Sold To The Mafia Don

My trip to Puerto Rico had been planned weeks prior. I stepped out of my private jet, grimacing as the humid weather hit me unexpectedly.

The drive from the private hangar to the villa I was having the meeting was longer than I anticipated. I began to wonder where Tomas had chosen for me to meet up with Armando Rivas. 

Just when I was about to get really sick of the ride and wish I was driving, the driver swerved into the villa that faced a water front.

And just when I was about to get out of the car I remembered my mother had called to tell me Mira had refused to eat anything all day. I groaned. Why did she have to be unnecessarily stubborn? I understood that she was upset about the fact that I had basically reimprisoned her in the bedroom but that was her punishment for trying to move out in the first place. 

I was going to return in a few days and maybe, just maybe I would make it up to her. Maybe.

I decided to call her for the first time ever. I doubted she actually had my number. She would not have picked up if she did.

Just as I expected, she was livid and yelling at me over the phone. I found it funny. In fact, it was sexy that she thought she could shout some sense into me. It only made me want her more. I wanted to push her buttons so bad, we would have angry sex. That was the plan.

But as usual, I had to threaten her a bit so she would eat something. No wife of mine was going to starve herself and look unhealthy. Not under my watch.

One of my guards knocked on my window. I wind down and faced stared at him through my sunglasses.

"Don, he's waiting."

That was my cue to get out of the vehicle. I needed this meeting to be as brief as possible.

I walked in and the smell of cigars filled my nostrils. The place was heavily guarded. Everyone had their hands on their weapons, ready to pull the trigger.

I hoped I would get out of here without triggering a gun fight. The cartel could be troublesome. Everything was a power play to them.

I was led up to the rooftop where they were seated.

Armano Rivas was at the head of the table. That was typically my spot but I would let him have it. This was a business liaison that was important for my pockets and even if I could not fully trust this one eyed man, I needed him for this.

We shook hands.

"Don Romano,"

I gave him a curt nod. "Rivas. It's good to see you brother,"

I shook hands with the two other allies he had come with. Too much of a crowd if you ask me. This was supposed to be a one on one meeting.

We took our seats.

"Congratulations are in order. I heard about your marriage to a beautiful woman," Armano said to me, puffing on his cigar.

"Thank you." I said. "Would have invited you but we wanted a small ceremony."

"I see. Didn't want to trigger the Castillos I see,"

My jaw clenched and I fought back a hard glare.

"Let's get down to business." I said, changing the topic.

"Alright then. What do you need me to do for you?"

"The current route for transporting through the Caribbean has become unsafe."

No thanks to a mole, the authorities have been busting up our asses and there was only so much I could keep paying. I needed to find an alternative.

I needed Puerto Rico to be the alternative route for my deals and with Armano as the Cartel boss, I need his help. I was at risk of losing more money, power and looking like a joke to the rivals. I did not want to seem desperate but I needed this.

I continued, "Like we discussed over the phone. I want Puerto Rico as the stopover for new shipments."

"Interesting." He hummed, crushing the base of his cigar in the ash tray. "What's my cut?"

Of course, typical of him to cut to the chase.

I sat back and stared at him properly. "Twenty percent of my profits."

He laughed along with his allies.

"Romano, I know very well how much you make. You can't be serious."

"If you know how much I make, you should also know how much I lose." I said back unsmiling.

"I'm going to help you save money. You can do better than this." He said.

My tongue went over my teeth as I grunted. "State your price."

"Navarro's legal businesses give us protection for smuggling and sixty percent."

"Rivas, have you lost your mind?"

I was pissed.

He shrugged, "You're the one on the verge of losing money, power and status in our world. You need me." 

My jaw clenched again as I tried to calm my nerves.

"Thirty percent. For legal protection from Navarro, we already have a lot on our hands."

"Like an impending war from the Castillos and your family members because you married a liability?" He laughed at his sordid joke and the two idiots next to him forced their laughs too. Even they knew he was crossing the line.

"Watch it Rivas. Do not forget who you're speaking to."

I could shoot him dead here and now and the worst that could happen would be a gun fight between my men and his.

"Don Romano, I apologize,"

I could see he was fighting back a smirk. He did not need protection through Navarro Industries. He just wanted to find a way to throw jabs at me. I would not stand for it.

"Thirty five percent. Nothing more, nothing less. Do we have a deal?"

"I suppose we do."

I had my lawyer bring the documents and after about an hour, the papers were signed.

"I'll be sending some of my men over to join yours." I said as I got on my feet, ready to leave.

"You don't trust me enough to not smuggle your shipment." He chuckled as we shook hands.

I tapped his shoulder slightly.

"This is the underworld, Rivas. Trust is a rare currency."

In a matter of hours, he would face the consequences of throwing his little jabs at me after the slow poison I had slipped into his shoulder began to work.