Page 109 of Knuckles & Knives
I don’t just want an empire. I want a legacy built not on blood, but on trust, love, and fire.
We’re just getting started.
CHAPTER 33
The boardroom at Sterling Financial towers over the city like a monument to legitimate power, its floor-to-ceiling windows offering a panoramic view of the empire we’re about to claim. Not through violence or intimidation, but through calculated negotiation and the kind of strategic brilliance that turns former enemies into willing allies.
“Any word from the Kowalskis?” I ask, scanning the updated territory map.
Marcus shakes his head. “Radio silence. Either regrouping or waiting to see how the power lines settle.”
“Let them wait,” Kieran adds. “They’ll either adapt to the new order or be left behind.”
I nod. “If they challenge what we’re building, they’ll learn—fear is no longer a viable strategy.”
“The Torrino family controls the docks,” Marcus states, his fingers moving across holographic displays that map territorial boundaries with surgical precision. “The Kozlov organization manages the casino operations. The remnants of Cross’s network handle pharmaceutical distribution, though obviously we’re transitioning that to legitimate medical supply chains.”
“And now they all answer to us,” I observe, studying the color-coded territories that span three states and represent billions in annual revenue. “The question is whether they understand the new rules.”
“They will,” Dom says with quiet certainty, his massive frame positioned strategically between me and the door, a protective habit he can’t seem to break even in secure locations. “Once they see the benefits of cooperation versus the consequences of resistance.”
“No consequences,” I correct firmly. “That’s the point. We don’t rule through fear anymore.”
“We rule through demonstrated superiority,” Kieran adds, straightening his platinum cufflinks in a gesture I’ve learned signals intense focus. “Better profits, better protection, better long-term stability. Fear-based loyalty is temporary. Benefit-based loyalty is sustainable.”
“Plus,” Axel interjects with his characteristic wild grin, “it’s infinitely more interesting to convince people to follow us willingly rather than forcing them through intimidation.”
The sentiment captures everything about our new approach—power earned through competence rather than violence, influence built on mutual benefit rather than exploitation. It’s taken months to restructure the territorial agreements, but the results speak for themselves. Crime rates down thirty percent in our areas of influence. Legitimate business investment up dramatically. Community support programs funded through our entirely legal revenue streams.
“Speaking of willing followers,” Marcus says, his tone shifting to something more personal, “we have visitors.”
I turn toward the conference room’s entrance as the doors open to admit five of the most powerful crime family leaders on the East Coast. The Torrino patriarch, Elena Kozlov herself, representatives from the Chicago outfit, the New Orleanssyndicate, and—most surprisingly—Victoria Sterling, Kieran’s aunt and the current head of what remains of his family’s organization.
“Raven,” Victoria says, her silver hair pulled back severely and her gray eyes carrying the weight of someone who’s survived forty years in a male-dominated criminal hierarchy. “Gentlemen.”
Her gaze lingers on Kieran with what might be approval. Then her attention shifts to Dom, Marcus, and Axel with calculating assessment.
“Victoria,” I reply, gesturing toward the conference table. “Please, all of you, sit. We have business to discuss.”
“Your reputation precedes you,” Elena Kozlov states in her accented English, her weathered hands folded precisely on the table. “Months ago you were Vincent Blackwood’s daughter seeking revenge. Today you control more territory than your father ever dreamed of managing.”
“Through different methods,” I point out.
“Yes,” she agrees. “Methods that have produced remarkable results. Casino profits up forty percent since we eliminated the protection rackets. Dock operations running more efficiently without the constant territorial disputes. Even legitimate businesses are thriving in areas under your influence.”
“Because legitimate businesses prefer stability to chaos,” Marcus explains, his analytical mind translating criminal politics into economic principles. “Predictable regulatory environments, reliable infrastructure, communities with disposable income rather than populations living in fear.”
“Which brings us to why we’re here,” the Chicago representative—a surprisingly young woman named Catalina Reyes—says directly. “Our organizations want formal alliance agreements. Not subordination, but partnership based on your proven model.”
“And in exchange?” Kieran asks, though his tone suggests he already knows the answer.
“Territory-wide implementation of your community development programs,” Victoria replies. “Gradual transition from traditional criminal revenue streams to legitimate business operations. Coordinated political influence focused on systemic change rather than personal advantage.”
“Ambitious,” Dom observes.
“Necessary,” Elena counters. “Traditional criminal organizations are becoming extinct. Law enforcement technology, federal coordination, public awareness—the old methods no longer produce sustainable results. What you’ve built represents evolution rather than extinction.”
The discussion that follows covers details that would have seemed impossible six months ago. Profit-sharing agreements based on community improvement metrics. Coordinated investment in education and economic development programs. Political advocacy for criminal justice reform that addresses root causes rather than simply managing symptoms.
