[CASTELLO DI CARTE MAFIA CHRONICLES, #1]
𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀
When my mother's deteriorating health pushes me into rethinking my career choices, my boss does what he does best; he shoves me into the world I never planned on venturing into. The job is simple:...
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Dom was by the bar next to the living room. I knew with one look at his face he wasn't in a great mood. He held a bottle of whiskey in his hands, which was a rare sight since he preferred remaining sober—well, most of the time.
He poured some in a glass and offered, "Want some?"
I frowned and took a seat beside him. "No, thanks. You're not a day drinker. Is everything okay?"
He exhaled, taking a sip from the glass. "There was a raid on one of our warehouses last night in Santorini. The police have two of our men. And I'm fucking tired."
"Just peachy," I grunted.
An immediate rage took over his self-controlled form as he spoke. "The rat we caught, Ty, I heard you gave Julian the order to break a few of his bones and a leg." I shrugged. He needed to be dependent for what I had planned. "Julian is suppressing his urge to shove a knife down his fucking throat or boil him or skin the fuck out of him."
"He knows we need Ty alive." I quirked my lips to the side. "I have a meeting with De Luca this afternoon. Attend that for me. Keep your mind distracted. I'll take care of the rest," I said, walking toward the door. "Try to behave with savoir-faire at the meeting."
"Danilo Romano's party is this evening," Dom reminded me. "And three days from that, you'll have to be off for LA to speak to Trentino."
"That I remembered." I scrunched my face. "Do I really need to attend Danilo's party?"
Dom gave an obvious nod. "You should. Now that you've declined his daughter's hand in marriage, you should at least try to keep him on his best behaviour. He is one of the most powerful and trustworthy underbosses we've got, despite his age."
"Age is not the matter here. That man's got his shit figured out." We both laughed. "Can you send Orazio my way? I need to work on a healthy negotiation with the Rossis."
"Rossis?" Dom's eyes widened. "Of Chicago Outfit?" Seeing me nod, he pressed his brows. "I told you their war can affect us, Adonis. We already have enough on our plates. We cannot afford to be a part of someone else's battle."
"I know what I'm doing, Domenico. The De Lucas have a good relationship with the Rossis, so I don't see why we can't do the same."
He snickered at my words. "Luciano De Luca, the capo himself, is promised to a Rossi, the Outfit capo's sister. That's the only reason he has a good relationship with them. Have you ever seen two capos working in peace with each other? Two alphas in the same fucking pot without a fucking bond? You might have to agree to a similar exchange if you want their alliance, especially since you're not married."
I remained quiet for a while. "We'll have to come into an appropriate negotiation. No matter how traditional they are, the capo of Outfit is still a proprietor at heart. He'll know what's best and I intend to give him deals he can't and won't refuse."
