The Bagman's Direction

Chapter 3

"An issue?" I grumbled.

He nodded but said nothing. He snapped his eyes back up to me, his hair tousling around his shoulders. His crooked nose pointed at me and his pale skin was lit up like the moon in this darkened room. I was panicking.

"I'm assuming this isn't a bagman issue or else you would've stuck to the phonecall"

He shook his head, his lips too dry to utter an explanation.

~

When I was nineteen, I was promoted to consigliere and bagman. In three years I had proven to be a trustworthy candidate, making my up through the malicious roles of the mafia. I wasn't sure what they meant but before asking Daddy to elaborate he told me something that made my heart stop. I was granted access to visit my family for the first time in three years. I almost cried at his words. I lunged over and hugged him, something I had never done before.

He probably thought I hated him. He probably thought that when I talked to my coworkers I gritted my teeth and seethed. The truth was I was grateful. I was unsure how to demonstrate my affection so I was silent around him, I stuck to orders, I didn't socialise. This sudden burst of my gratitude was staggering and he almost fell over. He laughed and patted my back. He probably thought now he should've done it sooner.

I had always been grateful though. He might've robbed me of my childhood but he set up a life for me I couldn't have ever dreamed of. He gave me security, wealth, friends and a career even if it wasn't quite politically correct. Now he was returning my family ties.

"You're going to have responsibilities as the consigliere and the bagman, Louis"

I rarely left the house in the last role I took. I was used to fixing our shady taxes or computer jobs where I could erase somebodies online existence, make it look like they were never born. I could hack into the CIA, I could illicitly read and destroy files, I had complete power.

Being a bagman, I would learn, makes you take on a more physical approach.

"I trust you know what a consigliere is?"

I nodded.

"Now I put my trust in you to handle not only myself and our mafia family as the role details but my also closest associates. You will charm them, make friends with them, give them advice or kill them, if need it be"

"Kill them? Why would you kill your friends?" I almost spat.

"Did I say they were my friends? They're the people I choose to keep in close contact with for financial and security reasons. I don't have friends" Daddy corrected.

"As bagman you are to deal with the associates who try to cheat me, scam me or rip me off. This is mainly going to be an issue with gambling. If somebody tries to take money that isn't theirs or cheats, I want you to put them in their place. You must go after them, scare them, threaten them, kill them if you have to. Just get the money back and return it to me"

"So I'm dealing with illicit money again? Except this time around I'm reclaiming what was already ours"

"Plus a fee for taking it in the first place"

"Why give me both titles?" I enquired.

"You earned it, my boy. Although most of your work will be involved as the consigliere, which is my advisor, you can tell people you're the bagman. Sometimes being the boss' consigliere can get you in trouble even within the family" Daddy replied.

"But aren't I meant to resolve disputes within the family? Aren't I meant to advise everybody else?"

"Just tell them that falls under being a bagman. Nobody will even know what it means anyway"