She Belongs To Him

Chap. 105: A Babe With Power

• fireplace in Lane's study •

After breakfast, Lane had gathered Axel, Max, and Jett in his study. For most of the night, the crime lord had carefully thought out his cartel and how he's made many mistakes. Mistakes that have deeply cost him. From trusting Gail Fairfield, to Leith Barclay and Ronan McGuinness, and now the betrayal of Sebastián Martín. Also, a fact that pains Lane to admit: Katie has also costed him greatly. But the crime lord doesn't think too heavily on her debts, feeling that though she has costed him more than anyone over the three months span of time, Katie could never owe him anything.

In the past three months, Lane has realized he had been blind for a long time and had become sloppy as crime lord of all of Washington State. From taking risk to putting things off, Lane knows he's not as strong a leader as he once was. He knows he must once again enforce his authority as crime lord in order to protect not only himself, but Katie as well.

Max and Jett sit in the chairs from across Lane, quietly waiting for their boss to explain the sudden meeting. Axel stirs up the fire in the fireplace. Lane tries to think of his words, the weigh of his whole kingdom resting heavy on his sturdy shoulders.

"I've got something to tell the three of you, but it cannot leave this room." Lane starts off, staring intensely at each of his gang members. "Not even Katie can know about what I'm about to tell you."

Axel rises to his feet, his grey eyes focused on Lane's worn expression. Max and Jett stare at their boss expectantly.

Lane struggles to chew on his words, feeling uneasy. "In the coarse of my...career, I've made a shit ton of mistakes. I admit it only here and now. I failed with my first gang and then my choice of Prince's..."

The crime lord runs his eyes for a moment, struggling to spit his words out. He continues on. "I'm promoting Slate to Prince of the drug manufacturing and distribution and Killian will be Prince of the prostitution branch of my business."

Jett and Max's mouths drop, their eyes wide with shock. They remain silent in their seats. Lane heavily sighs, nodding to their surprise knowingly. Axel looks between the three of them confused.

"Axel has proven to me he is not material enough to hold such a title." Lane nods to his former Prince of the Drug Cartel branch. "I won't kill you-you're too loyal and it would be a waste of a good bullet-but I'll make you my second in command. Don't fail me this time. Any of you-and I mean it! Things are going to get tighter and stricter from this moment on."

"Boss? May I-" Axel starts.

"No. You may not." Lane glares at him intensely, his blue eyes icy. He looks to the two new Prince's of Crime. "Also, we're running out of money. I obviously haven't received any money from Lebedev's money laundering cartel since you last collected the money from Lebedev's men two months ago."

"What are we going to do Boss?" Axel asks politely, hope in his being.

Lane slowly nods, thinking out loud. "I'm going to call Lebedev and demand for three months worth of my cut. Then we're going to go into town and pay Sebastián Martín a "friendly" visit."

The three gang members all chuckle wickedly in knowing. Lane cracks a smirk, amused by his own sarcasm.

Max is the first to speak next. "When do you want us to start?"

"When we get rid of that moron Martín." Lane puts his elbows on the edge of his desk, resting his fist against his lips. "I want one of you to take Elijah with you when you go...and that little twerp."