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"He shot one of Seven Quad's hitmen Sunday and today,Tuesday, you're ready to let him bring you a new bodyguard from off of the streets." There's so much wrong with the statement that it sounds even worse out loud.
"I told him I'd think about it," Giovanni says, his voice even as he peers at me.
The look has me clenching my teeth as I sit back down across from him. Usually, I have more patience when it comes to Maximo and his bullshit. I've been dealing with him since we were kids, almost as much as Giovanni, and I've been a witness to his transformation as a mad man.
But where my patience would usually be as wide as the Pacific, it's as short as a toothpick lately. I know the reason and I know I shouldn't allow it to take over my work life, that's how people wind up dead in this organization.
But fuck, if I'm not allowed to be a mess for once.
The fixer needs fixing.
The irony isn't lost on me.
I keep my mouth shut, not allowing myself to speak freely. I know better than to come at Giovanni truthfully about his brother when he hasn't asked me to. I'm going to have topick over this conversation with a fine tooth comb, while still managing to get my point across.
"We know nothing about this Enzo fellow. That's a security breach."
"Get Lucia to look into it."
Which is the equivalent of getting Maximo to vet the man himself.
Lucia Costa is the first cousin to Giovanni and Maximo, and she's the only woman fully immersed into the dirty work of the family. Every other woman is a trophy wife or a nobody, the way the family has always worked. But Lucia was always destined to be more. To be deadly and wild, whether that would be for the family or not.
She's one of our biggest assets, as much as I hate to admit it.
Because on the other side of the coin, she's Maximo's sidekick.
Where there's trouble, there's Maximo and Lucia Costa.
"I'll get someone else to do it," I tell him. "Discreetly." His lips pinch together. "You know your brother, he's motivated and he'll have no problem tampering with the results if we allow Lucia to do it, and she'll turn a blind eye."
He doesn't say anything, leaning up to his desk to grab a cigar. He lights it and I wait patiently for him to speak. When he does, his voice is as cold and dry as ever.
"I don't think he's completely wrong. Alberto did just get killed.”
"He did," I agree, cautiously. I don't want to give him too much ammunition or he'll blow us both up. But I can't be completely against him either or he'll completely shut me out.
"And our numbers are already down after going head to head with seven quad."
The war nearly tore the whole town apart, but even worse, it'd diminished resources on both sides. And we'd lost a lot of good men, men who have been loyal to the family since birth based onlegacy. And we'd lost a lot of the old heads, the people who have always made decisions for the family.
Now it's all in our hands.
Not only are we running the family, but we're rebuilding it, and the process is taking a lot longer than we expected. There just aren't that many people willing to serve by the code. You can find any bum on the street, ready to pick up a gun, Maximo's new plaything an example. But there aren't many men ready to pick up the rules of the family and follow them to a tee, ready to dedicate their life to the family, whether in blood or hard work.
Seven quad, on the other hand, is picking up new members left and right, their guidelines not as strict, and people more willing to become agangsterthan aman.We have a peace treaty as of right now, but if we were to go back to war with them or anyone else for that matter, we'd be up shit creek without a paddle.
"We need to start recruiting harder."
"We've been trying, but it's not easy and you know it. Right now, our best bet is for you to take Sheffield up on whatever deal he's trying to offer you while replenishing our numbers the right way."
His eyes meet mine and the irritation in them is clear. "Having a former soldier may work to our advantage."
More likely it'll work to our disadvantage.
But it's clear that Giovanni’s stuck on this and it'll only be with the most blessed prayers that I may change his mind. So, I placate him and tell him what he wants to hear.
"Only time will tell."
