Chapter 3: The Meeting

Early the next morning, Kit brought in the list of names that Kade requested from him. When he handed it over, he eyed Jamison the entire time. As if sizing him up and trying to determine if he would do something, should he refuse to hand it over. A look that Jamison caught onto and held the entire time. If Kade noticed, he said nothing and even thanked Kit once the hand off was done.

Jamison stood quietly beside the large desk of the office while Kade inspected the list. Once he seemed satisfied with it, he turned to Jamison and held it out for him to take. Without a word, he did what was silently asked of him and took the list from him. He knew that the new Don intended to set up a meeting with everyone on the list, so there wasn't a question on what he needed to do next.

“I’ll contact everyone right away,” Jamison said with a nod once he took the list from Kade.

“Inform them all that I expect to see them today,” Kade replied with a nod of his own.

“Understood,” Jamison answered.

He left the office after that to make the calls that Kade asked him to do. Already, he expected a little bit of push back. Some of the Chiefs were less than agreeable.. Warren had only appointed those he felt would be strong enough to hold a territory as Chiefs. Now it was a wonder if the news of his death had reached all of them yet. Either way, they were about to find out at Kade’s request.

Within an hour or two of getting the list from Kade, they were preparing for the meeting with the Chiefs. Jamison went to the liberty of setting up their meeting at a conference center in one of the nicer hotels downtown. He didn’t want any of them coming back to the manor, just in case there truly was a traitor among them. He felt that, in a public setting, Kade would be the safest.

Knowing how particular some of the Chiefs were for business meetings, Jamison decided to don himself in a black suit, not unlike the one he had worn the day before. His black hair smoothed back away from his face except for a single strand that refused to stay back. He made sure that Kade was aware of the preference as well as business attire, not that he expected anything less from the new Don of their organization.

Jamison was not left disappointed in his young Don when he finally came down the stairs. Kade dressed himself in a three piece suit, black with a deep red trim and matching tie. His shoulder length brown hair remained in a tight, neat braid which trailed down his left shoulder. There wasn’t a thing out of place about him, aside from the pale youthful face that offered a subtle smile once he reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Jamison,” Kade said calmly, his tone light while he made his way over.

Jamison only shook his head. “Not at all. If you’re ready, the car is out front. I’ll be with you the entire time. If anything goes wrong or you feel threatened in any way, all you have to do is say the word.”

He pulled the door open to allow Kade to pass through them first. A gun would remain strapped to his waist regardless of the rules of the public. This was a precaution that Jamison always took when he was out with his Don. He didn’t plan to make any changes to that, even if Kade wanted to present himself to the Chiefs in more of a subtle way.

The ride into the busy streets of downtown was quiet. Next to him, Kade remained still, his gaze directed out the tinted window and his hands neatly folded in his lap. Jamison got the impression that Kade was maintaining a calm. But it left him to wonder how deeply his father’s death had affected him. The mistrust and hurt was clear enough with those who were close to Warren. However, Kade was his only son.

It was a conversation that wasn’t suited for their trip, Jamison decided. He wasn’t even sure if it was his place to ask since their relationship was strictly business and they’d only started officially working together. So, he let the silence linger during their ride until they finally pulled up outside of the hotel.

Finally reaching their destination, Jamison was the first to exit the car, opening the door for Kade and escorting him inside. The conference room they would be using was on the first floor. A large room off the main lobby that was situated with a long table big enough to seat about ten people. The pair were the last to enter the room, finding that the Chiefs had all already arrived and helped themselves to the provided refreshments or else were talking among themselves..

The moment that Kade and Jamison came into the room, the light chatter stopped abruptly and all eyes turned to them. Jamison could feel them all studying Kade more so than himself. A feeling that left him uneasy and had his hand inching towards the gun that rested on his side. His cold gaze took each of their faces in, almost warning them to make the wrong move.

Beside him, Kade straightened the tie at his neck and cleared his throat. “I apologize for keeping you waiting. My name is Kade Monroe, as of yesterday morning I have officially become your new Don.”

The stillness in the room only seemed to become heavier at Kade’s announcement. Until finally one of the older Chiefs spoke up. He was a man that was just past his middle age, which placed him closer to Warren’s age. Jamison recognized him as one of Warren’s oldest allies and most stubborn Chiefs. It came as no surprise to him when he spoke up in protest to Kade’s proclamation.

“You’re so young. You can’t be much older than twenty and you expect me to take your orders?” The old Chief barked a raspy chuckle.

“Where is Warren? This has to be some sort of joke,” another croaked in agreement.

“Mr. Bright, you called us here for this? You can’t be serious!” Came a third complaint.

“Enough! We’re all respectable business men, aren’t we? Why don’t we give Mr. Monroe a chance to speak?” This came from the youngest of the Chiefs. A man with shiny blonde hair which was carefully brushed back from his face.

“Thank you. You’re right, I am young. But as my father’s only son, I have taken his position. My father was found dead in his office yesterday morning. And this fact is the reason I asked you all to come here today,” Kade explained without so much as a flinch to the slack he was being given.

A chatter broke out among the Chiefs to this news. Most of them seemed to be in disbelief while others had gone still. It was Jamison’s guess that the news hadn’t reached all their territories. Those who had heard probably didn’t want to believe it was a fact. He couldn’t blame them though. If he hadn’t found Warren’s body, he probably wouldn’t have believed it either. A man that strong didn’t just die so easily.

“I believe he was assassinated,” Kade spoke up again over the chatter. His words and the weight of them quickly brought silence over the room once again.

“Assassinated by who? Warren was a fearsome leader,” the old Chief spoke once again.

“Someone that knew him and someone he trusted to be in his office,” Kade replied. His response was cold this time, and the look that he gave the room only matched it.

“An inside job then?” the youngest Chief questioned. “Well, if there is a traitor among us, I’d be happy to do anything you need. Angelo White is my name and I overlook the northern territory.”

Jamison’s gaze shifted over to Angelo. He was the newest appointed Chief. Warren had no choice but to replace the former in the north after he was gunned down. Angelo was known to be cruel to his enemies and calculating. It made sense for him to be the next Chief. Unlike the others though, Jamison didn’t know him very well, which already had him uneasy. Something about the way he spoke to Kade made him leery about him.

“I appreciate your cooperation,” Kade said, and offered Angelo a nod. “It’s important we all look within our ranks for anything that seems suspicious. I’d like for you all to inform me or Jamison directly of anything you notice.”

“You want us to look at our own as suspects?” another one of the Chiefs questioned.

“Until we have more leads, yes. It is my priority to honor my father and find his killer,” Kade answered without hesitation, his eyes darkening as he stared at everyone in the room.

“I don’t feel it’s unreasonable. We can all agree that Warren was a great leader,” Angelo said, and then smiled at the other Chiefs. “I know you’d all have no issues doing it if he were the one asking. So, consider it a final wish of his.”

There was a rumble of reluctant agreement which sounded through the room to Angelo’s words. Jamison had to give him the benefit of doubt for getting the other Chiefs to agree to work with Kade and his wishes. But he still wasn’t sure he could trust him. Whether it was an instinct or because he didn’t know him very well, he wasn’t sure. He just knew better than to take someone at face value in the kind of work that they were all involved in.

“You may all go now, we will be in touch,” Kade spoke up again when the murmuring subsided.

“Might I trouble you for a few minutes?” Angelo asked Kade. He strode up to where the two of them were standing near the door to the room. A smile flashed across his face again and he considered Jamison for just a moment before adding, “Alone? There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”

Jamison stiffened to his request. “You can talk to him, but I’m not leaving,” he stated coolly. His job to protect the Don always came first.

“You can wait outside,” Angelo insisted, and shifted his gaze back to Kade. “This is a personal matter.”

“Absolutely not. We just lost Warren, there is no w–” Jamison started to protest, but was silenced by a wave of Kade’s hand.

“It’s alright, Jamison. I will handle this. Please, wait outside,” Kade replied, and glanced over at him.

Jamison gritted his teeth at the request. He knew Kade needed to make alliances with the other Chiefs if he was going to get their help and cooperation. That much was apparent by how they received him when he first came in. Angelo was likely his best bet to break through those walls and make a good impression as the new Don.

Jamison would have no choice but to agree. Defying his Don’s word wouldn’t look good for either of them. So, with a last cold warning look at Angelo, Jamison turned and followed the other Chiefs out of the conference room.