Free No Greater Loyalty by S. K. Hardy Page A

of-"
    Angel's palm came slamming down on the desk to cut off a lengthy explanation that he didn't ask for. True, Oscar was like family, but right now, at this moment, he was Angel's advisor first. Angel needed to know what was going on without the meaningless bullshit that accompanied it. When he asked a direct question, the only thing he was interested in hearing was a direct answer. Nothing else.
    He leaned forward, his eyes never leaving Oscar's. This time when he asked the question, he slowly enunciated each word so there would be no mistaking exactly what he wanted to know.
    "Called...by... whom, Oscar?"
    Used to Angel’s temperament, Oscar didn’t even flinch. "Sonny."
    Angel's eyes turned a wintry green. He slowly sat back, silent and stone-faced. Twisting the chair completely around, he stared at the wall behind him, mentally going over the implications of what he ’d been told.
    The Alliance was a syndicate of powerful men who Angel had carefully and meticulously chosen three years ago. Each controlled vast areas of different territories in a number of major cities. Not everything they were involved in centered around illegal activities.
    Between the seven of them, they'd been responsible for getting several mayors elected and seating two U.S. Senators in Congress. Currently, they were backing a promising future candidate who had the ability to possibly become the next President of the United States. If they were successful in helping to make that happen, the power they possessed would be limitless.
    Which is why the news Oscar just delivered pissed him off so much. In the fairly short amount of time since the Alliance had been formed, Angel had made them wealthier beyond their wildest dreams. As the head of the Alliance, he only asked for their loyalty, honesty, and obedience. He was open to any advice or ideas the members might have, but they were in no way a democracy.
    Angel had a plan to get them to where he wanted them to be because he understood what a lot of crime bosses didn't. This was a different era, and the business they were in was just that: a business . To be able to succeed and grow, they had to realize that the old practices would not always work. Some were still necessary, but they needed to be executed with skill and finesse.
    Angel was the ultimate strategist and had an undisputedly brilliant mind. He moved easily between the worlds of high-powered business and the delicate intricacies of politics, rubbing elbows with the upper echelon of society while ruling his outfit with ruthless authority. Angel ’s investments were profitable because he took risks and didn’t believe in playing it safe; he didn’t live in a safe world. Every gamble he took was a move calculated to add to his wealth and power.
    His legitimate businesses were regularly audited by the IRS, courtesy of the federal government, and he always came out clean. With the takeover of Davidson World Corporation, he was most definitely a force to be reckoned with and acknowledged by mainstream corporate America no matter how much they might turn their noses up at having to do so. The last thing he needed was his own people second-guessing decisions he made and conspiring behind his back.
    He turned the chair around to face Oscar again. "So Sonny called the meeting. How did you hear of it? ”
    “ Eddie contacted me an hour ago.”
    Angel nodded. “Who's attending?"
    "From what I can gather, everyone."
    Angel leaned his head back and resumed rocking in the chair, quickly working out a few questions in his head.
    "He's up to something," Oscar commented.
    "Of course he is." Lately, Sonny Luciano was becoming increasingly resentful of the respect Angel commanded. Angel didn't approve of a lot of his business tactics, but for the most part, Sonny was smart enough to stay out of his way. Or rather, he had up until now.
    "What do you want to do?" Carlo asked.
    Angel stared at him for several tension filled seconds. "Where are they