The Joy of Revenge

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 | 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,” | reasoned.

| was standing in front of Peter McDowell, the underboss of the West North Central States Organization, while he was seated on the black leather couch of his basement office with a young girl seated beside him fondling his cro tch. It was disgusting, but | needed to put up with it.

“You just don’t understand the satisfaction | get when I'm able to ta wild mare, Cohen. Virtue Sullivan has a mean streak about her. | saw it in her eyes when | mocked her. | definitely know she will be a tough one to cr ack and | 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 givean instant hard on, it’s money. After tomorrow night's delivery, | 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 | have crates in my basement?” | 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 it comes 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, | will make you watch while | rape Virtue Sullivan. Make sure you deliver my money on Sunday.” Without another word, | nodded my head and w ran unt stairs. | waved at Cynthia McDowell and their goons before exiting the house and entering my car.

“Henry, to the pub,” | said to my driver. | sighed, completely relieved and leaned back in my seat.

1/6 CHAPTER 56 Negotiations The meeting with Pete didn’t go as expected, but | was satisfied with the results. | was able to sway the underboss from abducting Virtue, unfortunately it was going to costthe money | was about to launder as campaign funding for my reelection.

Well, not all of it. Dan was short on his calculations. | always had an extra shipment diverted to the cabin in the woods. Tomorrow was no different.

When | was introduced to Peter McDowell by my father, | was absolutely shocked to learn that the scraw who was smiling sinisterly atwould be my future boss. His mother hosted a ‘Carnaval housewarming party at their new hand my father had no choice to attend with the explicit instructions to bringwith him.

“Why do | have to go with you, Dad?” | asked. | wanted to head over to Jack’s and play video games in his musty basement bedroom.

go off “Because | was told to bring you. Believe me, son... | would rather you stay here or with your friends, so you won't do anything to embarrassin front of such important people, but my invitation has instructions forto bring you. | guess it’s because Capo B astone has a son of her own and wants the both of you to becfriends.” “Capo Ba stone? Who's that?” As a child, | never stuck my nose in my father’s business, even though he was trying to groomto becthe next Mayor Cohen. Honestly, in my mind, | would becmayor, regardless.

voll “Liam, do you ever listen to what | tell you?!” My father’s voice had a disapproving tone. “I may be mayor in this town, but | answer to someone. Just like me, once you becmayor, you will answer to someone. That's how it has always been for us Cohens.” During the party, | stood by as the adults spoke of their problem about a piece of land owned by George Taylor. It was actually a piece of prproperty located near the lake and from what | heard, George Taylor was unwilling to sell.

“Aren’t you friends with Joy Taylor? Pete McDowell asked while positioning himself beside me, holding two glasses filled with what looked like chocolate milk. He handeda glass. and | took a sip, surprised the liquid had the bitter taste of alcohol. | 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?” | asked.

2/6 CHAPTER 56 Negotiations “My mother wants their land and whatever my mother wants, she gets,” he answered nonchalantly. “If you truly care for Joy’s welfare, you'll convince her father to sell or | will have to use drastic measures. And when | say ‘T, what | actually mean is ‘you.” “Excuse me? Are you trying to tellI will need to kill Tavlors?!” | 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.” He laughed, looking atlike | 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 shand embarrassment. Whatever you've been doing tois nothing compared to what | have planned for you.” “We're just in high school! You can’t expectto 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, | will never make you forget your place in the organization, Pete said, placing a hand on my shoulder and squeezing it until it hurt. “Remember your nut sack and how | 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 the land was Joy's, a gift he planned 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, | was going to ask Cris, Jack and Dan what | could do to have the Taylors sell that particular property, but before | could ask, Dan told us of his proposal to get rid of the Taylors. | 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. dollar offer to brutalize Joy Taylor. Cris eventually agreed and since we were all friends, | did too.

While my father cleaned up the mess we left behind, he toldhe 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 3/6 CHART TERI TE MOUNtiatione would never be able to escape the clutches the diganization had on us.

| argued if we had killed her, we would have to kill her father, her mother and whomever else was in line to inherent the land. 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 pattedon 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 cto a sudden halt in front of the pub and joltedback to the present.

| walked into the pub and found Jack drinking at our usual spot. | glanced around and noticed Virtue wasn’t there.

“Where is she?” | 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,” | 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 sla ves?” Jack whispered after the server placed our drinks on the table.

“| 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? | think. that’s when the obsession started,” | 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 according 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,” | 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.” 4/6 CHAPTER 56 Negotiations | watched her as she gestured to Patrick for a drink. She was wearing a red cropped top with a matching red skirt paired with black stilettos while her pale blonde hair was down, the ends curled to frher face. As | studied her, realized | didn’t see her all week. | 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?” | asked.

“At Hillcrest. Since Pete is busy with Virtue’s boutique and the pub’s renovations are on a standstill for tomorrow's event, | decided to take a job at Hillcrest.” “That's funny. | asked Dan where you were and he said you were out of town,” | muttered. She blushed.

“Yeah... | was with Noah. We went to Fargo for a night and cback hthe next day. A client asked for a specific type of tile, so we went, Nicole explained.

Noaly and Nicole have been going out of town more regularly it seems. | remember last 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.

| actually thought Noah. and Nicole were a couple at one point. Apparently, | was wrong.

“Ah, there’s Dom now.” | 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 place his box down and clung to his arm.

Virtue placed her box on the edge of the stage and waved at us. We waved back. | was happy to see a smile on her face.

She was wearing a simple black top and a colorful long skirt paired with flat 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.

| just needed to keep the cash flow steady for the tbeing. Maybe Jack and | could cto an understanding once I've secured my position for the next four years Ultimately, | needed to kill that fat f uck who called himself an underboss without anyone knowing it was me. But first, | would have to create a private army.

With a small private army, | would gain hold of North Dakota and keep Virtue by my side.

5/6 CHAPTER 56 Negotiations I'll have to tap into my inheritance and use sof that gold my great-great-grandfather left Vritue was worth it.

Chapter Comments Luna-Mom Oh wow that’s great, got what they were looking for and more.

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