Chapter 132: No longer Safe
Nico
The moment my car rolled past the black iron gates of the mansion, I already knew something was wrong.
Not because of the guards.
Blade’s estate was always crawling with armed men. Men dressed in tailored black suits with guns strapped beneath expensive jackets pretending they were civilized businessmen instead of cartel dogs waiting for blood to spill.
No.
What bothered me was the way they looked at my convoy.
Too alert.
Too tense.
The headlights of the classic black Rolls Royce cut across the massive driveway as my entourage followed closely behind in two separate vehicles. Every single man that came with me was armed. Rifles. Handguns. Knives hidden beneath jackets.
Nobody came to Blade’s territory defenseless.
Especially not now.
The Mivite announcement had every cartel in the underground world moving strangely. Alliances were shifting too quickly. Greed was growing faster than loyalty.
The car finally came to a stop directly in front of the mansion steps.
I remained seated for a second, staring ahead at the enormous structure glowing beneath warm golden lights. From the outside it looked elegant enough to belong to old money.
Inside though?
It was still cartel territory.
Power breathed through every corner of the estate.
One of my men stepped out first, scanning the area before opening the back door for me.
The cold night air brushed against my face as I stepped out slowly adjusting the sleeve of my black coat. My eyes swept over the entrance instantly.
Eight men.
All armed.
All standing too stiffly.
My expression remained blank.
Behind me, my own men exited the vehicles with equal caution. Hands close to weapons. Eyes moving constantly.
The atmosphere became tense almost immediately.
One of the men standing at the entrance stepped forward first. Tall. Thick neck. Scar running across his jaw.
"Blade insists that you come without weapons."
I stared at him without speaking.
Another man beside him spoke immediately after, his brutish voice rough and direct.
"Along with your guards. No weapons are allowed for today’s meeting."
Silence.
Then I walked forward.
Straight toward them.
I ignored every single word that came out of their mouths as I climbed the steps without slowing down once.
I could practically feel the confusion radiating off them.
Good.
Because if any of them were stupid enough to try stopping me, somebody was dying tonight.
The men beside me immediately followed without hesitation, their polished shoes echoing quietly against the stone entrance.
None of the guards moved.
Not one.
They only watched me enter the mansion with tense expressions stretched across their faces.
Smart choice.
The doors opened before I even reached them.
A well-dressed older man stood waiting inside. Unlike the thugs outside, this one actually looked refined. Dark tailored suit. White gloves. Calm posture.
Cutler.
Blade’s personal attendant.
"Nico," he greeted politely with a slight bow of his head.
I gave a small nod in return.
"The leader is waiting for you."
His voice remained proper and composed as he turned immediately, leading me deeper into the mansion.
The inside was exactly what Blade liked.
Luxury mixed with intimidation.
Massive chandeliers hung from the ceilings while armed guards stood at nearly every hallway corner pretending not to stare at me as I passed. Expensive paintings covered the walls beside marble pillars and dark wooden finishes.
Beautiful.
Cold.
Dangerous.
My men stayed close behind me the entire time.
Nobody asked them to leave.
Which only confirmed my suspicion that something strange was happening tonight.
Cutler eventually stopped outside a pair of dark double doors before opening them carefully.
"The leader is inside."
I stepped forward without hesitation.
The room I entered was smaller than Blade’s usual meeting halls but far more personal. A private dining hall.
The long table at the center was already fully prepared. Crystal glasses. Silver utensils. Expensive wine resting untouched beside perfectly plated food.
Even the steak sitting in front of the empty seat across from Blade was still steaming hot.
Everything had been prepared carefully.
Precisely.
My anger remained sharp as I stepped further inside, but it eased slightly the moment I saw there was only one man seated there.
Blade.
The older man sat comfortably at the head of the table with a smile resting on his bearded face. Age had touched him but never weakened him. The scars visible beneath the open collar of his dark shirt only made him look more dangerous.
The moment he saw me, he stood up.
I didn’t smile back.
"Your men tried to take my weapons," I said immediately.
My tone came out colder than intended.
Aggrieved.
Almost childish.
Like a son reporting stolen property to his father.
The smile on Blade’s face disappeared instantly.
He sighed deeply before gesturing toward the seat beside him.
"Sit."
Then his eyes shifted toward the guards and servants standing around the hall.
"Out."
The command was calm but absolute.
Every single person immediately exited without question. Within seconds the massive dining hall became completely silent except for the faint sound of glasses lightly clinking as the doors shut behind them.
Blade looked back at me.
"I didn’t give them that order."
His voice dropped lower now.
Colder.
The scars beneath his shirt became more visible as he leaned back slightly in his chair, irritation flashing briefly across his face.
The anger inside me instantly eased.
Because I believed him.
Without another word I pulled out the chair beside him and sat down. My fingers reached for the fork resting beside my plate though I made no move to eat the steak prepared in front of me.
Steam still curled from it slowly.
"How bad is it?" I asked quietly.
Blade released another tired sigh.
"Pretty bad," he admitted. "Some of them have been acting out but I thought I had it under control."
I stayed silent listening carefully.
"It might be Gorilla but I’m not sure."
At the mention of the cartel’s second-in-command, my expression tightened immediately.
Gorilla was ambitious.
Too ambitious.
And men like that always became problems eventually.
Blade reached for his wine before continuing.
"It could also be the Venom cartel," he added calmly. "Even Xelto. They’ve been growing balls since the Mivite was announced."
I watched him carefully as he slowly cut into his steak and ate like we weren’t discussing the possibility of betrayal within the cartel itself.
The Mivite announcement really had changed everything.
Everybody wanted more power now.
More territory.
More influence.
More money.
Greed was making men stupid.
"You asked for the shares though," I finally said.
There was the slightest trace of a frown on my face though I already knew my eyes gave me away completely.
Because despite everything, despite the cartel and the violence and the manipulation, I cared about this old man.
More than I probably should have.
Blade noticed it too.
"Yes," he answered with a slight cough. "Twenty percent and only in name. You would still have controlling power."
The moment the words left his mouth, rage burned through me instantly.
Because that wasn’t what Hassa said.
Not even close.
"Mmhm," Blade hummed quietly after noticing my expression.
Then slowly, the amusement disappeared from his face.
A darker look settled into his eyes instead.
"I guess I really am getting senile," he muttered bitterly.
His gaze lifted toward mine.
"I’m guessing Hassa told you something different?"
I didn’t answer immediately.
I simply nodded once.
Slowly.
At the same time my eyes moved carefully across the dining hall.
The exits.
The windows.
The corners of the ceiling.
Every possible blind spot.
Because suddenly one thing became painfully clear to me.
We were no longer safe inside this mansion.
