Respect

Chapter 6: The Law, His Word

Daniel's POV
"Sir" the voice of my right-hand man, Dean echoed in my office completely getting my attention.
"What" I growled out
"The shipment has arrived, and Rover's at port as we speak. The men are on stand by awaiting your go signal"
"Sir!"

I really wasn't in the mood to deal with another transaction. Which would possibly go south sooner than later.

"It's the girl....isn't it?" he asked
"I saw her today" I said, "I approached her again, and she just...."
"Daniel"

"I don't know why I expected anything different. You should have seen her Dean. She looked so peaceful before I entered the café and then....she was so scared. She ran away from me. You can imagine, she even cried for help"

"I don't know much about this Athena lady, but I can tell, she's really moved you. When you asked me to get information about her, I thought she was just going to be another one of your 'night jobs' but turns out, she stuck around much longer" he said the last part smiling which really sickened me

"Are you done?"

"Listen Daniel....what I'm trying to say is, what we do is not acceptable by many, and that lady of yours just doesn't see 'us' or anything we do as 'good'. That is our punishment. We can never easily get the people we love and want the most without causing them harm, it's just not possible. So, if you truly love her, you will strive to protect her and that means, not missing business meetings lest you raise flags in your family's heads. Got that!"

There were days when I really appreciated Dean's advice. He had always been there for me. I met Dean at a dinner party when I was twelve. My grand father and his father were friends, so to speak. At the dinner party, their house was set on fire. Deal gone wrong. His mother got out but with terrible injuries, she still lives but, with no purpose. His brothers survived and work for me now, his sister and father died in the fire so, we took them in. Dean's older brother, Antonio worked for my grand father and did all his dirty work as a way of proving himself. Dean, Claudius and I practically grew up together, though they were in the back ground most of the time, they still learnt from my grand father. He taught them just as well as he taught me.

At first Dean's only goal was to get revenge for his father and sister's deaths, and he did, I allowed it, but now, he found himself being around me and helping me in all my missions, he earned my trust. Dean had got to be the only person who could talk to me without nearly collapsing, he was my friend my capo. Yeah, he respected me, but he had his reasons, everyone else, well, the only reason they respected me was because they feared me.

"Fine, let's go" I said fixing my suit and getting my gun. It always came in handy- 'the suit', negotiating purposes.

We got to the port and I could already tell this would be another rough transaction.

'Rover' as I called him, was a new partnership of mine. He had been supplying goods for my grand father for years and they got along, per say, but after he died, I never saw Rover, until today. Word spread that his business was trading on thin ice. Thousands of his contraband cargo crates had been apprehended in two countries and were now undergoing investigation.

Now, you'd ask why I was doing business with him even when I knew that he would most likely drag me down with him. It's simple, Rover was a snake and he'd do anything to save his own. As for me, I'm smart, something that I think he doubts. So, I knew exactly why he called for this meeting. I mean, from thinking I'm a child and nothing compared to my grand father to, "hey let's meet up, I have a proposal for you", does he think I'm stupid?

My men were stationed around the whole area, ready to fire.

"Rover" I said as I walked up to him
"Rivera, Daniel" he growled out
"What ever" I spat out, "It's been long hasn't it, what's it been like....two years. How have you been? I heard business was going down...shame"
"I didn't call you here for small talk.... "

"That's what I like about you Rover, always getting down to business"

"I have two crates of goods and a truck load of foreign women that I know would be put to good use in your casinos and..... "

"I'm going to have to stop you right there Rover" I cut in, "what makes you think that I'm actually interested in what you're offering huh? It sickens me to think that you believe I like the business venture you're into. Unfortunately for you I'm not looking to get anything from you"

"'Business venture I'm into', huh! Don't act like some saint Daniel. You're no different from me boy. We swim in the same ocean and we're both going to hell, so cut the crap"

"We both know that you need me more than I need you and you need money. I must admit, you're very sly. You know you're in a corner and need rescuing so, your first idea was to trick me into buying what you have been linked to, so I go to prison and you go scot free. Well that's not happening. Try not to underestimate your enemies Rover, most especially me"

I turned and proceeded to my car, raising my hand giving the go signal to my men to finish them off. It was quick and they never saw it coming. Perks of being the boss.

We made sure we left all the evidence linking Rover to all the cases, including the contraband goods, just to get the police off our tales. As for the women, I decided to leave them, they would be returned back to their home countries and families. Yes, I am a criminal, but human slavery is not something that I take lightly.

I asked one of my men to send out an anonymous tip to the police to get to the port and they did. I kept track of the investigation, it went well. To the police, it was just another deal gone wrong and the case was closed when all his businesses came to light. They thought they had solved the case, little did they know that they had barely scratched the surface.