Chapter 18 - The Syndicate Council
The true test of Julian’s new life came a year later. The East Coast Syndicate Council—the heads of the five major families—demanded a summit in New York. They had heard rumors of Julian’s softening. They wanted to see if the wolf had lost his teeth.
Julian attended the meeting alone, leaving Silvio to guard Clara and Lily in Boston.
The council members sat in a smoky boardroom, evaluating him. "You've been quiet, Vargas," the head of the Lucchese family noted. "Closing down the loan shark operations. Buying bakeries. Getting domesticated."
Julian sat at the head of the table, his posture perfect, his gaze terrifyingly calm. "I am optimizing my assets. Bloodshed is bad for business. If any of you mistake my peace for weakness, I invite you to ask Ramon Castillo how that worked out for him."
The room went dead silent. Ramon’s brutal end was a legend whispered in dark corners.
"We have no issues, Julian," the boss stammered quickly. "We respect your territory."
May you like
"Ensure that you do," Julian said, standing up and buttoning his suit jacket. "Because the things I protected out of pride, I now protect out of love. And I assure you, a man fighting for love is far more dangerous than a man fighting for money."
He walked out of the boardroom, leaving the most dangerous men in America sitting in stunned, terrified silence. Julian Vargas was not soft. He was simply focused.
