In the evening, in the dark city, there was a place known to be frequented by mafia members and fugitives from the law. Here, everything that has been forbidden to you is at your fingertips. Loud music announced the beginning of a new night, while bodies swayed in a strange mix of chaos and whispers.
Malfred was seated next to someone else, while a number of girls moved from table to table, sipping wine with relish.
Elias walked in, Albert with his heavy footsteps. He is the king here, and nothing can disturb his tranquility. Suddenly, the music stops, and everyone stops to fix their eyes on him.
It was not easy for anyone to approach him. Everyone felt that they were in the presence of an extraordinary person, but no one dared to move. They let him pass quietly until he reached the table where Malfred and Martin, his arch-nemesis, were sitting.
Elias sat quietly, unbuttoning his suit. With a wave of his hand, the music started playing again, and everyone went back to what they were doing. Elias held a glass of wine in his hands, brought it to his nose and sniffed as he closed his eyes, then opened them with a wry smile and tossed the glass out of his hands before turning to Martin and saying slyly
"What is this, how do you drink it, I don't put garbage in my mouth."
Martin clenched his hands violently, while Albert signaled to the waiter, who came rushing in with the best wine and filled a new glass for Elias.
Elias grabbed the glass, sniffing it slowly before smiling and saying.
"Hmmm, this is the best wine. It was aged over three hundred years ago, and there are only a few rare bottles left. It's one of the most expensive."
He then looked at Martin out of the corner of his eye and said.
"You have to try this, Martin. If you don't try it now, you may never get the chance again."
Martin's eyes blazed with anger at the insults Elias was trying to hurl at him. The words burned through his body like fire, but before a fight could break out, Malfred quickly intervened, grabbing Martin's hand to draw his attention away from the escalating tension.
"Calm down, I don't want to have to cover the cost of repairs here." Malfred said, smiling a cold smile, but he was clear in his threat. "I don't want to see any breakage in the place."
Martin ignored Elias' words, looking at him coldly as he grabbed the glass and took one sip before tossing it out of his reach. He then commented coldly.
"It's as bad as any other, there's no difference between it and any other kind."
Elias chuckled, replying with a wry smile.
"You lack taste, what did I expect from you?"
Elias knew very well that Martin had a quick temper, so he always enjoyed pissing him off. Martin would blab here and there about his lineage, about his noble family, about his grandparents who were mafia bosses. He believes that this justifies his status, while Elias got his by force and coercion.
Martin always tried to turn the other mafia members against Elias, but they feared his power. If it wasn't for that fear, he would have been eliminated long ago.
Elias' eyes darted around looking for his new prey, until he spotted a red-haired girl watching him. He gestured to her, and she smiled and approached him indulgently, sitting at his feet.
Elias approached her quietly, capturing her lips between his, and in an instant he kissed her passionately, grabbed the back of her head and pulled her to him, then bit her lips with his teeth, savoring the taste of her blood. His eyes twinkled in ecstasy, then he leaned in close to her ear and whispered a few words. Moments later, the girl stood up and walked away with one of the guards.
Elias turned to Martin, his fangs bared and his eyes had turned a deep red color. He stuck out his tongue, licked off the blood, and said in a threatening tone.
"Tell me, what did you want from me?"
Martin and Malfred swallowed hard, unable to hide their confusion in front of those threatening eyes.
For the first time, Martin felt afraid of Elias. He thought the stories about him were just myths, that he relied on plastic surgery and makeup to look younger. But now, in front of him, it was an undeniable reality, and he was absolutely sure that everything he had heard was true.
The atmosphere was very tense, with everyone's faces showing signs of anxiety. Malfred tried to lighten the mood and made an attempt at humor, saying: "Looks like someone's going to have a fun night, doesn't it? Alexa's one of the prettiest girls here, make sure she comes back, Elias. Don't covet her."
He finished his sentence with a grin, but it was completely inappropriate for the situation.
Martin looked down at the ground and then raised his head, his eyes glowing with tension, as Elias watched him with eyes that held a hidden threat. Gathering his courage at last, he announced in a calm voice, despite his confusion: "Let's move on to what we have gathered for... There's a very big deal."
The words came out with difficulty, but he knew he had no choice but to talk about what they had come for
Malfred continued:
"A large quantity of the M24E6 machine gun is required, and our factories will not be able to deliver on time. Also, the members won't be able to assemble the required quantity without your help. So, how about becoming our partner?"
Malfred sighed as he finished his words, as if they were a heavy burden, and kept looking at the silent Elias. The silence lengthened, and with it the tension, and then Elias finally spoke up:
"There are a few things we need to agree on first. My name will not be mentioned in anything related to this deal, and the profit will be half for me and half for both of you."
Martin tried to object, but Malfred gripped his hands tightly and addressed Elias:
"How's that? That's not a fair split."
Elias chuckled and said with a wry smile:
"And what is fair in this life?"
They started to leave, but he turned to them again and said:
"I want to be kept informed of everything that happens."
His words were more of a threat than a request.