Warm Love|✓

49

His jaw tightens, and my lips can't resist an alluring smile. He shoots me a glare that says 'I'll kill you, Rathore,' and strides away.

"My lord, it's time to announce your law." a man in his fifties rushes toward me. With a nod in his direction, he guides me to the conference table.

I hope I haven't wounded the bastard too deeply with my innocent words, requiring an hour to mend his shattered ego. After I announce the successor, all I care about is seeing him vanish to the hell he crawled from, carrying the remnants of his broken dreams. Finally, he might go into hibernation, once and for all.

A vast mahogany table stretches before us, awaiting the leaders of every criminal organization.

I assume the head chair, locking eyes with Rishabh diagonally across from me, his brother Arav sitting beside him. With a smirk on my lips, I take my seat, and the others follow suit.

After discussing criminal operations, territorial disputes, and alliances, the conversation turns to the focal point of this night.

"The next six months will be critical for every gang. They must prove themselves as before. The one who stands tallest becomes the next king. Now, it's time to hear the new laws."

I tune out the announcer. This tiresome ritual repeats every five years. After he exhausts his repertoire of praises, he descends. My patience is thoroughly tested by these hypocrites, wasting my precious time.

I nod to Vedansh, who understands my command.

With a slight adjustment of his black tuxedo blazer, he rises, the chair screeching in the tense atmosphere.

After five years of rule, a mafia king is granted the privilege of enacting a few laws to keep his enemies in check. I've never felt compelled to take this step, as I detest binding my enemies with the shackles of mere words on paper. I prefer to watch them struggle to satisfy their greed and think they can kill me.

I always gave them an open challenge, as years back I's just a living corpse.

"The recent law stipulates that no criminal syndicate..." He continues from where I left off.

Rule: In the event of a dispute between two criminal organizations, it is strictly forbidden for one syndicate to target an innocent family member of the other as a means of seeking revenge.

This rule was established for my benefit. For a brief moment, my gaze meets Rishabh's, who must have thoughts of my killing me but wisely refrained from commenting and doing the action, unlike some more reckless individuals.

"I strongly oppose this," Rajendra, the crime boss from Karnataka, declares emphatically, his voice resonating throughout the room.

"Watch your tone. And dare you to talk to him like that." Vedant warns him. I admire how protective my brothers become whenever someone even looks at me with ill intent. The three of us would go to great lengths to ensure the safety of the other two.

Rajendra, the older man, appears taken aback for a moment. It seems some potent drink he consumed has emboldened his junior. Nevertheless, it's acceptable. I do enjoy drama, and it provides a temporary distraction from the personal issues weighing on my mind.

I rest my elbow on the table, my chin resting on my intertwined fingers.

"May I inquire which aspect of this law you disagree with, Mr. Rajendra Krishnan?" I ask him, my gaze fixed on him, a humour hiding behind my sweet words.

He stands upright, pondering his choice of words. He lives up to his name, a newcomer in the world of criminal. According to my sources, he conspired to kill his sister's husband last year and took over the leadership of the Kampra criminal groups. With a political background, he quickly manipulated evidence to avoid charges for the murder.