Chapter 26

MARCO

The dimly lit room of my office buzzed with the low hum of conversation. I leaned back in my chair, observing the men around the table. Each of them had their own piece of the empire, their own slice of power. We were discussing territory disputes, something that always seemed to be on the agenda.

“Vinny, how’s the situation on the east side?” I asked, my tone casual but firm.

Vinny leaned forward, his voice gravelly. “We’ve had a few issues with the Rossi family. They’re trying to muscle in on our turf. I’ve got a meeting set up with the heads of the 5 families tomorrow. I’m gonna make it clear they need to back off.”

I nodded. “Good. We can’t afford to show any weakness. If they don’t back down, we’ll handle it our way.”

Tony, a heavyset man with a scar across his cheek, chimed in. “What about the shipments coming in next week? Any word from our contacts at the docks?”

I smirked. “Everything’s on schedule. We’ve got the port authority in our pocket. There won’t be any issues.”