CHAPTER 170 Exploit
Noah
Inside the limousine, I found Lorenzo leaningfortably against the dark leather seats of the vehicle,
toying with a crystal ss filled with scotch. I noticed his nk stare and the circr movements of his
hand and quickly assumed he was deep in thought.
New
He was probably thinking of ways to negotiate a deal with Liam. For the past ten years, Salem supplied
all the crystal meth distributed throughout the Central States, earning over a hundred million dors
annually. It was a business Do?a Veronica Ortiz wanted to keep, but because of Cynthia’s untimely
death, her control over New Salem’s drugboratory and pharmacy was nowpromised.
I watched Lorenzo take a sip of his drink. I eyed the amber liquid warily and debated whether I should
warn him against ingesting anything from the minibar. Pete was the one whomissioned the
limousine and it wasn’t beneath him toce all its food and drinks
with poison.
As the limousine elerated towards the airport’s gates, images of the Consigliere suddenly choking
and gasping for air, his blood dripping down his face from the sides of his eyes, nostrils and mouth
suddenly flooded my psyche. I pictured him begging me to help him, his eyes filled with confusion and
fear. I imagined him grabbing my arms with his blood stained hands, his body convulsing horribly until
he finally copsed at my feet.
A shiver ran down my spine. It was a thrill imagining the old man sumbing to such a gruesome
death.
If only my imagination could be a reality.
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If Lorenzo were to die here and now, Veronica would be left with no choice, but to leave thefort of
her Texan home, fly to North Dakota on her world-ss private jet, have her men bring Pete’s tortured
body to her, and kill him using the signature Ortiz M.O., leaving two positions vacant in the aftermath.
I would never be Consigliere since that position was reserved for an Ortiz blood rtive. But
because I was Pete’s second inmand, I would surely be Capo Ba stone, the underboss of
the West North Central States.. the very rank and title I’ve been gunning
for.
If only Pete would die…
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CHAPTER 170 Exploit
I would then be known as Capo B astone Nestor Villegas. I let out an annoyed sigh as the name yed
in my head. I detested my Spanish name. It just didn’t suit me.
But Capo Ba stone Noah Jensen, now that had a nice ring to it.
The corner of my lips curved upward in a pleased smile as I imagined myself as underboss. My word
would bew and I would have control over-
“Judging by that smile on your face, I trust you’ve dealt with Pedro,” Lorenzo suddenly said, interrupting
me from my thoughts. I looked out the window and noticed we had already exited the airport. I coughed
to wipe the smile off my face, berating myself for allowing my thoughts to register on my face.
“Yes, I have, Consigliere,” I replied nonchntly. “He is no longer a problem for us.”
“Are you sure?” He asked doubtfully. I nced at him, my brow furrowed.
I’m sure. He’ll do everything we tell him to do in order to win back our trust,” I assured him.
“Consigliere, if I may speak freely?” I waited for him to nod his head before continuing. “If
you
have your doubts about Pedro, all you have to do is ask Do?a Ortiz to give you a green light. Simply
exin to her that it is in everyone’s best interest if we, uhm, do away with Pedro. Without him in the-
picture, we no longer have to deal with such tedious
I crossed my fingers, hoping he would agree with me, however, to my utter dismay, he shook
his head.
“It does not need toe to that, Nestor. Pedro, after all, is family,” he said before tak another sip of
scotch. “My concern, as of the moment, is his hostility towards me for se him to Chicago. After seeing
the injuries he sustained, I do understand his thirst to aven
himself, but as, I am a high ranking member of this organization, it is forbidden, However, ismon
knowledge that just like his father, Pedrocks self-control, I fear he may act
rashly and put a gun to my head.”
“I understand your concern, Consigliere. What do you need me to do?”
“I need you to lock him in his room from the outside… when I sleep. For my protection,” Lorenzo
instructed. “Once I fix these problems here in North Dakota and all goes back to the way they once
were, Pedro will forget I ever sent him to Chicago.”
“As you wish, Consigliere. If you want, I’ll ask some of the Colonel’s men to keep watch outside your
room,” I suggested, looking out through the limousine’s window We were 2/5
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CHAPTER 170 Exploit
speeding along the highway behind Pete’s car.
“I would like that, Nestor,” he agreed, obviously pleased at my suggestion. He raised his ss to his
lips and downed the contents of his ss, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket. “Rest
assured, after I have dealt with this Mayor Cohen, I will deal with Pedro myself.”
I turned my head to look at him and was surprised to see him grinning so… wickedly. “You just said a
moment ago you don’t want to have him killed. So how are you going to deal with him?” I asked. He
chuckled.
“Nestor, I’m not going to kill him. I need him for business,” he replied, amused. “You see, Pedro has a
gift, a certain talent, and I n to exploit his so-called gift.”
His words felt like a knife had pierced my heart. I had a sinking feeling Lorenzo was nning to reopen
his sex trafficking den and Pete… well, Pete was skilled in the art of
abduction.
Was this the reason why Pete and Cris were nning to abduct Virtue? I silently prayed for
side. Lorenzo to copse and die on the spot, but G od wasn’t on my
“What do you mean, Consigliere?” I asked, ying dumb, hoping he would be willing to borate and
rify, but instead I was met with a stern nce.
“You are on a need to know basis, Capo Nestor,” he answered, cing an emphasis on the word capo.
“Whatever business I have with Pedro is between the both of us. Know your
ce.”
I quickly turned my head away and scowled. As usual, I was casted aside due to rank.
Just like Pete, Lorenzo waved his title in my face, as a constant reminder that I was bene them. As a
capo, I had no choice, but to obey.
However, there was one thing the Consigliere didn’t know. I n to take Pete’s position. Pete was a
stup id, petnt man-child and the organization, I believed, deserved someone better.
I’ve been patient. I have allowed Pete to y gangster in that little basement of his, knowing full well
when his mother died, he would instantly lose the respect everyone gave him.
I kept my distance and worked in the shadows allowing Pete to believe that I rarely meddled in his
affairs. Contrary to his beliefs, I manipted each situation to my benefit.
I was the one who sent Cris the invite to the club frequented by Ariana De Vega. I know th3(5
11:37 Sat, Apr 6
CHAPTER 170 Exploit
wouldn’t be able to resist and I was right in my assumptions. They abducted her, tortured her and raped
her. In the organization, everyone in the family was off-limits, unless sanctioned by Do?a Ortiz, so Pete,
the idiot that he was, found himself in a tight spot once he touched Ariana.
De Vega’s retaliation was expected and the manner by which Cynthia met her death did not disappoint.
Yet, both De Vega and his niece denied ever killing Cynthia. All I could surmise was it had to be Liam,
but I was wrong, it wasn’t him either. I, then, suspected Theodore since I knew firsthand that he was
one slick mo therf ucker. With Cynthia out of the way, he and Liam could inherit the empire. Theodore
Cohen was a well respected associate of the organization and with the right amount of ir, it was quite
possible for him to negotiate a deal with Veronica.
However, Theodore died, leaving New Salem at the mercy of Liam Cohen. In just one week, Liam killed
all of Pete’s loyal drug runners at the Ol’ Barn, orchestrated a massacre in the hopes of covering up the
disappearance of the Martins, and with Pete out of New Salem, he negotiated for a bigger distribution
price while increasing his profit percentage.
It wasn’t panning out the way we wanted and Do?a Ortiz wasn’t too thrilled to discover her cut had
be so much smaller than before.
I ran my hand through my hair in frustration. Even with all the bugs I nted inside Cohen Mansion, I
was clueless. It’s either the Cohens had found my bugs or they knew someon listening and watching.
I asked Sarah to cause a scene during Theodore’s wake to test the efficiency of the liste devices I had
ced around the first floor. I was able to receive a recording, but not muc after. All I got was static.
Liam probably had a jammer. It was the only logical exnation. The listening devices I ha ced in
every house in New Salem including theboratory were all working except for those in Cohen
Mansion, Virtue’s store, Dom’s, Bo’s, the Sheriff’s station, the pub, and the
stores on Main street.
Initially, I wondered if Dom, Bo and Chip were working with Liam, but when Jack mentioned they had
installed a jammer to block listening devices near the precinct, all my suspicions disappeared. I had
offered to renovate Ol’ Man Eugene’s farmhouse in an effort to bug the ce, but Bo said they liked
how rustic the ce was.
Anyway they were neers and weren’t my concern. All their business operations were
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CHAPTER 170 Exploit
legit and they never once caused a problem for me.
Since I had bugged probably every household and almost every establishment in New Salem, I was
privy to every secret, including Liam’s secret meeting with the women who advocated for women’s
rights. I heard him advise the women that a rally against Ford would give them media mileage across
the country. I found it strange for Liam to propose such a thing given his rtionship with the Martins as
well as the organization itself, until I heard his conversation with that rat named Demon. Then it all
made sense.
Liam will be shocked to find the Colonel is on my side. The Colonel was a former ssmate and long
time friend of my father’s. During the summer, my father and I would go camping with the Colonel. The
first summer I met the Colonel was the summer I found out who my father really was.
Pete was unaware I had undergone training and he believed me to be useless with a gun or a knife. I
allowed him to believe I was just a redneck hi ck only good with a hammer and saw. It was my purpose
to overthrow him without him even suspecting.
I felt the limousine slow down and heaved a sigh of relief. We were finally at the mansion Pete had
procured for Lorenzo.
I needed Lorenzo and Pete in their designated bedrooms, out of my way, so I could prepare.
Come tomorrow, I will be Capo Ba stone Noah Jensen.
Chapter Comments
Tara Castelli
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I love this book so much. Do you think we can get a couple of chapters on updates instead of just 1. I
rather wait a week for a couple to a few chapters. If possible pleas…
Tara Castelli
it’s says it was updated but I’m not getting the next chapter
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