Chapter 27 - May The Eviler Win

Later that day. 

Santiago was sitting on the lounge chair, his right hand positioned under his chin, and eyes stuck on the two faces showing on the screen. 

"Any idea how long Nash will take to answer the call?" Callum asked for the tenth time and just like all the ten tries, Killian gave him a blank look. He neither looked bored nor happy to be here. 

"Should I give a call to King Leonardo and ask him to make Nash pick the call?" Killian asked this time, rendering Santiago and Callum speechless. 

'Just why did I ask him the question?' Callum said in his mind.'Someone tell his friend that King Leonardo has a country to rule. Someone like His Majesty doesn't have any free time to ask a certain troublemaker to return his important calls.'

Santiago looked in amusement at Killian's face thinking how his calm and cool expressions would disappear when he would disclose why they were on a conference call.  

"Ah! I'm on time." Nash's naked body appeared on the screen before his voice was heard. He was trying to wear his pants. 

Someone really had a good time it seemed. 

"Nash, you can change the camera angle. We do not need to see your family jewels to start the meeting," Killian said with a straight face, making all of them laugh. 

Nash grinned. "Come on, Kill. You don't need to be jealous seeing the size of my big di--"

"Can we start the meeting? It's midnight here," Callum said with a yawn. As they heard Callum's words, their eyes darted to Santiago who was quiet and watching them in amusement. 

What could he say? His brothers were his favorite entertainers! 

"King Leonardo came to pay a visit to me today," Santiago said with a deep sigh. 

Killian groaned, nose crinkled in nausea and his hand rubbing his temple. Callum just hissed as if he was bitten by a snake suddenly. Nash being Nash fell on the ground with a loud thud. 

"What the f.u.c.k does His Majesty want from us now?"Nash growled, shooting murderous looks at Santiago. 

"We do not use the word fuck and His Majesty in a single sentence," Callum told Nash immediately.

"Like fuck we don't, " Nash growled again. "That Fu.ck.ing King only visits us when he wants something from us." Santiago and others had to agree with him. Indeed, King Leonardo again needed something from them."He summoned me here to deal with the bunch of fucking idiots he calls his special forces but when I demand something in return, he says we should develop economical habits," Nash continued in a very grumbling tone. He looked at Villaina and said, "San, tell him to fuck off." 

"I also think you need to be economical with the word f.u.c.k, Nash," Santiago said and Nash just scowled at him. He then looked at Killian and Callum who were now deep in thought. They must be wondering what His Majesty wanted this time. To ease them, Santiago continued, "King Leonardo expressed his dissatisfaction with PM Joseph. He asked me to consider taking the ticket to the election but I refused, asserting that I'm not the suitable person for the post and he agreed too." 

Killian and Callum were taken aback by the disclosure but Nash looked as if he was expecting it. 

"Let me guess, he had a person in his mind who he thinks is perfect for the post?" It was Nash who said that to Santiago and the other two men were in awe of Nash's momentarily intelligence. His intelligence comes and goes like electricity in third-world countries. 

Santiago nodded. "He believes that Callum is perfect to be the next prime minister." 

"Well, he is not wrong," Killian said this time, surprising the other men. "Cal is more mature and steady than any of us. We are already in awe of his leadership qualities. He has a dynamic personality. Most of all, he is eloquent. He has a way with words. King Leonardo wants him to be the next PM because he knows how much Cal cared for the country just like him." 

"Killian, it is not the post of class president but a post of PM," Callum immediately said. "And you guys need me more than King Leonardo. My life is with you guys. Can you guys see any of us leading a normal life like others? 

"Callum, life is too short to live for revenge only. We have spent almost two decades getting strong and searching for Lorenzo but our revenge will be ending soon," Santiago said in a very soft voice. "What would we do when there would be no Lorenzo in this world? Apparently, we can't spend all our lives mourning the life we had lost. You are given an opportunity to do what you always wanted to do. Grab it with both of your hands." 

"But you guys need me more," Callum said. 

"We will always need you," Killian said. "Tell me if you become the PM of a certain country, would you stop being one of us?"

Callum chuckled bitterly. "And you say I have a way with words, Killian." 

"Ah! So one of my brothers is going to be the next PM" Nash exclaimed, patting his chest with a troubled expression. He couldn't imagine what Santiago was even thinking by convincing Callum to work beside the stingy King. 

"Take your time, Cal," Santiago said to Callum. "You don't need to make the decision just because we are asking you to. Take a few days and then tell King Leonardo what you think. This is a life-altering decision. Don't rush." 

_____

"Did you send the package to Alessandro Marino?" Santiago asked Killian later. 

"Wait." Callum frowned."You sent a package to him? Weren't you saying that you wanted him to be more desperate?" 

"He sent something which will make him more desperate to hear from us," Killian said with a villainous smirk. "There is no way Don Marino will want to keep his sweet daughter with the Villain any longer."

"Just what did you send?" Nash asked seriously.

"Even I want to know," Callum asked with a curious expression. 

Santiago's jaw was clenched but he didn't say anything. He reminded himself 'smaller sacrifices for bigger gains'. He had waged a war and there was no going back. It wasn't like he wanted to back out. He did what he thought was right. And there was no doubt he was right this time.

Nico was now searching for Persephone like a starving lion looking for food to survive. And Alessandro Marino had lost his sanity after seeing those bloody sheets. 

"It's a secret between us," Santiago said. "The fewer people know, the better." 

Nash and Callum didn't ask any further. 

"So, what's the next step?" 

Santiago grinned evilly. "Now we will inform Russians that Italians want to raid their territory as they believe that Russians are responsible for Persephone Marino's abduction. Give rise to rumors and let insecurities take birth. And we will sit back and watch a bloody match which is going to be played on the streets of New York." 

"May the eviler win!"

What a strategy Villain had weaved!