Release Blitz: ICE (Regulators MC 1) by @ChelseaCamaron & @JessieLaneBooks

~Ice~

“Sandoval.”

“Ice, good to see you handling this trade personally. I have much respect for a man who stays so intimately involved in his business.” His heavy Cuban accent laces each word.

Lazaro Sandoval stands before me, a true ‘Don.’ The tailor made, gray pinstriped suit covers a pastel pink button down shirt that only further highlights his tan skin, his jet black hair gelled back to perfection. My six foot frame towers over the man, although his short stature does nothing to make his presence any less intimidating. No, this man is contained fury. His venom runs right below the surface, waiting for a reason to be released. He would be as deadly as they come, except I am deadlier. So is every man in my club. He simply hasn’t realized it yet.

Lazaro Sandoval has earned his title one kill at a time. Each territory he controls has been acquired meticulously, with his very own hands. He doesn’t keep an enforcer on his team. It is his thrill to personally see to ending his opponent when he has been crossed. This is a man who is not afraid to get dirty, not in the least bit.

“If you want something done right, do it yourself, or so they say,” I state, making sure my voice shows I am far from being intimidated by him. Others may cower in his presence, but to me, he is nothing more than another scumbag I have every intention of burying. I merely have to wait for the right time, gather all my evidence, and worm out the information from him that my boys and I need to know.

“They would be correct,” Lazaro agrees, a creepy smile spreading across his face. “You know, a man in my position can’t be too safe. A man like me doesn’t get where he’s at by doing business with just any yuma for quick money.”

“No, a bisñero, such as yourself, can’t do business with any foreigner, as you say. Funny you call me the foreigner here, though. Last time I checked, it’s my country you live in, not your own.” I am possibly pushing my luck here, but this smug fucker needs to remember where he is.

“Ice,” my name rolls off his tongue in a hiss, “understand that one in my position must learn of their allies and adversaries. A man of my power must also treat my allies as my future enemy.”

My blood boils as I fight to maintain composure. The man before me easily dishes out threats as if they are compliments.

“This is a simple business transaction, Sandoval. Certainly you can understand the concept of supply and demand. You have a supply for a product in demand, one in which I wish to purchase. Consider me your frienemy, that’s fine by me, but let’s cut the bullshit and handle business.”

He laughs at me, rubbing his hands together. “Impatience can be a weakness, Ice. Being too quick for one’s release could cost you relationships, both personally and professionally. A woman wants a man with stamina and endurance. Both are key traits in business and the bedroom. Trusting one with a product, as well cut as mine, is much like sharing a woman. A beauty writhing under you makes it hard to control your load. Releasing too soon promises the lady will not return. You are far from a teenage boy unable to control his dick. As a man with much experience and control, with both women and business, I will dispense half of what you have requested. Once my associates on the street confirm you handle your street business with as much discretion as you do your club business, we will renegotiate the terms of our partnership.”

This smug bastard is pushing my buttons just to fuck with me. He has already scouted every avenue of our businesses. I know because I let the information be fed to him so we could move forward with our deal. At this point, he knows everything there is to be found about the Regulators. It took months to even get a meeting with the man to negotiate any sort of affiliation. He is more than patient, more than thorough, and more than on his game.

Hammer shifts behind me, feeling my agitation.

“Time is money, Sandoval. You know this. With such an ego about your blanca, I need a sample before this goes any further. You stand here, changing the terms of our agreement by only releasing half of my order, yet the powder I seek may be nothing more than angel dust.”

With the sharp raise of his arm, his pointer finger going up, one of his men shifts and turns back to the car from which they exited. We are in a private hangar used by many Cubans who are transporting goods from South Beach back to their communities in small cargo planes. My intel states the hangar is owned by a prominent plastic surgeon in downtown Miami.

From what we have gathered, Sandoval is not bringing the drugs in via planes, though we haven’t worked out his system yet. It has taken months of build-up along with multiple negotiations and shows of good faith before we could get him to do any business with us. After a few small transactions with his low ranking men and lower cost products, we have finally gotten into larger opportunities.

His man makes his way back over to me, carrying with him a small brick of white powder ready to be cut and distributed. The drug has the street value of gold that I need in my club’s possession like yesterday. He hands the cocaine over to Sandoval, who extends the brick to me, smiling cryptically. I can read him. He is testing me. All future transactions will rely on how I react to the drugs.

Taking the package, I pull out my pocket knife. Having been stripped of our guns and knives entering the building, I am lucky to have kept this. If these men only knew what I could do with this two inch blade if pushed to my limits. Fuckers. Hell, I don’t need a small knife to kill the man if I wanted to; I could do that with my bare hands.

Slicing the package open, I dip the tip of my knife in. I scoop up only the slightest amount then lift it to my nose and inhale. The burn in my nasal passages is hard to stand, my eyes immediately glaze over in unshed tears.

“Sandoval, you have good reason to be cocky,” I state, letting him know I am impressed with his product.

He laughs at me. The man stands before me and laughs as if he has not one care in the world. If I get my way, he is going to have a shitload of stuff to worry about, including keeping his own useless hide alive.

“I like you very much, Ice. It’s refreshing to find a biker that won’t use more of my product than he sells. From your reaction, I can tell that you are not a user. This tells me the Regulators will go far in this business. Nothing irritates me more than someone being held back by chemical dependencies. I have found men tend to become weak to their addictions, whether that be the pussy in their bed, the drugs in their bodies, or the money in their wallets. You do not strike me as a man with weaknesses; I foresee a long and profitable future for us both.”

With the confirmation of his approval, his men shift and begin unloading black crate, after black crate from a nearby SUV. Placing the boxes in front of us, each one is opened for our inspection before being closed and passed off to Hammer. Then he and three other patched Regulators load the crates into our waiting van.

Bending down to my feet, I pick up the duffle bag of cash. I open it and remove five stacks of bills, tossing them over to Coal to put back in the van.

“Since you adjusted the amount of our product, I’ve adjusted the amount of your pay.” Passing the bag to him, I continue, “Understand, Sandoval, I’m not a man of patience. I’m not a man of mercy. And I sure as shit am not a man who plays games. This is the only leniency I’ll allow you since we are still getting to know one another. I understand a man of your position has to protect himself, just like a man of my authority does. Luckily, for us both, I do not sell products I don’t already have in my possession. That way, I won’t have a disappointed buyer. We both know what that could do.”

“You are a worthy business associate. I’m sure we will have a mutually beneficial future together,” Sandoval replies as he backs away, not removing his eyes from me until reaching his vehicle.

I realize now that I have underestimated him. He is a cocky fucker, yet smart. Never trust your men to truly have your back when your murder could give them an empire that would make them richer than their wildest dreams.

After he is pulling away in his vehicle we make our way to the bikes and waiting van. Getting on my Harley, I nod to Hammer who will take the van and handle the drugs we have purchased. The knot in my stomach eases knowing we have made another step deeper into the world of Lazaro Sandoval and the Cuban Mafia.

It is also one step closer to ending a man who needs to be taken out for good.

It is going to take a lot of diligence from both me and my men to get the information we need to take Sandoval out without backlash on the Regulators. There is a delicate balance between what we let the world see and what everyone has no clue we have going on in the background. We can’t afford to be exposed in any way. It would put us all in danger from more underground players than we could point an M-16 at. With each passing day that I have to deal with Sandoval, I see the man is too deadly to let live.

At least I am getting paid good money to kill him.