"Is Dan back?" Tommy ran into Ghost, who was at his pub, deep in thought about what he wanted to discuss with Dante and finally respond to his proposal.
Back when Dante had offered to buy out Ghost's share of the empire he had built with Tommy, he hadn't considered it seriously. But now, things had changed.
Dante hadn't just built an organization that was rapidly expanding across the country — he was also wiping out gangs that failed to adapt.
Being small in terms of power, Ghost's empire as Felipe Lobos' distributors looked far too weak in the eyes of SAMCRO. If Dante wanted to, he could crush their empire with a single phone call.
That's why he was going to talk about it with Tommy now, who had always shown a hunger for more.
"Dan returned personally for a secret meeting with the FBI… From what he told me, the government wants to hire his group of mercenaries to handle foreign problems." Ghost had run the scenario over and over in his mind, and in none of them did they come out on top.
"That son of a bitch is going to sell us out?" Tommy, who was more reckless, didn't stop to consider Ghost's words at all.
"Tommy, SAMCRO's power isn't something the FBI can stop just by locking up Dan. Don't you get it?" Ghost ran his hands over his head and looked down.
"Then we have to kill him."
"Tommy!"
"So you expect me to just bend over and let that guy screw us? Sorry, Ghost, but even if we're weak, we can still bite." Tommy was one of the few who wasn't intimidated by SAMCRO's power.
"He offered me a deal…"
"Ghost, don't say it…"
"I'm going to sell him my share of the business. In return, he'll give you all of New York to manage as his distributor. Once you prove yourself trustworthy, he'll give you other states — until eventually, the whole country is in your hands." Ghost's voice was raspier at the end.
"What?" Tommy was in disbelief. Dante wanted to control the whole country?
The underworld was chaotic, but if SAMCRO somehow managed to control all of the country's cocaine distribution, they'd be the kings of everything. Nothing would happen on the streets without their permission.
"This is our chance to sell, Tommy. We'd have enough money to never work again." Ghost knew that if they didn't sell to SAMCRO now, they'd soon lose everything they had.
"Do you know how much it cost us to build what we have?" Selling hadn't even crossed Tommy's mind at this point.
"SAMCRO is taking over the streets. Dozens of gangs have been wiped out outside this city… How long do you think our protection under Felipe Lobos will last?" Ghost knew it was only a matter of time before Lobos cast them aside — it would be the smart move for his business.
"Are you planning to sell?" Tommy knew that ever since Ghost got back together with Angela, he'd changed a lot.
"I will…"
"Fine. That's it then…" Tommy turned around and headed for the exit.
"What would you do?" Ghost didn't want Tommy to do anything stupid. The question was partly to protect himself, and also to look out for his reckless friend.
"I'll become the only king in this city."
…
Continental Hotel, Front Desk
Dante arrived at the hotel, walked to the reception desk, and, looking at the older Black man still working despite his age, placed a purple coin on the counter and asked, "Is the manager in?"
"The manager is always at the Continental," Charon said, breaking into a cold sweat at the sight of the coin. He quickly made a phone call.
Dante, now appearing like a seventy-year-old man, was followed by men in black suits who stood silently behind him. He looked at the hotel and told Cocodrilo at his side, "They say that to stay in this hotel, you have to be an assassin — the best of the best. Be careful."
"I'm always careful, boss," replied Cocodrilo, who, unlike Dante, had only altered his face to avoid recognition. The agents behind him also had modifications to avoid being traced.
After ending the call, Charon extended his hand and said, "This way, please."
"This is an old but charming hotel," Dante said as they walked, sounding like a real estate agent.
"It's more than charming. This is a secure hotel where you and your companions can stay safely."
"I doubt that. Anyone could destroy this hotel."
After saying that, Dante entered a room behind a beautiful wooden door, where Winston was seated across from a man Dante knew very little about.
"Mr. Dan, you arrived unexpectedly. Welcome to the Continental," said Winston, who stood and greeted him.
"Santino D'Antonio… What a surprise. I wonder if your stay here has something to do with your sister's murder. But that's not something I care much about." Dante, holding a cane, sat down across from the pair and asked, "Let's see… why did I really come to this place?"
Antonio looked at Winston, who gave a slight shake of his head, signaling not to mess with someone like Dante — who had recently turned the London Continental upside down.
"Sir, we're here because of this…" Cocodrilo handed over a photograph of a man who had tried to kill Dante in Mexico.
Dante, recalling the incident, placed the photo in front of Winston and asked, "Was he employed by the Continental?"
Now that he was back to work, he was going to take care of the small details — eliminating every nuisance along the way.
This was one of them. He wanted to know if the killer hired by the cartels had come from the Continental.
Winston took the photograph and said, "I'll find out for you."
"So, you're Dan, right? I've heard a lot about your grand ambitions here in this country," Antonio said, unfazed by the threat SAMCRO posed to criminal organizations. After all, Italy was a completely different world.
"Antonio, did you use the Baba Yaga to kill someone special?" Dante asked the man across from him with a playful expression.
"You know?"
"I have to keep track of these little things. After all, I have to be ready in case those assassins come for my head."
"But no one knows where he lives, right?" Winston interrupted Antonio and tossed the question to Dante, who until now had been toying with them.
"If they can't find me, they'll attack my organization. That's just how things work, unfortunately…" said Dante, shaking his head. Then he checked the time and whispered, "If you find anything, let me know immediately."
"Understood. Enjoy your stay at the hotel," Winston said with a reserved smile.
Antonio, who had been completely ignored, muttered, "Arrogant bastard…"