Estarossa nodded, deciding to grip Darko tightly, taking him by the arm as he led him into the church. He told the Putlova heir to sit down, getting two glasses and a bottle of vodka for them, the heir smiled for a moment before shaking his head. 

"So besides Ronnie and her style of play, you believe yourself able to take over for the family. Brother, this kind of life, this business...it eats away at you. Only you know that much, I don't need to tell you what this is and what it does. You're afraid because you might fail, you are a powerful man right now. You wield one of the largest, richest, and oldest organizations in Russia."

Darko squared his shoulders, staring down Esta. The man was right, he was powerful, one of the more powerful men that even worked in Russia. Why should that dictate whether or not he would be guiding his family, his people and his father's legacy into a new future or into the ground? He was not like the others before, the men that had their own legacies after their fathers, it was a line of succession and here he was. One of the few that believed he was going to fail. 

"So? What does that have to do with my success Esta? I have to be smart about this, I can't just believe that once I step into the very chair that my father did that I will be the one who can hold so much of that weight upon me. I have to be ready for anything, rival crews and the works...I have to be prepared to face monsters...-"

Estarossa poured them both drinks, stopping Darko in his tracks. He wondered what the man was really nervous about, there was nothing threatening stepping into the role of Boss. People saw him that way eventually, it would either be himself or Veronica Putlova. Both of him were qualified candidates, Darko seemed different here, he was holding something back and he could tell. 

"Darko, you're not worried about the role of being the boss. You've been prepared for that all your life, you want out of something. That is the look of someone that has seen enough carnage in their life...I can tell you want something from the club. It's why you came here, what is it?"
 

Darko chuckled, he could never get anything past Esta. Sometimes he was too smart for his own good, just like him though, Darko wanted out of the guns business for the Putlova Syndicate. He wished to turn them legitimate. Something that his sister disagreed, it was what brought them forward. Their lives were different, she thrived in the crime based life that their father had placed on them.

"I want out of the guns business, I brought it to my father, he wishes that as well. You've made us plenty of cash, we wish to turn that cash elsewhere and we wish to go legitimate. At least, part of the organization wishes too. It is why my sister is making the flight out. We're going to be needing some transition room."

Estarossa shook his head, of course, Darko came here to deliver the news of the change in organization. Veronica would be coming over, deciding to then take on the gun business. Well, this made things different, Veronica was different from Viktor and Darko. She was someone that wished for more than she could take on, her leading the gun business would probably lead to ruin, something that both Darko and Estarossa knew. 

"Fucking brilliant, the Angels work with Ronnie? You're putting a match next to the fucking gasoline! This type of shit, we don't need it. Something like this, she's not the best person for us Darko. She's going to turn everything upside down, she knows war and she knows how to play the game. She doesn't know how to lead in times of peace, people disagree with her, bodies start dropping and I'm telling you right now. If anyone of my guy's is found in the river, imma personally gut her fucking body."

Darko gulped, knowing that the history between his sister and Estarossa was strained. Both of them respected one another, like one another though, it was out of the question. There was too much history there, deciding to simply nod his head, Darko knew that he would have to warn his sister, this wasn't her personal playground, she was on watch here and by her former lover. 
 

Darko and his men had since left, leaving Estarossa and the club to watch them leave. All of the brothers knew that the meeting between Darko and Esta did not go well, their president had been fuming, deciding to take his anger out on some poor prospect who was actually putting up a good fight with the boss as they fought back and forth in the ring. 

Suddenly the roar of motorcycles was heard, turning his head to see who it was, Estarossa clocked on the jaw and turned his head to look at Rai, he smiled to the prospect. Removing the boxing tape as he noticed that Grim and the prospects were walking over to him, he stepped out of the ring, jumping down as he immediately was taken by the hand, Tari had volunteered to take the tape immediately. 

"Brother, what's up? You seem like you had some trouble on your way here."

Both prospects looked at Grim with nervousness, there was something that Esta didn't like as everyone seemed to wonder what had happened. Grim was the most nervous one of them all, he was avoiding eye contact with Esta like he couldn't even tell him what he had done. 

"Are you going to say something or keep me in suspense?"

Grim coughed into his hand, now Esta shrugged off Tari, motioning for her to go inside with a blank look. Rai didn't say anything, his eyes were too on the brother before them. Tari looked between all of them, they seemed to be a bit angry with Grim, his eyes were downcast, it was clear that he would not be escaping whatever was to happen to him next. She walked inside, knowing that she didn't need to bear witness to what was going to happen. 

"I'll tell ya...in short, we fucked up the meeting with Mei Serachi, The Firm is doing something else, something deeper than just allying with the Asian clans. She told us before she threw us out that they are looking to work with the Russians, take the gun trade from us."

Estarossa blinked, his eyes narrowed for the longest of seconds. This shit couldn't get any worse, if Darko was still in control of the gun trade this would have been better. Veronica would spite him, it would have been something and she knew that the firm was bigger here than the MC. If word soon got out that one of the main distributors for Russian hardware lost that connection to the firm, it would bring an all-out war.

"You mean to tell me that none of you could make the connection with The Firm and now we have a big target on our backs. The only things that work in our favour right now are that the Firm doesn't have a huge West Coast presence unlike us. You guys fucked up a deal, now either we set back this shit or...you make this right, now."

Estarossa didn't wait, he stalked back into the building and would wait to know if he had anything that could possibly leave him with some modicum of joy. Only he didn't get that as he noticed Tari standing by the phone, he looked her over for a while, noticing how she seemed to be a bit...pale. He strode over, taking the phone from her. 

"Who is it?"

"A woman, she's named Veronica-"

Whatever Tari said then, it was completely drowned out. This had to be some of the worst bad luck that he had ever, first Darko and his mentioning of retiring from guns, then business with Mei and her proclamation that the Firm was going into business with the Russians. Now the woman who would be in control of the gun-trade empire was speaking to him once more, he sighed, knowing that this was some shit...he put the phone to his ear.

"Hello, Ronnie."

And there it was, the chuckle of the woman that he had once called lover. She was something of a fireball, you didn't know what you were going to get but it was going to be intense, here was the woman that he had loved and who had broken his heart. It was not something that he wished to talk about again. Only she was to be the supplier of Russian hardware, he knew this was going to be hard. 

"My love, I hear that we are to be working together soon. It is going to be a pleasure, I have missed you so much. You ran from me, left me to care for my bleeding heart...I wonder what is to happen when I do the same to you?"

Veronica spoke with a sickly sweet voice, there it was, the nature of the predator in her. She enjoyed this type of game a bit too much. It showed for everyone to see it within here and it reminded Estarossa of why he had seen past her facade, still here she was, believing that he was going to be working with her once more...that wasn't going to happen. 

"One. Last. Shipment. That's all Ronnie, after that, you can meet with the charters that I gave to your brother. Philadelphia will have no say in the guns after that but I guess we will be working with one another from time to time if fate demands it. And I seem to owe her a favour or two, so I don't think she would want me working with you again. We leave it at that, understood? I'm not having a repeat of Moscow, not under any circumstances."

Once again, that deranged laughed was heard and he thought it would have been a long time until he heard it, he guessed that he was wrong. He was indeed fate's bitch at this moment.

"My love, why would I deny Philadelphia such weaponry?"

He groaned into the phone, this was a game to her, everything was a fucking game to her and he had to play. This was something that he knew, he either played or she would pull the guns. With Viktor losing power and Darko wishing to go into the legitimate business, it would be this or hard times for the club in general. 

"I understand, we will meet soon and discuss the moves going forward."

This time, Estarossa did not sit in the comfort of his clubhouse. Nor did he go to a bar or escort service that would have been populated by politicians and coppers. No, he sat down in the comfort of his home, accompanied by Grim and Creeper. All of them knew of the news that had befallen the Motorcycle, they would have to contact the other clubs. Shifting powers would not shift any further, this had to be done for the club or it would not be done at all. 

"We're fucked, this club cannot go any further without reassurance and if any of the charter Presidents get wind of this, they'll assume it's a power play. If the guns move from us to Tacoma, Buffalo, Albany or Chicago. It doesn't matter, everyone knows that where the guns go is where the power lands as well. They'll need to see this as something different, who knows of your relations with Veronica Putlova?"

Creeper, Road-Captain for the Fallen Angels, he was one of the few who did know of the former relationship between Veronica and Estarossa. Back when he still went by Michael Pavanno, it had caused some problems between the two organizations but it was now a long-forgotten affair, well at least to many members of the organizations, to Esta and Veronica, it was a deal that could not be done with. 

"All the presidents, if we push this on her, we may need to find a new supplier. Pushing the Putlova's out of the high society brings us to the Cordelia Cartel, it would give them a modicum of control over the High Society. Unless we find another supplier of guns that can deliver at the same level and volume that the Russians do."
 

Grim perked up, looking between Estarossa and Creeper. They didn't seem to have anything else, he shrugged, his eyes narrowed on them for a moment. Both of them seemed focused on something else for a moment, he cleared his throat, deciding to put this forward.

"What about Peoria and their connection with the Irish there, they give 'em some booze as well. Still, we know that Devlin O'Leary has connections back home and can use these for our advantage. A new gun-trader, one who is indebted to the Pavanno Family, if we can push that for us and gift it to Peoria, allowing them to distribute the trade between all the charters, we have a suitable link and we can push O'Leary's crew to a real organization."

Estarossa looked at Grim with a smile that seemed like he was a kid whose parents had just gotten him a ticket to the world's best fair that he could ever wish for. He hugged his brother for the first time in a while, indeed that was a viable option and one that would be profitable if they could pass it over to Galen. The man would have been ready to lead his fellow gun-running charters into the next life. 

"So, what do we tell Darko? His sister won't be having a distributor if anything they could expand to the Firm and that won't be our problem anymore. That shipment of theirs can go to the Firm. I'll be able to handle it, I'll be calling the old man, setting a meeting and seeing what we can do from here."

Creeper watched Estarossam he was wondering whether this was the best thing for their charter or the club in general. It seemed to be about getting away from Veronica, she seemed like a loose cannon, someone who had been all over the place and now she would be in control of one of the largest organizations in Russia. It was going to be a long move, one that impacted all the brothers. 

"Brother I want you to be sure. This move doesn't cost the brothers any men, we will all need this, the Irish are loyal and will be needed for the future, the Russians, we've never had any beef with them and with Darko expanding west. We will need to be sure that they won't be attacking us from this side of the business. You have to be aware that your children are in reach as well, I'm just saying...be ready for the possible retaliation of this injustice from their side of things."

Esta knew this and he had to be ready to face the truth. His family was in danger, his people would need him to become the man that would lead them all into a new future that he didn't know what would come of it. This type of game, displacing one organization for another, it would not be the best move for him. The Cordelia's would back it because they knew that Estarossa would continue to push their cocaine, things were no longer like they had been back with his father. He had to tread carefully, his club and his life were in the balance. 
 

"I know brother, this is not the position I wished us to be in. Only Fater wishes to mess with me once more, I either work with the Russian bitch or I play the game, removing the Russians from the table. Bringing new weaponry into the states, giving all charters a share besides our own. This is not the move that I wish for but it is the only one I see that we can move into the Adult Entertainment business."

"Did you put it to a vote?"

Estarossa turned his head, Creeper stared him down now. There was something in those eyes, almost like the man was questioning him. He had not put it to a vote, none of the charters had known that he was planning to get them out of guns. They had seen nothing but profit throughout this, there was no blood in both versions of the life. 
 

"No...not yet, the charter does not know of the plan that I have for all of this brother. I didn't think it right to tell them without a full table."

Creeper laughed then, it was bitter and sounded a bit angry with some disbelief. He was a man that always spoke his mind, he was not going to hold back here. It was clear from the way he tensed, his eyes narrowing with such disbelief before he turned his head, getting himself a smoke as he lit it with ease. 

"Put it to the table once all the brothers come back from Canada, only then. Once they do, it'll be easy and we can see if they really want this brother. It is not something that only you can want, you wanted us with these guys before. We all followed you because the money would be out of this world, we knew what it meant for us. "

Estarossa couldn't believe what he was hearing, He knew that he had to put it to a vote but he knew what the carnage would become if they stuck with being the distributor of guns. Business like this, it meant that something always changed on the drop of a dime, so he decided to keep himself calm for now. He knew that something might change things, only he had to have faith that some of the boys would back his choice in the matter. 

"I got it, I'll be sure to talk to the boys. See what I can do with this move and how they'll take to it."

Creeper nodded, all of them heard the door knocking and looked at one another before following after Creeper as he was the first to stand, as he opened the door, they came face to face with Angel Romana. 

"What the heck are you doing here Angel?"

She seemed scared and there it was, as she turned her head, they noticed the marks along the right-hand side of her neck. Like she had been beaten...they knew that Galen had not seen his girl in many months but this was something else. For a second, they all wondered who had the guts to do this.