Scarlet Obsession [BL]

10. Truth or Lie

Dex and Elian regarded the newcomers coldly. Especially their leader, who was a tall, broad-shouldered man with a thick ginger beard and fiery red hair tied back in a knot. A nasty scar ran through his left eyebrow, giving him a permanently pissed-off look.

Dex’s hand hovered near his holster, and Elian’s finger was already itching on the trigger. He was still hoping to get more kills anyways.

“You took something that belongs to us. Where is it?” The leader asked, his deep and loud voice ringing through the warehouse.

“And what is it that we stole from you?” Dex asked calmly. Way too calm.

“The shipment, it's ours.” The leader answered curtly.

“No it’s not. You f*****g stole from us,” Elian spat, his mind racing. The pieces clicked into place instantly, the timing, the boldness, the way the street gang had moved too cleanly. Of course, the Irish mafia had orchestrated the entire theft. Why hadn't he thought of that sooner?

Dex let out a dark laugh beside him. “Those guns belong to the Russo-Virelli empire. You must be mistaken, unless we're both talking about two different weaponry here.”

The Irish leader threw his head back and laughed, loud and mocking. His men joined in, the sound echoing off the walls.

“Russo-Virelli empire?” He grinned, showing crooked teeth. “Aren’t you two just f*****g adorable? Talking about ‘your’ empire like it’s real. Like this sham of a marriage actually means something.” His eyes glittered with cruel amusement. “Everyone knows it’s a joke. Two rival Dons forced into bed together? Please, you’re both just pawns in a game much bigger than your tiny egos. There’s no such thing as peace between snakes like you. Someone always fights to be on top. And from what I hear.… you two are too busy f*****g each other to even notice.”

Elian’s blood boiled. He took a step forward, gun half-raised.

“Cut the f*****g bullshit and tell us where the shipment is,” he sneered.

The Irishman shrugged lazily. “You just executed our messengers, genius.” He nodded at the three corpses leaking blood across the floor. “They were the only ones who knew the exact location. So congratulations, you shot your own lead. And point of correction, it's our shipment, not yours. Get it right.”

He cracked his neck and continued, “But we’re reasonable men. Due to the fact that you stole from us, and the difficulties you've caused in trying to retrieve the shipment, hand over this warehouse and the surrounding blocks as compensation. Do that, and maybe, just maybe, we won’t go to war over this.”

Dex immediately moved closer to Elian, his shoulder brushing against him possessively. “Let me handle this,” he murmured low enough for only Elian to hear.

Elian yanked him back hard by the arm. “Oh, f**k off,” he hissed, eyes blazing. He turned back to the Irish leader with a manic, toothy smile.

“Look here, Ginger,” Elian said sweetly, tilting his head. “There are hundreds of our men surrounding this building, you’re outnumbered and outgunned, and in our territory. If you try anything funny, we’ll kill every single one of you right here. And if more of your little friends come running? We’ll kill them too. End of the f*****g game. I'll mail your ginger head back to Dublin in a pretty f*****g box.”

The Irish leader’s smile faltered for a split second before he recovered, but tension crackled in the air. His men shifted uneasily, fingers tightening on triggers.

Dex’s eyes burned with dark pride and irritation as he stared at Elian.

‘Always so dramatic’ he thought, the corner of his mouth twitching upward.

Before the Irish could respond, Dex raised his voice. “Here’s a better deal. You walk away right now, no bloodshed. If we find the shipment ourselves, we’ll give you twenty percent, and if you find it, you do the same.” His tone dripped with mockery. “In return, you tell us who tipped you off about the weakness in our security. Because someone on the inside fed you information. We both know it. That shipment ain't f*****g yours.”

The warehouse fell deathly silent.

Elian shot Dex a sharp glare, but didn’t interrupt.

The Irish leader studied them for a long moment, eyes flicking between the two men standing shoulder-to-shoulder in a room that still smelled like death. He seemed to weigh his options, the bodies on the floor, the wild look in Elian’s eyes, the cold calculation in Dex’s.

Finally, he signaled his men to lower their guns.

“Fine,” he grunted. “We’ll take your deal. For now. But if that shipment isn’t recovered by anyone in forty-eight hours, all bets are off.” He jerked his head toward his men. “We’re leaving.”

Elian and Dex both knew that the motherfucker was lying.

As the they slowly backed toward the exit, their leader paused at the door and looked back with a final smirk.

“Oh, and one more thing, lovebirds.… watch your backs. The orchestrator of your demise is closer than you think.”

The moment they were gone, Elian spun on Dex, shoving him hard in the chest with both hands.

“Twenty percent? Are you f*****g insane?” he snarled. “You don’t speak for both of us!”

Dex caught his wrists and slammed Elian back against a nearby steel pillar, pinning him there with his bigger body. His eyes were wild, pupils blown wide with adrenaline and something far darker.

“You’d rather have started a war right here with no backup?” Dex growled, face inches from Elian’s. “Good way to go about the hundred men outside, but you know damn well it'd be over for us if they'd pulled that trigger.”

Elian bared his teeth, breathing hard. “Maybe I wanted that to happen..”

Dex’s grip tightened, almost bruising. A sick, twisted smile spread across his face.

“Good. Because the second we find out who betrayed us.… I’m going to let you play with them first, okay?.”

That was all that was needed to be said. Because in Elian's head, he still doubted if he could trust the man standing in front of him. And in Dex's head, he couldn't help but wonder how he was going to fix this mess without causing a war.

Especially with the information he got from the three men who were now lying dead at their feets.