“We’ve got a huge fucking problem, man. I need you to speak to your uncle and have him call off his dog.”
“I’ve heard. Things have not been good for the Duncans,” he remarked. “What I don’t understand is how your problem with Brother X is our problem.”
“Our families have known each other a long time. Your uncle and my father have done business for a long time. You and me have done business recently and made a lot of money,” I reminded him. “That relationship could come to an end if things keep going the way they have been.” I had to explain it in economic terms he would understand—and the only terms he would truly care about. His help was necessary to the future of my family’s business, but he wouldn’t care about that unless he understood how our future was intertwined with his.
He settled in behind his desk. “What are you asking, Vegas?”
“That you and your people align yourself with us.”
“That’s asking a lot.” Of course I knew it was, which was why I had chosen to have this conversation in person in the first place.
“I was told this is an issue amongst Blacks,” he continued.
I wasn’t surprised by his comment. No one, no matter how gangster, is going to jump into someone else’s battle unless he thinks it’s going to benefit him in some way. The good thing, though, was that he hadn’t come right out and said no. I just had to explain the stakes to him in terms he understood.
“X’s men burned up three million dollars’ worth of weed that was supposed to be allocated to you and your people. He burned your shipment to the ground, Boris.”
His eyes narrowed to angry slits. Boris was one of the biggest marijuana wholesalers in the country. Clearly word had gotten back to him about our warehouse fire.
“Still think it’s only amongst us Blacks?”
“Are you saying we will not receive a shipment this month?” He studied me closely, our history right there on the table. I could tell that he was weighing all his options in his mind. I needed to give him one more reason to see the advantage in siding with the Duncans.
“I’m saying that we’re going to take care of our friends first—the people that are aligned with us, not those who are sitting on the sidelines while a psychopath tries to take down our family and our business.”
“This is a big decision, not one that I can make on my own.” It was not a definitive answer, but at least now I knew what side of the fence he was leaning on. “I just want to know what your terms are.” It was always about money.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
By the time Orlando and I exited the bakery, things were a little better.
“That wasn’t their shipment that burned in that warehouse. That was our reserve,” Orlando said as we crossed the street.
“Oh, it wasn’t? You should have told me that while we were in there.” I laughed, patting him on the back. “I’m sure Boris would have wanted to know that.”
Orlando looked at me with the same admiration he had for me as a kid. “I like your style, Vegas.”
“Our style, little brother. Our style.”
“Now what?” Orlando asked, showing me that he trusted me.
“Now we meet with the Italians. Tomorrow you’re going to meet with the Jews, and I’m going to meet with the Asians,” I answered as we got into the car and headed to our next destination.
Brother X
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