Chapter 1315
The Northern Gang members erupted in outrage, pledging their loyalty to Jasper. One man, Cole Perry, dropped to his knees, pulled a knife, sliced his index finger, and smeared his blood across his shirt in a dramatic display. "Jasper! You saved me! I owe you everything! I'll follow you to hell and back! Whatever you say, I'll do!"
Cole had been a small-time hood, running from a beef in his old crew when Jasper took him in. He'd always been a hard worker, fiercely loyal. Jasper, moved, felt tears prick his eyes.
He reached down to help Cole up, about to speak, when a cold steel blade plunged into his gut.
Jasper stared down in disbelief, then up at Cole, shock and rage warring in his eyes. "Cole! Why?!"
Cole, his face alight with triumph, scurried behind Jerome. "Don't take it personally, Jasper. Jerome made me a better offer. You were a dead man walking anyway. Win-win, right?"
"Son of a bitch! I saved your life, you ungrateful…" Jasper clutched his stomach, blood seeping through his fingers. He understood. It was a setup. Jerome had bought Cole, had him waiting for the right moment. They'd planned for every contingency.
Jerome sighed. "Jasper, just give it up. It's over. Do you really want to take these men down with you? I'm offering everyone who switches sides a hundred grand. A hundred grand!"
Chaos erupted. Jasper's face was gray. He knew he was beaten. He let out a harsh laugh. "Jerome, I have to hand it to you. You're a patient bastard. You won. But what I can't have, I won't let you have either. Come out!"
Suddenly, four men in trench coats emerged from a hidden alcove. Jasper's remaining elite guard. They'd been whittled down in the recent fighting, but these four were the best of the best.
Levi roared with laughter. "Jasper, don't be ridiculous! You think these four jokers can change anything? Even if they were each worth ten men, I'd still take you down! You're surrendering, one way or another!"
The Northside had been a powerhouse, but Jerome had been steadily rebuilding the Southside. Levi had brought in heavy hitters. Douglas's betrayal had tipped the scales. The smaller gangs, tired of being squeezed by the Northside, had joined the fray, picking off Northside territory, encouraged by Jerome. One stronghold after another had fallen, one lieutenant after another captured or turned. The Northside was down to a fraction of its former strength. The Southside was now the dominant force in Harmony County.
Jasper smiled faintly and flicked his wrist. The four guards opened their coats. Rows of detonators, wired to explosives strapped to their chests, gleamed in the dim light.
The temperature in the room plummeted. Every face went white. No one had expected Jasper to pull a suicide play.
"Jasper, you wouldn't dare!" Levi's face was a mask of terror. He made a move towards the door, but two of the guards blocked his path, fingers hovering over the detonators.
Jerome's carefully constructed composure cracked. He hadn't anticipated this. He took a deep breath, forcing a smile. "Jasper, there's no need for this. Tell you what. We call a truce. Split the territory fifty-fifty. What do you say?"
"Jerome, I didn't take you for a coward." Jasper sneered, his eyes locking on Cole, cowering behind Jerome. "I'll agree to that. But you hand over Cole."
Jerome hesitated, then nodded. It would hurt his reputation, but he didn't have much choice.
Cole's face went slack with terror. He looked at Jerome, his voice trembling. "You…you promised me half a million! Half a million!"
Jerome pulled a bank card from his pocket and tossed it to Cole. "There's your half a million. We're square."
Cole stared at the card, then at Jasper. He'd been played.
Jasper strode across the room, grabbed Cole by the scruff of his neck, and dragged him out of the villa like a cur. The four guards followed, backing slowly away.
Levi sat heavily on the couch, his back soaked with sweat. "Damn! That was close."
Jerome shook his head. "My mistake, Levi. I should have known better than to try and reason with him. Should have just had Cole take him out."
"Don't beat yourself up, Jerome." Levi said quickly. "I signed off on the meeting. No one could have predicted he'd pull a stunt like that. But now he's loose…that's a problem."
"That knife wound looked deep. He won't last long, even if he makes it out of here. He won't risk going to a real hospital. We just need to watch the local clinics. We'll find him."
"Good. Good." Levi seemed to recover, a spark of excitement in his eyes. "He's weak. He can't cause much trouble now." He clapped Jerome on the shoulder. "You deserve all the credit for bringing down the Northside, Jerome. Anything you want, just name it. I heard you had your eye on a certain lady last night. Little misunderstanding with Quentin. Want me to send a few more your way? No hard feelings over a woman, right?"
"Thank you, Levi. This victory belongs to all of us, your strategy, our men's hard work. I can't take credit. That woman…she saved my life once. I was just trying to repay the favor. Quentin misunderstood. I'll clear it up with him." Jerome saw the flicker in Levi's eyes and felt a chill. He hadn't known Levi long, but he knew the man was insecure, jealous of anyone who might overshadow him. Jerome had deep roots in the Southside, and his role in this victory…it might make Levi nervous.
And the fact that the incident with Audrey had reached Levi so quickly…someone close to him was reporting back. He'd been nothing but loyal, supportive, and Levi was already suspicious. Maybe it was time to think about stepping back.
Levi, his mind on other things, wondered just how beautiful this woman must be to catch Jerome's attention. He thought he might have Quentin send her over, just to see what all the fuss was about.
With Jasper gone, the remaining Northside members readily switched sides. They were in it for the money. Whoever paid best, that's who they'd follow. Levi's generous payouts were hard to resist. Jasper's old-school loyalty didn't hold much weight anymore. Only the elite guard had stayed true. The rest…they'd been thinking about jumping ship for a while. With guys like Douglas gone, there was no hope left.
Jerome oversaw the registration of the new recruits, handing out cash. Once they were fully integrated, the Southside would be unstoppable.
There was just one loose end. Jerome thought for a moment, then approached Levi. "What about Douglas?"
Levi's eyes narrowed. He knew what Jerome was getting at. Douglas was a valuable asset, second only to Jasper in fighting skill. Now that the Northside was folded, Douglas should be rewarded. But making him a lieutenant…that was too risky. The man had betrayed Jasper. He'd betray Levi just as easily.
Levi raised an eyebrow. "What do you suggest, Jerome?"
"Douglas likes his women. Especially the…curvaceous type. Set him up with a few high-priced escorts, a nice villa out in Starfall Town. Keep him out of Harmony County for now. Let things cool down for a few months, then decide what to do with him."
Douglas had been the first to flip. Making a move against him now would look bad, especially after Levi had just thrown Cole under the bus. They couldn't afford to spook the new recruits.
"Smart." Levi grinned. "I'll leave that to you, Jerome."
Suddenly, a man in black hurried over. "Mr. Morgan, we have plainclothes cops outside. Three of them."
Levi's face went pale. "Are you sure? Maybe you're mistaken. How would they even find this place?"
"Positive. They've been out there a while. They don't look like tourists."
Jerome's voice was serious. "We need to go, Levi. Change clothes, leave separately. If we're stopped, we're just admiring the reservoir."
"Right. I'll go first." Levi started to rise, but Jerome stopped him. "Let the new recruits go first. We'll bring up the rear. Safer that way."
Levi flushed, realizing that whoever left first would be the one the cops focused on. He wouldn't get away. His suspicion of Jerome deepened.
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