Chapter 66: Chapter 66

Alex burst out in laughter. He held his side as he doubled over, laughing as if I just told the world’s greatest joke. Even his cronies, all of whom would laugh not because they thought what I said was funny but because Alex is a bully to his gang so they would do whatever he does to avoid being on his bad side.

I wish we would not have this conversation in front of his gang.

“Y-y…!” Alex laughed harder.

I waited for him to finish laughing but as I looked away from him I caught Carol’s eyes. She was on Alex’s right side. One of the gang mates hand held her waist but she smiled at me. I smiled back.

Once Alex was done laughing he straightened in his seat to wipe the tears from his eyes.

“Baby brother,” he chuckled. “You want to manage the business? What do you know about management?”

“I worked with Dad during the holidays, I think I know a lot more than you think, I can take over the business and build it up and it can flourish again.”

“Flourish,” Alex laughed again. “That’s a fancy word, right?” he laughed again and his cronies laughed with him again.

I rolled my eyes and raised my voice above the roars of laughter, “You know it would be much better if you and I talked without your gang hanging around you.”

“Chill out baby bro. The gang is family.” But Alex turned serious and he gave the laughing group of people - there were 6 of them - a warning glance that silenced them. “You all, leave Andre and me for a second.”

One by one they filed out of the room until it was just me, Alex and Carol.

“Carol?” Alex raised his eyes at her.

“Am I not more than family?” she asked.

“No, this is between me and my brother. Leave.”

She left sulkily and I was sad to see her go.

Alex may be the black sheep of the family but I know he is a good man. He may be good at terrorizing the neighborhood rival gangs or being a nuisance around town but he has been nothing but the best brother to me since we were kids. He is still that brother who fought my bullies off and kissed my elbow when I got injured riding my bike for the first time. He did encourage me to play basketball after all, and we played on weekends when he wasn’t doing whatever it is his gang does. I know he cares about me and my ideas but I worry for him because I know the Mafioso cannot be toyed with. And I would hate to see my brother lose his life doing something illegal that’s why I think that with this idea of mine, I can get him to leave his gang and take responsibility for the business.

“So you will manage the business?”

“Yes, I will. And I want you to join me. You used to work with Dad, you know the ropes.”

“Of course, I know the ropes but I also know my role here, I boost the business by scaring off competition and you,” he pointed his finger at me. “Your role is to go to school, graduate, become the star basketball player you want to be, and let me provide for you until then. I am the new head of the family.”

“And how is that going so far? Since Dad went down we have been losing money, the bills are piling up...”

“You worry too much about these things. Let me worry about them, Andre. You are a kid, do what kids do. Go out, play around with your friends, fall in love – and I am not talking about Carol, she is just using you for your cock. Don’t think I don’t know about what little adventures you both have been up to in this house." He smiled slyly then got serious again. "I have a plan to make us rich again.”

I pretended not to hear the part about Carol. “So I guess by a plan you mean you are going to terrorize someone else into coughing up their own money?”

He smiled. “Yes. And once I do that you can pay your fees and go back to school! You are in your final year for Christ’s sake!”

“What happens when that money runs out? What happens when you can’t pay for my needs anymore? What if I get kicked out of school because my brother is known around town for his criminal activities? What if…”

“Then I will do what I can to make sure that doesn’t happen!" Alex stood from his seat with such force that the chair staggered. “I will do what I can to make sure you have a good future so worry your little head about getting good grades and graduating,” he tapped a finger on my head.

“No.”

He frowned. “What?”

“I said no. I’m not just thinking about myself, I am thinking about Dad, I’m thinking about the business he struggled to build. He loved his company, you used to love it too. It’s our main source of income and you know it. I don’t care what you say, Alex, I am dropping out of school to build the business again.”

“Andre…”

“No Alex, you can’t say anything to convince me otherwise.” My eyes burned with tears. “Maybe if you took responsibility for once as the so-called head of the house maybe I wouldn’t have to drop out of school to support us. But you were never like this until Mom died!”

Alex stared at me for a second too long then turned his back on me and bowed his head.

I thought he was crying and guilt began to tug at my heart because of my words.

Alex’s shoulder shook but when he turned around he was laughing not crying as I thought he was.

“You, brother, hit where it hurts the most. I have taught you too well.”

He came back to pat my shoulder and laughed again when he saw the tears in my eyes.

“You are a little too soft, kiddo.” Then his eyes turned hard. “But if you must take over the business then I have a condition because I have a plan. One that would put this mad idea you have to rest.”

Before I could ask what the plan was he threw his head back and yelled for his cronies to come back into the room. They came running to hear what he had to say.

“Andre has convinced me. He is going to take over the business at the cost of his education and there is nothing I can do to stop him.” He held my gaze. “It’s a reckless idea because you don’t know the wolves you are about to throw yourself at. There are competitors, there are rivals but…if that’s the kind of life you want then you will do it on my terms.”

We all waited with abated breaths for him to continue.

“One month. You have one month to prove to me that you are capable of running the business.”

One month was a short time but Alex wasn’t done yet because he had far more sinister plans than I could have imagined.

“It’s a tourist management business, isn’t it? You will be serving the richest of the rich who want to see Mainland. For your trial, you will prove to me that you can handle the pressure. This is where my plan comes in.”

“How?”

“Simple, you abduct a customer.”

My eyes almost popped.

“What?!”

“Yes. It’s a tourist job so that’s easy. You approach a customer, pretend to show them around, lure them to the gang, we abduct them and demand ransom for their release from their family.”

“But… that wasn’t the plan. The plan was to build the business again…”

“This!” Alex bit out. “Is my plan! I will not sit back and watch you waste your life over that business. It destroyed dad, destroyed mom…” He was getting emotional and he realized it quickly and stopped talking for a second to get himself together. I may be imagining it but were those tears in Alex’s eyes? When he spoke again his voice was measured. And very firm. “We will get as much money as we can, you return to school and I shut down that fucking business once and for all.”

I didn’t realize I was crying. “That wasn’t the plan.” Alex may be instrumental in dispersing competition for Mainland’s Attraction but I know he hates working for Dad, hated it since Mom died but I never knew his hatred ran deep. What happened to him?

“The plan is mine now. Dismissed.”