Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 96170 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96170 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
“I had a feeling you’d say that.”
“Later tonight then.” One more kiss before he lets me go. “First, I need to convince my boss that getting involved in a war is a good idea.”
“Sounds easy.”
Chapter 30
Luca
Adriano pours two drinks and hands me one. I take a sip and smile to myself.
It’s the good stuff. That’s a positive sign.
He sits in the chair beside mine and angles himself toward the fireplace. Flames crackle behind the grates. It’s warm but comfortable in his study, and we sit in silence.
I owe him a lot. He raised me to be one of his most trusted Capos, and without him, I never would’ve met or married Fiorella. I consider him a close friend, even though our relationship is more complicated than that. We have layers of honor and duty between us, all wrapped up with the Famiglia and our places within it. But in the end, we’re still two men who care about the organization, and we both want what’s best for it.
“Do you know how often I get calls from politicians?” Adriano’s not looking at me, but I assume it’s not a rhetorical question.
“Every day. You’re good on the phone.”
He smiles slightly. “You’ll be surprised to learn that most legitimate people don’t want to associate with me if they can avoid it. That includes our elected officials.”
“Their loss.”
“But in the last couple of days, I’ve spoken with two state senators, several city councilmen, two high-ranking police officers, and more business leaders than I’m comfortable with. Can you guess what they’re all saying?”
I don’t like where this is going. Adriano’s usually more direct, so I assume he’s got a point here. “They’re telling you to invest in Bitcoin?”
“They want peace.”
He swirls his drink. I sip mine and let that linger. It’s a good whiskey, nice and smoky with a smooth finish.
“But what do you want?” I finally ask. If there’s anything I know about Adriano, it’s that he hates being pushed into a corner.
“I think my reasons for allying with the Serranos haven’t changed. Their business is solid, despite the debt. Their trucks and cars will help with our cross-country distribution problems. They’ll make us stronger in the end.”
“Then it’s obvious what we have to do.”
He tilts his head, jaw tight. “I’m not so sure it is.”
Anger swells in me. I push it back down. Adriano is thinking about the Famiglia, not about my pregnant wife. Whereas Fiorella’s the only person on my mind anymore. It’s dangerous, but I’ve come too far down this path to turn back now. She’s become everything.
“What’s the alternative? We need Raf to become the new Don.”
“I’m not convinced of that.”
I tighten my grip on my glass. “You can’t be serious.”
“We could work with Corrado. Fiorella is still his niece, after all.”
“He won’t stop coming after her,” I say sharply, struggling to stay under control as Adriano watches me carefully. “He can’t let the former Don’s family survive. They’ll always be a problem. As long as they’re alive, they’ll be a threat to his legitimacy. I can’t have that.”
He nods slowly. “I understand all that. But the shortest path to getting what I want is through Corrado. We can make him the Don. Give him our support. Make it clear that if any of the former Don’s children end up dead, he’ll pay the price for it in blood. We can put him on a leash.”
“And how long does that work? A few years? What happens if my baby is a boy?”
Adriano’s eyebrows lift. He sits back slightly. “Your baby?”
I suck in a breath. This isn’t how I planned on telling him. “Fio’s pregnant.”
He lights up, eyes widening with excitement. “That’s fantastic. Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” I grind out. “But you see the problem, don’t you? My child will be a threat. My child’s child will be a threat. Corrado might restrain himself for a while, but I’ll always wonder. And one day, he might decide he likes life without a collar on.”
Adriano’s joy fades as he looks back at the fire. “You’re right,” he says simply, not looking at me. “But you’re thinking about your family. I’m thinking about the Famiglia.” He lets out a long sigh and tilts his chin up. “You’re a good man, Luca. You’ve been a loyal friend and soldier for a long time. I’ve rewarded you again and again for that.”
“And you know I’d do anything for you, Adriano, but—”
“But wives and children complicate things.” His smile is bitter, and I know it’s from hard experience.
“Raf will be a better leader. He’ll work closer with you. He’ll owe you everything, while Corrado will always be a threat.”
“That’s true,” he concedes. “But Raf is in bad shape, and he doesn’t have the support of the Capos.”
“We’re working on that.”
“Peace, Luca. That’s what everyone wants. No blood, no fighting, just peace and prosperity and fucking money.” He pushes himself up from his chair and stalks away. I watch him walk around behind his desk. He stays on his feet, glancing out the windows, and finishes his drink. “I’ll give you three weeks.”