Chapter 22 Made Men

• The intense smell of Cuban cigars and alcohol fumes hit Andrei as soon as he stepped inside. A crew of low-rank soldiers lounging around stood up and bowed their greetings. He waved them off, followed his lieutenants straight to the rusty metal door in the back, and took the short flight of stairs to the basement, where Sergei and the rest of the family's top management were waiting for him.
• "How's the old man?" his uncle asked as they hugged and shook hands.
• "A pain in the ass as usual," Andrei replied, accepting a drink from Sergei's wife, Rowena, before taking his place at the head of the table.