1.2 | The Prince of Thieves

Chapter 24

They had convened, once again, at Sen no Umi, this time with the rest of their unlikely alliance. Sitted about the low tables, they could have passed as a group of friends having a get-together or even a team of workers from an international organisation having a lunch meeting. But who was he kidding? 

The warm feeling from realising that there were other people so like him was instantly replaced by the natural distance with which he regarded others. They were associates at best. The first to fully trust another would spell the start of their downfall. No one in this group, not even the friendly Wan Hung or Somsark whom he had taken under his wing at one point could say that they completely trusted him. 

All they had was their gauge of each other, their own principles, and the weapons tucked surreptitiously into their clothes. But for a while, the room was filled with conversation of the genial kind; of the weather – it was getting colder, wasn't it? – of holiday plans – Japan was beautiful in winter – and of the affairs of other boss's – so-and-so changed his car five times in three months!

'Any updates?' Leon asked quietly even as Wan Hung was noisily coaxing Xiu Chan to have some sake.

There was a moment of mild commotion as alcohol was spilled, and Wan Hung let out a groan at the damp patch on the front of his shirt. Beside them, Somsark laughed good naturedly at the scene while Xiu Chan busied herself with patting the spot dry with the flimsiest slip of handkerchief he had ever seen. It would never get dry at this rate. Xiu Chan had whispered something to her boss, to which he had responded with some scandalised remark or other in his native tongue.

Silently sitting across of them, Jin Ling stared murderously into her ocha. When Kai's offer to find him a new shirt was politely rejected, he turned to Leon again with a shrug of one shoulder.

'The rest moved out, after we made an example of some of them,' he said, his dark eyes solemn.

Wan Hung turned his attention to them with an inquiring brow raised, his damp shirt forgotten.

'The Aleks Udinov issue?'

'He's definitely behind the whole scheme of those smaller gangs moving in.'

'Your kinsman,' Wan Hung put in with a teasing tilt of his lips.

'That sounds horrible,' Leon grumbled with a glass of sake partway to his mouth. 'I'll be taking care of him of course.'

'And how will you be doing that?' Jin Ling asked sharply.

They remained silent, and Leon was distinctly aware of five pairs of eyes on him. He downed the rest of his shot, then set the glass down.

'That,' he started uncomfortably,'Is something I do not have a concrete plan for yet. I do not want to remove him, because it would destabilise the Udinov's and their supporters here. But I can't have them against me either.'

'Whip him into place,' Wan Hung suggested, with a quick flick of his wrist.

'Call him out!' interjected Somsark.

'Or you can just get rid of him once and for all,' Jin Ling reflected darkly. 'His supporters be damned.'

'Well, yes,' he considered. 

He could march into Aleks Udinov's office right now and put a bullet through the man's head, therefore getting rid of his problem once and for all. But Valentino's position was unstable; though primed to take over the Udinov's in New York, he didn't fully have the support of his father's men. Unless Leon stepped in. But the thought of accumulating power to his side in this way disgusted him – not that he seemed to have much of a choice. Also, Val would probably hate him for it, but that was the least of his concerns.