The Saintwood Series

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

A temporary truce

Carrington

With the Frazier boys running amuck, that made it difficult for Gloria and me to get together. We could be together if Maurice and the others left town, and that depended on the other families keeping the Frazier family busy. I didn’t have high hopes.

While I was trying to figure things out with Gloria, Mason and Brian met with Hector Santiago, who became a liaison between the Santiago family and other families. Brian became a boss when his father retired. Edward’s health took a significant turn, resulting in the lateral movement and changes in how his family conducts business.

Brian wanted a truce between the Santiago, Morgan, and Jones families. The ceasefire would help our family the most, leaving the others to fend for themselves. I would learn this after entering the family business.

*****

3rd person

Brian and Mason arrived at a meeting spot with Hector at the Moretti compound. It was a neutral meeting place in Florida. The Moretti family didn’t tolerate bullshit and will shoot you dead instead of dealing with you. They had a loyalty like no other, and Carrington wouldn’t experience this loyalty until later.

Cassius Moretti was sitting at a table when Brian, Mason, and Hector walked up. “Sit.” Cassius pointed at empty chairs.

They sat down at the table. A woman walked up with drinks, placed them on the table, and left.

“I hear you want a truce between your families.”

“That’s correct,” Hector said.

“What about the other families?”

“The other families are out since they fight amongst themselves and have proven untrustworthy.”

“And like your family is trustworthy?” Cassius saw through the bullshit Hector spewed. “Don’t lie to me, Hector. Your family will backstab faster than anyone. Luis is untrustworthy, along with the rest of your family.”

“We want to change things,” Brian said.

“How so?”

“Mason agreed to keep his business out of troubled territories, conducting business between my family and the Moretti family without issue. That will allow the Santiago family to control the cartels, leaving Michigan and Florida out. If Luis makes a move, he dies, along with his family. The Feds are watching the Mendoza family, along with the Garzas.”

Cassius rubbed his chin. The only person who conducted this business move was Edward Morgan since Cassius had done business with him. “Your father advised you on this decision.”

“My father has been my consigliere since he retired.” Brian left out the part of Edward’s health, taking a turn. Until Brian fully rose to power, Edward was his protection. If Edward dies before that happens, families will go after Brian. This truce would provide Brian with what he needed while offering protection for the Jones family.

It’s a move that helped them.

“Your father was a loyal man and protected people who needed it. He saved many families’ parents from harm, earning their loyalty in return. Too bad, their children don’t have the same loyalty,” Cassius told Mason.

Mason knew loyalty was vital to Cassius and disapproved of the s**t his family was pulling. If Mason wanted this truce, things had to change in his family.

“My father raised us with the same loyalty, and I will continue his legacy,” Mason replied, taking a gamble.

“Then I suggest you get your family to fall in line with that concept. I have received word that your brothers don’t understand the concept.”

Here’s what people had to understand about these deals. If you plan on making a truce, don’t pick a person who dislikes shady s**t. Cassius hated disloyalty in all forms, including cheating in relationships since it proved you untrustworthy.

“My brothers will fall in line when I return.”

Okay, Carrington’s big brother lost his damn mind. Who the hell agrees to keep someone’s d**k in their pants? Mason does, and it’s not his d**k he agrees with here.

“Cassius, I understand you expect loyalty, but we aren’t here to police our family’s relationships. We came here today to conduct a truce between our families with the intention neither of us will attack the other and keep others at bay. We’ll offer protection if that happens,” Brian told Cassius.

Cassius tapped his fingertips on the tabletop, deciding how to conduct this truce. His territory was neutral, which meant he had no say with family matters of other families. When you conduct a respite, a Moretti member will arrive to eliminate the person if one member violates it. It was a guarantee.

“Fine, the truce shall state that the Jones and Morgan family conducts business without incident, staying out territories except for Michigan. The Santiago family stays out of Michigan and Florida. If a violation of this truce happens, I will send Salvatore to clean it up.” Cassius waved his finger to a man close to him.

The man walked over and stood there.

“This is Salvatore Moretti, my right-hand man and brother. He cleans up violations for me. We’re neutral territory, but that doesn’t mean I won’t end a threat. I suggest you get your affairs in order.”

It wasn’t a threat or warning but a promise.

Cassius made a call, then a few minutes later, a woman walked out with a piece of paper and handed it to Cassius, along with a pen. Cassius slid the paper and pen across the tabletop as Mason, Brian, and Hector signed the truce.

There's a problem with this truce. It doesn’t prevent family members from violating the ceasefire terms, which they knew the Santiagos would do. The Morgan family would break the ceasefire, invading the Florida territories when a member of the Moretti crew attacked one of Brian’s own and invaded the Michigan territory. That would come later.

Carrington had a more significant issue trying to see Gloria and keeping the Frazier family busy. That kept him busy, while Elliot thought he was an i***t for this idea.

You throw in Christine living with them, and it makes for an exciting dynamic. The problem was while Carrington dealt with his relationship with Gloria and planned, Christine, will get hit with unsettling news of her own.

Let’s say that Carrington’s sister wasn’t as pure as the driven snow. While Christine enjoys throwing her family under the bus, especially Carrington, she will find herself in a predicament, dragging Carrington into the mess. Unlike his sister, he’ll help Christine and not out her to Mason.