame a wild mare, Cohen. Virtue
Sullivan has a mean streak about her. I saw it in her eyes when I mocked her. I definitely know she will
be a tough one to cr ack and I want to be the one who those beautiful blue eyes of hers… fears,” Pete
said, unzipping his fly and pushing the young girl’s head so she can suck his miniscule co ck. “I’ll keep
my urges at bay, but for a hefty price. If there is one thing that can give me an instant hard on, it’s
money. After tomorrow night’s delivery, I want all the money in the crates hidden in your basement as
well as half of the delivery tomorrow.”
“I’m sorry. Did you just say you want half of the money being delivered tomorrow? And how do you
know I have crates in my basement?” I asked, surprised.
“To answer your first question, my percentage just went up to keep my carnal urges for Virtue Sullivan
at bay. As for the crates in your basement, Dan is very meticulous when ites to money. So? Do we
have a deal?”
Pete extended his hand while the young girl’s head was bobbing up and down. I quickly took
his hand and shook it.
“If you double-cross me, Cohen, I will make you watch while I rape Virtue Sullivan. Make sure you
deliver my money on Sunday.” Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.
Without another word, I nodded my head and
w ran unt
stairs. I waved at Cynthia McDowell and their goons before exiting the house and entering my car.
“Henry, to the pub,” I said to my driver. I sighed,pletely relieved and leaned back in my
seat.
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CHAPTER 56 Negotiations
The meeting with Pete didn’t go as expected, but I was satisfied with the results. I was able to sway the
underboss from abducting Virtue, unfortunately it was going to cost me the money I was about to
launder as campaign funding for my reelection.
Well, not all of it. Dan was short on his calctions. I always had an extra shipment diverted to the
cabin in the woods. Tomorrow was no different.
When I was introduced to Peter McDowell by my father, I was absolutely shocked to learn
that the scraw who was smiling sinisterly at me would be my future boss. His mother
hosted a ‘Carnaval housewarming party at their new home and my father had no choice to attend with
the explicit instructions to bring me with him.
“Why do I have to go with you, Dad?” I asked. I wanted to head over to Jack’s and y video games in
his musty basement bedroom.
go
off
“Because I was told to bring you. Believe me, son… I would rather you stay here or with your friends,
so you won’t do anything to embarrass me in front of such important people, but my invitation has
instructions for me to bring you. I guess it’s because Capo B astone has a son of her own and wants
the both of you to be friends.”
“Capo Ba stone? Who’s that?” As a child, I never stuck my nose in my father’s business, even though
he was trying to groom me to be the next Mayor Cohen. Honestly, in my mind, I would be
mayor, regardless.
voll
“Liam, do you ever listen to what I tell you?!” My father’s voice had a disapproving tone. “I may be
mayor in this town, but I answer to someone. Just like me, once you be mayor,
you
will answer to someone. That’s how it has always been for us Cohens.”
During the party, I stood by as the adults spoke of their problem about a piece ofnd owned by
George Taylor. It was actually a piece of prime property located near theke and from what I heard,
George Taylor was unwilling to sell.
“Aren’t you friends with Joy Taylor? Pete McDowell asked while positioning himself beside me, holding
two sses filled with what looked like chocte milk. He handed me a ss. and I took a sip,
surprised the liquid had the bitter taste of alcohol. I coughed.
“What is this?!”
Bailey’s liqueur,” Pete scoffed, his beady dark brown eyes filled with contempt. “You’re friends with Joy
Taylor right?” He asked again.
“Yeah. What is it to you?” I asked.
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CHAPTER 56 Negotiations
“My mother wants theirnd and whatever my mother wants, she gets,” he answered
nonchntly. “If you
truly care for Joy’s welfare, you’ll convince her father to sell or I will have to use drastic measures. And
when I say ‘T, what I actually mean is ‘you.”
“Excuse me? Are you trying to tell me I will need to kill Tavlors?!” I scoffed at him. “I
know our families haven’t been on good terms, but where I’m from, Mexican, we don’t kill our own.
We’d rather kick the immigrants out of our country.”
Heughed, looking at me like I was joke. “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but this immigrant has your
balls in his hands and is about to squeeze your nut sack until you scream mercy.” He finished his drink
and whispered into my ear. His breath stank of alcohol. “Get the job done, Liam, or I’ll make sure you
spend the rest of your high school days in shame and embarrassment. Whatever you’ve been doing to
me is nothingpared to what I have nned for you.”
“We’re just in high school! You can’t expect me to do-”
“In the organization, your right of passage happens at fourteen. At fifteen, you are inducted into the
family. I’ve been itching to kill you and your friends, but as a son of an underboss, my hands are tied.
But mark my word, Liam, when I rise in rank, I will never make you forget your ce in the
organization, Pete said, cing a hand on my shoulder and squeezing it until it hurt. “Remember your
nut sack and how I will love squeezing it when you don’t
obey.”
My father tried reasoning with George Taylor while Cynthia McDowell gave him an offer he couldn’t
refuse. George Taylor politely declined, telling them thend was Joy’s, a gift he nned to give her
after she graduated high school. Unfortunately, Capo Ba stone couldn’t
wait that long.
One day, at Jack’s musty basement bedroom, I was going to ask Cris, Jack and Dan what I could do to
have the Taylors sell that particr property, but before I could ask, Dan told us of his proposal to get
rid of the Taylors. I was utterly shocked that Pete had gotten to Dan.
Cris and Jack refused at first, but when Jack found out about his father’s cancer and all the
expensive treatment his father needed, he agreed to Dan’s one hundred and fifty thousand. dor offer
to brutalize Joy Taylor. Cris eventually agreed and since we were all friends, I did
too.
While my father cleaned up the mess we left behind, he told me he was disappointed. He said putting a
bullet into Joy Taylor’s head was easier and less messier than what we had did. Whoever concocted
the idea of raping and violently attacking her wanted to ensure we
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would never be able to escape the clutches the diganization had on us.
I argued if we had killed her, we would have to kill her father, her mother and whomever else was in line
to inherent thend. Now that the Taylors believed they were no longer safe in New Salem, they would
sell, take the money and leave.
My father wasn’t convinced at first, but when George Taylor knocked on Cynthia McDowell’s door to
sell, he finally saw it my way and patted me on the back, although he still believed we should have
killed Joy Taylor when we had the chance so there would be no loose ends.
My car came to a sudden halt in front of the pub and jolted me back to the present.
I walked into the pub and found Jack drinking at our usual spot. I nced around and noticed Virtue
wasn’t there.
“Where is she?” I asked while gesturing to Patrick, the bartender, for my usual including another beer
for Jack.
in Chip’s office rummaging through the boxes of decorations for tomorrow’s event. ow did your meeting
go?” Jack asked.
“He said he’s not going to touch her,” I said. “If we continue bringing in cash, he’ll find other ways and
other girls to satisfy his urges…elsewhere.”
“So he’s really into kidnapping women and turning them into s ex ves?” Jack whispered after the
server ced our drinks on the table.
“I think he and Cris have been doing this together. Remember after we graduated college, right before
Cris got married to Lisa, they both went to Europe for like four months? I think. that’s when the
obsession started,” I answered.
“Well, if it’s money he wants, then we need to keep an eye on the shipments. Since you’ll be needed
here tomorrow, I’ll go to Hillcrest and make sure everything goes ording to schedule,” Jack said.
“You keep an eye on Virtue, since Cris will be here for Miss Honey Bee. Just keep th at f ucker away
from her, that’s all I ask.”
“No problem,” I told Jack. “I need you to keep an eye on Dan at Hillcrest. If there’s someone here who
wants to sabotage us, it’s Dan.”
“Dan wants to what?” We heard Nicole’s high pitched voice from behind. She was surveying the pub,
her brow furrowed, looking for someone. “Dom said he’d be here.”
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I watched her as she gestured to Patrick for a drink. She was wearing a red cropped top with a
matching red skirt paired with ck stilettos while her pale blonde hair was down, the ends curled to
frame her face. As I studied her, realized I didn’t see her all week. I do remember asking Dan about her
last Wednesday He said she was out of town.
“I haven’t seen you all week, Nicole. Where have you been?” I asked.
“At Hillcrest. Since Pete is busy with Virtue’s boutique and the pub’s renovations are on a standstill for
tomorrow’s event, I decided to take a job at Hillcrest.”
“That’s funny. I asked Dan where you were and he said you were out of town,” I muttered. She blushed.
“Yeah… I was with Noah. We went to Fargo for a night and came back home the next day. A client
asked for a specific type of tile, so we went, Nicole exined.
Noaly and Nicole have been going out of town more regrly it seems. I rememberst month they
both went to Jamestown and the month before that, they went to Carson and stayed there for two days.
She mentioned they were looking for an antique chandelier. Before this infatuation with Dom, she
usually hung out with Noah or Dan. I actually thought Noah. and Nicole were a couple at one point.
Apparently, I was wrong.
“Ah, there’s Dom now.” I looked up and saw Dom and Virtue walking out of Chip’s office, each carrying
a box of decorations. Nicole hurriedly stood up, walked up to Dom before he could ce his box down
and clung to his arm.
Virtue ced her box on the edge of the stage and waved at us. We waved back. I was happy to see a
smile on her face.
She was wearing a simple ck top and a colorful long skirt paired with t sandals. Her hair was up in
a half ponytail and she had barely any make-up. Compared to Nicole, Virtue was stunning. I’m sure
Dom saw that, but since Chip and her were good friends, he probably
saw Virtue as a cousin too.
I just needed to keep the cash flow steady for the time being. Maybe Jack and I coulde to an
understanding once I’ve secured my position for the next four years
Ultimately, I needed to kill that fat f uck who called himself an underboss without anyone knowing it was
me. But first, I would have to create a private army.
With a small private army, I would gain hold of North Dakota and keep Virtue by my side.
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CHAPTER 56 Negotiations
I’ll have to tap into my inheritance and use some of that gold my great-great-grandfather
left me
Vritue was worth it.
Chapter Comments
Luna-Mom
Oh wow that’s great, got what they were looking for and more.
Anna Murray
Please more chapters
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