The Taste Of Revenge (War of Sins Book 1)

Rafaelo

'I received all the documents from your IT guy,' Cisco says as he guides me to his study after dinner.

'I trust they were satisfactory?'

'Indeed,' he gives me a wolfish grin as he motions me to sit down across from him. 'I must say I'm rather impressed with what you've managed, Raf. In such a short time too,' he praises quietly.

'I had the motivation,' I grunt.

'Even so, it couldn't have been easy to wipe out a cartel and steal their merchandise. Especially when it comes to such heavy cargo.'

'Because it was heavy cargo we had to cover our tracks, since if we'd let anyone live, they would have undoubtedly come after us.'

'Why weapons?' He suddenly asks.

Amo must have given him a full report of everything we'd stored in the warehouse, and by the looks of it, Cisco seems intrigued.

'Why not weapons?' I retort with a hidden smile. 'You remember Jimenez's ventures and where his monopoly lay.'

'In human trafficking,' Cisco promptly replies.

'Yes, and no. Human trafficking was what he was most known for, but he'd been dabbling in the illegal weapons trade for quite some time before he died. In fact, besides the drug business, that was what Ortega claimed when the empire fell. But he didn't have enough backing to stay in NYC.'

Cisco's lips pull up in a sinister smile.

'I see what you're doing. Smart,' he mentions and I smirk.

'It's one of the best ways to ensure that he won't have a place here. A market analysis will tell you that weapons are usually sold by one, maybe two suppliers. It's a very cutthroat industry and relies heavily on trust. Drugs, on the other hand, can be dealt by anyone. There will always be people who buy drugs, but there is only a select group of people who buy weapons.'

'I'm even more impressed, Raf. You are correct that the weapons trade is more...eclectic so to say. And by having an established competition, you'll ensure that Ortega will have a hard time to infiltrate the market. Not impossible though,' he challenges.

'I know. Which is where you come in,' I nod at him. 'With your support and vote of confidence, we should be taken more seriously on the black market. And given that there hasn't been a proper supplier in New York since Jimenez, I'd say people will be hungry for it.'

'I have to give it to you. You've thought this out in detail, and I admire that. Say you've locked Ortega out from the weapon's trade. What about the rest?'

'I won't have to interfere with the drugs, since the Russians have stakes in that and will most likely intervene. My worry is the human trafficking element. I've gathered some data about what Michele has been doing, but it's not much. He's been very secretive about his investments after the illegal organ trade ring was busted.'

'I'm guessing that's why he's been so loud in other areas. So people wouldn't suspect how he truly gets his money.'

'Yes. The more I study my brother the more I realize I don't really know him. And at this point, information is really the most valuable asset.'

'He doesn't go out much,' Cisco notes. 'The few times he showed on the map was because he wanted to create a riot—almost as if he wanted to make people aware of him.'

'Exactly. I think he wants to be taken seriously because he realizes people talk, and my father's death couldn't have been an accident. There are still those who question his legitimacy.'