Mike may have been an ambitious man from time to time, but he was far from stupid.
Not that that was what people expected from him, oh no. They thought Mike was sub-par in a lot of ways, most of them involving the fierce underestimation of his intelligence. He looked the part, of course, of unwashed trailer trash; his blonde hair was worn long, his jaw unshaven, and the few tattoos he sported on his lean, tanned, muscled body were questionable judgment calls at best. He had a nasty little soft spot for alcohol, illegal substances and sex of all stripes as long as it wasn't homosexual, and a megalomaniacal streak that went to his bone marrow.
But he'd been working for Sam Belli for over two years now, doing as he was told without question. He knew real power when he saw it, and Belli was a far cry from the foreman at the auto plant where he used to work. The man could make things happen, get shit done, and Mike would never be so stupid as to jeopardize his spot at the right-hand side of the throne.
When Belli called for him, he actually dressed up a bit. Black Dickies, a clean black work shirt, his hair tied back into a small ponytail at the nape of his neck. A shower, to get rid of any odor of indulgence or sweat. He liked to look like he took his job seriously, even if there was still a crescent moon of dirt under a few of his stubby fingernails.
"You got it, sir," he said confidently when Belli finished speaking--- he knew far better than to interrupt--- and the blond man nodded his head firmly.
He hesitated for a second, then ventured, "Permission to ask a question, boss?" It wasn't quite as formal as Permission to speak freely, sir but it was Mike's version, a token sign of respect; respect he had in spades for Belli, though you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone else on the planet who'd ever earned such consideration and respect from Mike. Maybe his father, once upon a time when the old man was still alive.
"You trust 'em? The ones running the place for you, Boulstridge and Friedmann?" His piercing blue eyes focused sharply on Belli, watching him for reaction. "You think they're above the line on everything?"