“Darius, remember what I said!” Kori shouted blocking the entrance to the Don’s chambers, for Ron and Jeremy failed to even notice Darius sneak past them.
“Don’t worry, I just need to talk to him. I think I deserve at least an explanation. Do you really think I’ll go off on the Don in front of so many people? He’d have me killed in seconds.”
Darius spoke calmly and with reason. Kori was a bit skeptical, but If push came to shove, he’d be right there in case anything happened. He let Darius pass. When Darius met with the Don, he paid the proper respect, bowing and letting the Don address him.
“Darius, my boy, glad to see you come back, how did it go speaking with Captain James?” cheered the Don.
“You bastard! You promised me a ship and a crew to go wherever I wanted!” Darius blew up, his hand scraping at the dagger on his side, completely going against what he had previously said to Kori.
Reactively, Kori moved to apprehend Darius, but the Don waved him off. Choosing instead to directly address Darius’s concerns and overlook his transgression.
“And that’s exactly what you’ll get. They just have to complete some prior business, but I assure you they’re the best. In the meantime, why don’t you do a few more jobs for the good old Don. In fact, I want to be the first to officially invite you into our family. Come work for me, I’d even like to offer the position of captain. There’s a vacancy now that I’m promoting Kori to commander.”
Silence permeated the room except for the lone clapping of Don Klaus. No one could believe what they were hearing. It wasn’t uncommon for a freelancer to be offered a position in the family, but for the Don to personally invite someone into the family, as one of his captains, especially a problem worker like Darius, was peculiar to say the least. Even if it was well known how much the Don favored him, it still came as a shock.
“D-Don Klaus… First of all, thank you so much for the promotion, I’m honored, and if you’d allow me, I’d like to be the second to welcome Darius into our family.” Kori had a tough time getting all of those words out, but he managed. He wasn’t aware of his promotion until right now, just like everyone else. He even started to clap alongside the Don, queuing everyone else in the room to slowly join them.
“Three cheers for my boy, Darius!” the Don shouted.
Every fiber of Darius’s being wanted to lash out, to tear him a new one, but he knew he couldn’t. The second he actually tried; he’d just be killed. The most he could do was audibly protest. “Don Klaus, you lied to me, cheated me, and now you expect me to join your family? No, Sir Don, I will have to respectfully refuse your invitation.”
Angered, Kori grabbed onto Darius’s coat, “Hey! Don Klaus is showing you an incredible kindness right now. Not only is he overlooking you threatening him, but he’s even offering you a place in the family. If I were you, I’d take my advice and not take his kindness for grani… granted.”
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
The Don then tried his own hand in calming the angered Darius, “My boy, I understand how you feel, but you must understand that I did not cheat you. I’m Don Klaus and I will always keep my promises. You must remember that I never promised on a time, but I did get you a ship and a crew. They are paid for and will be ready for you in due time, so why not get over your tantrum and become a part of our family?”
The Don put on what Darius assume was a warming smile, though it came off as more of a panting pig as he held out his ring finger. It was customary for new recruits to pledge their loyalty to the pig by kissing his ring.
“Don Klaus, I must respectfully decline your wonderful offer to join your prestigious family, while I understand everything you do is only for my benefit, I feel that my destiny lies elsewhere. I hope this does not affect our business relationship.” Darius chose to continue to be defiant. “In due time, all in due time.”
“Not a problem my boy, it’s quite a shame because you are quite skilled, and I would have loved you as one of my boys. You’re just not in the right mind currently, in time you will serve at my side, but do not to worry, I plan to continue business with you in the near future. Kori, please show Mr. Darius out. I wish to contact my business partner with the good news.”
The Don continued to pick at the exorbitant amount of food around him. Grease slipping out of his mouth as he joyfully ate.
“Disgusting pig,” Darius whispered.
Darius was unsure if Kori heard him because Kori only hit him on the back of his head. “I hate you, you know that? You’re an idiot for throwing away an opportunity like that.”
“And you’re an idiot for serving under that pig. He’s going to get you killed one day if he doesn’t do it himself, or even worse he’ll discard you when he starts his newest pet project.”
Kori’s face was different from usual. Normally he’d get heated from a comment like that, but right now he just looked tired.
“Why do you think you’re above everyone else? Just because you’re good at stealing things? You were just offered an opportunity of a lifetime, one people like me have literally killed to get, yet you’d just throw it all away. Don Klaus is giving you time to think on his invitation. I’d use it.”
“You still owe me, right?”
“Apparently, I owe you three.”
“Then you can pay back one of those favors right now. I want an honest answer from you. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?”
Kori was not expecting to hear a question like that from Darius. “Where do I see myself? What kind of asinine-”
“You pay back your debt, right?”
Kori immediately shut up and took a deep breath, “Alright, fine. 10 years from now I’m out of the game. Never really liked it anyway. The Don… Charles and I go out to have a beer every Sunday. He’s real proud of me, sometimes he might even accidentally call me son. Maybe even worked up the nerve to finally ask out the barkeep at Lucky’s, Lucina. I’m tired of it all, I really am, but until I pay back my debt to the Don, I can’t stop.”
Darius didn’t respond, only taking the time to take one last look behind Kori, only to be met with the visual of the Don randomly throwing a sharp knife at somebody, laughing as he watched them scream.
“Can’t say I wish you the best Kori, but you’re definitely not the worst creep that inhabits these walls. Now that I get a good look at it though, that’s a real nice chair the Don is sitting on.”