Eros
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I’ve been holed up in my penthouse for nearly an hour now, the weight of responsibility bearing on me like a suffocating cloak. Leaving Juliet at the cafe was a necessary precaution, a strategic move to shield her from the turbulent underbelly of my empire, she doesn’t need to know what I’m planning. She’s my oasis in the desert of chaos, and I can’t risk her getting caught in the crossfire of my illicit dealings, and I can’t have her figuring out I’m planning on murdering her father. Lance might want the empire. He may want to inherit the power, but he is reckless. The Mascaro fortune will be lost with Alan’s death, and I’ll be there to pick up the fallen millions. I will take over both territories, and Lance must return to the position he should have never left—lowly drug runner.
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I never understood why he couldn’t see what he was good at versus what he sucked at but wanted—a disappointment to everyone, most of all himself. To wake up every day having almost everything you want to achieve in life around you but miserable because you risk losing it all every day you wake up. Pathetic, honestly, if not for him being my brother, I would have killed him.
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The increased police presence in my territory is yet another chilling reminder of the relentless scrutiny my operations face. I’m confident that the surge of cops in the area is directly tied to the Mascaros. Every step I take, every transaction I oversee, is under intense surveillance, even the outing with Juliet today. We were being followed, I was constantly being followed, and that couple that walked in before leaving looked suspicious. I have to stay as vigilant as I can for Juliet. I want to keep her safe, but I’m the closest I have ever been to achieving what my father told me was impossible and what Lance is trying to steal from my fingertips. I have far more to lose than just her.
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The tension throughout the penthouse is palpable, a thick fog of apprehension hanging heavily in the opulent surroundings. Once steadfast allies, my distributors are now teetering on the edge of loyalty, their nerves fraying because of the heightened police presence in our territory. I can feel their unease, their anxiety, their fear of being brought down with me and tried alongside. Their fear of the empire we have bled for cried for and sacrificed for unravelling in front of them like a ball of yarn. But weakness is a luxury I cannot afford, especially now, when the stakes have never been higher. If they can’t hold their line, I will replace them with those who can.
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Even with the storm raging through my ranks, I can’t help but think of what Lance was attempting to do with Juliet. Honestly, it was pretty brilliant for him, the strategic leverage Juliet’s presence provides against the Mascaro family. If I can get her unwitting involvement in my affairs, I have a potent tool to disrupt their operations and gain the upper hand in our ongoing power struggle.
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While I want to be deeply committed to protecting Juliet from harm, I cannot ignore the strategic advantage her proximity affords me in my quest for dominance over Lance. I will do everything to keep my little demon safe, but after the conflict with Lance, Dissolving the very thing he is striving for feels the most like love—a forbidden affair with Juliet in the center.
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“Eros,” Elliot’s voice tears me out of my head, and my eyes snap to his. A slight furrow etched into his forehead, the concern on his face so obvious he might as well wear a written sign.
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“What?” I snap back at him. After Ciara called me to tell me that we were almost 50k short at the weekly gathering, I’ve been even more irritated than usual. I’ve asked Elliot to bring me all of my drug dealers and put them in the office I have downstairs for matters like these.
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“They’re here, sir. We have brought them to the Throne room, and they have been seated. Waiting and ready for you, sir.” Elliot opens the door and takes his place beside it, holding it open for me. I stand from my chair and go down to my hotel’s basement.
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As I enter the Throne room, the air is thick with tension, the subdued murmurs of my assembled dealers echoing off the walls. Elliot comes in behind me, shutting the door and standing before it. Message clear: You’re not allowed out until I say so. With a glance back and a curt nod, I stride forward, my gaze sweeping over the assembled faces with disdain and calculation.
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These men are the lifeblood of my operation, the cogs in the machine that keeps my empire running smoothly. They have always treated me well, and in return, I treat them incredibly well. There is a reason I can poach at least five dealers a year from the Mascaros. My dealers don’t have to resort to cutting their drugs just to be able to make enough to make ends meet. I’d rather sell ten times as much as my competition, and my dealers take home 15 times as much money, than let people starve directly because of me.
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As I take my seat at the head of the room, on my throne, a wave of apprehension washes over the gathered dealers, their eyes darting nervously as they await to hear why exactly I’ve called them all there. I brush my hands over the wrinkles in my pants to smooth them out and return my gaze to the room, clearing my throat.
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“Good morning everyone. I have gotten the report back from this week’s gathering.” My voice echoed through the room, “I have been told this week the bag returned relatively lighter than usual. You surely can understand my surprise since that has never happened before.” My eyes scan the room as I watch these men cower at my words. Pathetic. “I will not lie to you; I have a breakdown of the individual contributions and who fucked over the gathering the most, but I would like whoever it was to admit it on their own. Go on now.” I wave my hand towards the table, gesturing for someone to offer anything.
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The room stays hushed. Everyone has their heads hung, looking down at their laps. I look back at Elliot, who’s tight-lipped and already looking at me; he knows the same thing I do: there has been interference from the opposing team. I give him a subtle nod, and he starts walking towards me. Out of the corner of my eye, I can notice heads tilting at Elliot’s approach. I hold my hand out, returning my gaze to the table as heavy, cold metal is placed.
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“Okay, we will start with Keith then. Keith? Your bag came up almost seven grand short, far more than anyone else had lost. In fact, it was just over double.” Switching the handgun from left hand to right, I pull back the slide, cocking the gun. “Do you want to tell me why you somehow lost just over double what everyone else did?” My eyes make contact with Keith, and I watch him panic, eyes bouncing between me and the door.
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“Lance, he told me if I gave him a cut of the sales, he’d make sure to keep me safe, and on my way to the gathering, I got mugged. I just wanted-”
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“You need to shut the fuck up right now.” I set the gun on the table in front of me and give my temples a rub. How fucking stupid does this dude have to be to believe that Lance would keep him safe? “Are you forgetting I poached you from him just under a year ago? You may be moving the most in weeks, but you aren’t irreplaceable. I’d pay three people the same as what I pay you to do the same.”
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“There are cops everywhere and he promised me I wouldn’t go to jail if they looked my way. You might pay us well but you dont’t give a single fuck about us unless we’re bringing you money.” As the tension in the room thickens with each passing moment, Keith’s accusation cuts through the air like a knife. His words strike a nerve, igniting a fierce determination within me. I refuse to be undermined by those who dare to challenge my authority, especially in the face of mounting pressure from law enforcement.
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With a cold, steely gaze, I meet Keith’s defiant stare, his body tensing as if bracing for the inevitable confrontation. His accusation hangs in the air, a damning indictment of my leadership, but I refuse to let it go unanswered. I will not tolerate insubordination, especially not from those who rely on me for protection and support. A wave of disappointment washes over me as I realize the depth of Keith’s betrayal. His loyalty, once unwavering, now lies in tatters at my feet. But there is no room for sentimentality in the cutthroat world of my empire. Insubordination cannot go unpunished, and Keith’s defiance demands a swift and decisive response.
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With a resigned sigh, I flick off the safety of my weapon, my hand steady despite the turmoil raging within me. As I raise the gun, Keith squares his shoulders, his eyes meeting mine in a silent challenge. But beneath his bravado lies a glimmer of fear, a recognition of the danger he now faces.
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“If only you weren’t already too far gone,” I mutter under my breath, the weight of my words heavy with regret. But there can be no turning back now. Keith’s fate has been sealed, and I am the one who must deliver the final blow. As the gunshot echoes through the room, the air grows thick with shock and disbelief. Keith slumps to the ground, a lifeless shell of the man he once was. I turn away from the grisly scene, my gaze sweeping over the assembled dealers with a cold, unyielding resolve.
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“Clean that up,” I command, my voice cutting through the stunned silence. “I want his eyes,” I add, looking at Elliot, my tone leaving no room for argument. It’s a grim reminder of the consequences of crossing me, a warning to those who would dare to challenge my authority.
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Turning back to the table, I address the remaining dealers with a steely gaze, my words laced with authority and determination. “Let this remind you about who actually has the power in this whole thing,” I declare, my voice unwavering despite the turmoil swirling within me. “It isn’t you, and it isn’t Lance. It will be me even at the end of this.”
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I gesture towards the lifeless form of Keith, a silent testament to the consequences of betrayal. “You can either be on my side, and I’ll protect you,” I continue, my voice dripping with icy resolve, “or you can pick Lance because he has a couple of dirty cops roaming the streets that make you piss your pants.”
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I pause for a moment, letting the weight of my words sink in. “I thought I had men on the streets, not pussies,” I add, my tone biting with contempt. “If the next gathering is the same, think of Keith. Prepare to join him.” With my final warning, I turn to leave the room, my steps echoing with purpose as I make my exit.
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“Product will be available in the warehouse at 9 pm tonight,” I call over my shoulder, my voice carrying a note of finality. “It’s almost double what we usually have for the week, and I expect it all to be gone.”
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The shocked breaths of my dealers fill the room as I reach the door, my hand resting on the handle as I turn back to address them one last time. “I don’t care what you have to do,” I declare, my voice ringing with authority. “I expect it gone. Go to Ciara at the front desk for your envelopes.”
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With that, I push open the door and step out into the hallway, leaving behind a room filled with stunned silence and the lingering scent of fear. There’s something about being able to dominate a room full of men that makes me want to cancel the rest of my day and see just how much Juliet would let me dominate her. Even she has more of a backbone when begging for me, than they do.
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As I make my way down the corridor, I look at my watch, trying to rid my head of unneeded distractions, but Juliet this morning has been the background in my mind almost every minute since I left that Cafe. I never did get to hike up that fuck me dress, and I really fucking wanted to, but my meeting starts in just under 3 hours and I still want to hit the gym and shower. At least I knew the work out would help put my nerves at bay, and maybe the shower would help with everything else.
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