Liam Grote welcomed his brother Elliot ‘Grotto’ Grote into his office. A warm orange glow emanated from the chandelier on top. Elliot felt like he had to wipe his feet before stepping on the fur carpet.

“Welcome,” Liam said. “Sit. Sit.” Liam beckoned Grotto to sit on the shining wooden chair by his mahogany chair but Grotto decided otherwise, sitting on the leather couch by the side. A leather couch so new it squeaked under his butt.

“You want some?” Liam asked, opening a cabinet with expensive beer. He took out a bit bottle of scotch and poured it into a glass.

Grotto shrugged. Liam filled him a glass and handed it to him before returning back to his seat behind the desk.

“So, what brings you here?” Liam said, taking a sip of his scotch.

“You hear the news?” Grotto asked. “Old Roscoe bit the dust. Apparently one of them masked freaks got him.”

“Yeah, I heard,” Liam said. “Now everybody’s scramblin’ for Crime Alley. Sweeney had a tight hold over there. That what you came here for?”

“I hear you’re making a move, too.”

Liam scoffed. “Well, I can’t just ignore a goldmine, Grotto.”

“I came here to tell you not to make a move,” Grotto said.

“Oh, don’t tell me you’re scared of that masked man.”

Grotto shook his head. “No, I ain’t scared of him. No, it’s just everything else that’s going on. Everybody’s making a play for it. The Cartel, the Russians, hell I even heard the Yakuza want a piece of that.”

“Don’t tell me you’re scared,” Liam said. “A man has gotta take risks. Didn’t dad always used to say nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

“Dad used to beat the shit outta both of us and almost killed mum.”

“Either way,” Liam said, waving his hand. “With the money we’re getting we don’t need to worry about any war. We have the guns.”

“And what about where we got the guns, huh?” Grotto said. “Dad may have been an asshole but he’d never traffic kids, Liam. Kids.”

Liam scoffed. “They don’t kill them.”

Grotto stared at him; mouth agape. “Are you hearing yourself right now? Whatever those masked bastards do to those children doesn’t matter. Doesn’t change the fact that we’re sending those kids to god knows where.”

“Those kids never had a future in that place anyway,” Liam said. “I can’t believe you’re actually thinking about something for once. Why don’t you use that brain cell of yours to actually do something of worth instead of beating the shit outta people.”

“Look, Liam,” Grotto said. “You keep doing this, I’m out. I’m done.”

Elliot downed his scotch in one go. “The money changed you. You’re even more of an asshole than you used to be.”

Liam scoffed. “You’re done. You’re done. Please Grotto you can’t even think for yourself. You can’t do anything without somebody instructing you. You’re a dumbass, Grotto. If it wasn’t for my money, you’d be rotting in a cell for what you did to that girl.”

“Oh, fuck off.”

“Mark my words, Grotto,” Liam said. “You’re going to come crawling back here, begging me to come back.”

Elliot walked away from Liam, ignoring him and from out of nowhere a wave of exhaustion filled his body. His body felt like lead.

“What the hell did you put in this?”

“Fuck you talking about?” Liam asked.

“The beer,” Grotto said, trying his best to fight away the exhaustion. He could barely carry himself over to Liam. “Did you spike it?”

“What the hell are you talk…”

Liam couldn’t finish the sentence owing to the fact that the knife was stuck in his throat. Blood spurted out of his neck, showering Grotto’s face in a paste of red.

Grotto barely had time to emote, let alone mourn. He turned his head around and saw a woman with hair as black as night and an outfit as red as blood. Grotto tried to move, tried to show the whore what happened when someone killed his baby brother but he couldn’t move. He could barely carry his body over to her before he collapsed on the floor.

When Grotto woke, he lashed out like a wild animal. “My brother,” he roared. “I’m going to fucking kill you, you bitch.”

It was at that moment police officers burst into the room.

“What the hell?” he said, still feeling groggy. “What’s going on?”

The officer took out his badge. “Elliot Grote. You’re under arrest for the murder of Liam Grote.”

“What?” Grotto said. “What the hell? Get out of here or I…”

It was only then he noticed the bloodied knife in his hand.