Life Dealer 소설 & 이야기

The underground casino on the south side of Seattle smelled like cigarettes, beer and money—not the clean, curated kind that lived in Julian's penthouse, but the kind that had been sweated for, stolen, and lied through teeth to keep. This was my world. The real one. No designer heels. No diamond rings. Just Lauren Vance, dealer, invisible in a room full of men who never looked at the help. "Hit me," the man across the table said, barely glancing up. I dealt the card without a word.

“This is him?” “Yes, John Marshall, nothing notable about him either, just a hired gun who works security in the vault, No spouse, two children that are practically homeless and a mountain of unpayable debt, his schedule is predictable, Work, bars, whorehouses then he goes home to gamble in online betting events, He's a proper piece of trash.” “The perfect candidate, A true pile of human garbage.” Leo interjected.

I added. “But you never wanted to do drugs,” Von had interjected calmly. All the while I spoke, he gave me the utmost attention, just like he had always done. “No, I didn’t, but the Dealer doesn’t care about that. Some of his victims were forced at gunpoint into doing it, and he still ends up killing them. I don’t even know his name aside from being called the Dealer,” I had responded. “Hmm,” Von had sighed deeply. “I’m sorry,” I quickly apologized. “Have I said too much?” I had asked.

He always lies. He used to be someone. A capo in the Diavoli. Feared, respected. Men lowered their eyes when they spoke his name. He was supposed to be next in line for underboss. Then came the drinking. The losses. The debts. When Mama got sick, everything collapsed. He gambled more, begged for loans from men who smile as they sharpen their knives. Eventually, even the mafia washed their hands of him. And now… now his debt is mine. I check my phone, thumb trembling on the cracked screen. I’m already late.

"Riccardo Lion, mid-thirties, Albanian origin but operates primarily out of New York and Vegas. He's made significant inroads into our territory over the past year, mostly loan sharking and money laundering through casinos." He swiped through several photos on his tablet, showing a well-dressed man with silver-streaked dark hair and cold blue eyes. "He's known for dramatic gestures and particularly brutal enforcement methods. They call him 'The Taxidermist' because he likes to... preserve... those who cross him." "And what has Aria got to do with all this mess?" Viktor's expression hardened. "Silas borrowed more money from Riccardo and hasn't paid it back," he explained. "According to my sou

“As payment for the matter of his father’s death, he has offered you, Gianna, to me in exchange for keeping his money and his property.” I don’t hear anything after that. My brain is short-circuits, repeating that sentence over and over again. “That,” I swallow, bile rising in my throat. “That can’t be true.” Alek fixes me with a perplexed look. “If not, why would I come all the way here, devushka? I would not make the trip if this were not a formal arrangement. Surely you would know this, yes? We mafia do not do things on whims.”

Oh shit! I'm dead. So very dead.

It didn't take long to finalize and close the deal, and based on the paperwork and everything that went with it, she could safely say it was a sure thing and reliable. It was also a good contract for Luna, with good pay and security. She had worked for wealthy people before, and the agency was mostly dedicated to helping them. Many were cold-hearted and left their children alone without caring too much and few were really interested in giving them anything other than material things. She hoped this would be different.

There was so much darkness in my past, so much that I didn't want to say. “I'm sorry, Charlotte,” Leo said quietly. I loved that he pulled me closer to him, sharing his strength with me and silently telling me he wasn't going to let me go. I clung to him, praying that he wouldn't let go. “When I say they were drug dealers, I don't mean that they sold some brownies with special butter. They ruined people's lives. They were suspected of several murders.”

"Call Hudson, I wanted to make sure the house is safe when she gets there." The door burst open, revealing Connor. One of the bosses. Luca's circle of friends is small, but all of them are powerful. Luca specializes in technology, he uses his skills and intelligence to manage the underground world which is the mafias' abode. Connor is in charge of their guns and bombs, the main source for their firearms when needed. It's all legal though behind the illegal actions when things go south. Alejandro works as an FBI agent, no one knows he's one of the mafia bosses. Hudson is exceptionally skilled in combat. They are all trained to look after one another.