Aleksandr

Ch. 2 - People Equal Shit

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"Don't ever settle for a spark
when you can have
the whole damn fire..."

- Dominic
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Chapter 2 - People Equal Shit

▪️A L E K S A N D R▪️

"Look, I know that this arranged marriage is a big sacrifice for you. But this isn't easy for her either!" Jade stated before taking another long sip from her drink.

I braced myself for the lecture I knew was coming.

"Litizia is the inheritor of her father's businesses for fuck's sake, and yet she's not being allowed to make any decisions about them. If that wasn't insulting enough, she's being sold off as cattle with her virginity being advertised like some fucking prize!" Jade's breathing increased slightly as her anger rose.

Running a hand through my hair, I sighed softly, "I agree. What her uncle, Carlo, is doing is in poor taste. But the man is clearly desperate."

Slamming her hand on the bar, Jade sneered, "I don't give a fuck! You know how I feel about such things. To make it worse, he's the only family she has! It's really true, sometimes people equal shit..."

Indeed, I did know how she felt about such things.

Jade was all about female empowerment, but unfortunately, organised crime was still a man's world. To be fair, like Raeni, Jade had done an excellent job at carving out a name for herself. However, the same could not be said for many other women.

"I swear, the more I think about it, the more I just want to shoot Carlo between the eyes and set that poor girl free," she mumbled as her fist clenched.

Trying to hold in a laugh, I lightly scolded, "Now now, Jade, you know that we don't do business like that. We gave the man our word and we'll hold up our end of the bargain."

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she then smiled, "Fine... Anyway, unlike that sleezy asshole, Litizia is a gem and I think she would be good for you."

"But why me though? Sure, he might have insisted that she married someone from one of the five Aelbank Mafias, but you and I both know that we could have easily persuaded him to marry her off to one of our other allies," I cringed at how bad it sounded.

"Yes, but the last time Carlo tried to do business with another organisation, the fiancé he chose was a slob of a pig and poor Litizia ended up stabbing the man. God alone knows what her fate would have been had she been forced to go through with that union!" Jade visible shuddered as she clearly thought about her own past.

I exhaled deeply as she continued to speak.

Locking her green eyes with mine, she said, "I've grown to like Litizia, like a lot and you know that I don't usually like new people. I would rather she marry you than anyone else from our other associations."

"I don't see what the difference would be though; we're all mafia," I countered.

Shaking her head, Jade commented, "Perhaps, but you know as well as I do how women are treated in our world. I know that you would treat her with the respect she deserves and not as some sort of prized pony."

She had me there. I may run brothels and own a sex club, but I would never force a woman to do something she did not want to do.

Sure, some may call me a pimp, but I saw myself as more of a procurer of women.