At the end of the meeting, we decided that the best offense is a good defense. I personally paid to bring the Security of each racket we owned to 5 stars. There was now no possible way that we would be raided by them. There were 8 guards with tommy guns at each brothel and hotel. Even the brewery owned by Bernardo was guarded well. Outside security deterred enemy scouts from getting too close. Infiltrators were found and thrown out by the indoor guards. When they wanted to fight, they were all obliterated within the first 2 rounds of combat. The Brown Owls were just starting out here in Askill Town. They did not have the resources to send heavy hitters our way. I had neutralized their ability to harm us. This was much better than engaging with them. If we had fought them out in the open, they would have just flooded the town with their agents. Hopefully, we could just ride out the war in peace. That would be the absolute best case scenario. Next to best would be that we were called on to give our guys support, but we would not have to risk our necks. The worst case is a big war in the street.
Being that we made Askill Town a place where the Diamond Butterflies could steadily make a lot of easy cash, they did want us to continue with the deliveries of gold. My eyebrows raised when I heard the request from Nicola. I was only doing it because the Bamonte Family had sponsored my entry into the gang as a made man. Now that everyone I cared about was made, I was going to stop. I sighed deeply. "Nicola, there is a war going on. I don't think it's wise to take a whole week away from town just to bring you the gold." I told him. He was still adamant about it. We eventually came to a nice compromise. Nicola would bring his own men over to be the escorts for the truck. We just had to make sure the shipment was loaded. That was fine with me. I did not even need to do that myself anymore. I was a lieutenant. It was well within my rights to simply hire some thugs to do it. I found a group of guys loitering around. I offered them the job and they jumped for it. My name did mean something in town. All of them got to work overseeing the loading of the truck. Nicola's men arrived the very next day.
Completing the task meant that my relationship with Nicola's family would remain firm. This also lowered the risk that we in Askill Town would have to personally take. We each made ourselves leaders of fortresses. As a district lieutenant, I had the option of hiring a personal bodyguard to protect me. This could be done by promotion, but none of the members of my crew qualified. You had to be a 3 star enforcer at least. That meant I had to spawn one of them in. His name was Romeo Antonini. He was not a made man, but he would be if he saved my life 3 times or more. Now that he was my bodyguard, he was a permanent member of my party. He would go wherever I go. I was more than fine with that. Romeo was of my ethnicity. When he showed up at my office on the first day, I stuck out my hand and said "Pleasure doing business with you." He smiled wide and shook it. "The pleasure's all mine, boss!" he responded. Bianca the assassin still needed a partner. I thought that Romeo could fit the bill. I was a lieutenant after all. I invited her to business lunches and dinners. That put them together.
