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“I don’t get why they’d want me,” I said. “Aside from the money.”
“We’ve been at war with them,” Luca said. “They’re like cockroaches. Every time we kill a nest, there are ten more nests just waiting and breeding.”
Uncle Luciano smiled and gestured with his cane. “Luca is correct in his assessment,” he said. “The Jalisco have proven very difficult to destroy. They’re weaker than they used to be, but they’re also less centralized, more spread out. That makes them harder to kill all at once. They keep shipping more men here, selling drugs to some of the lesser gangs, keeping their business afloat through sheer will.”
“If you don’t do business with them, then how do you get drugs?” I asked.
Luca looked surprised at my question and Uncle Luciano laughed. “That’s none of your concern,” he said. “Suffice to say that we have other arrangements.”
“Of course,” I said.
“The Jalisco need money,” he said. “They need a big cash infusion if they’re going to keep their little guerilla war going.”
“And they think they can take me?” I asked.
“That’s right,” he said. “That man was sent here to kidnap you, something the Jalisco and the other cartels are very good at. They’d extort everything from you, every penny, every scrap of land. And truth be told, the land is what they’re really after.”
“I don’t understand that,” I said.
“Fazio left you some important real estate,” Uncle Luciano said. “Buildings in downtown Chicago, buildings worth hundreds of millions of dollars. If the Jalisco could get their hands on all that money and property, they could easily take control of Chicago and set up a new base in North America.”
“You’re their best chance at survival right now,” Luca said. “That makes them dangerous.”
I chewed on my lip as I digested all this. “So all the money that Uncle Fazio left me just turned me into some target for this… this cartel?”
“Exactly,” Uncle Luciano said.
“And because they’re desperate, they’ll do anything to get at me.”
“Which is why I’m here,” Luca said.
“We should have explained all this in detail before,” Uncle Luciano said. “I should have made it clear how much danger you were in, but I didn’t think you’d believe me.”
“I believe you now,” I said.
“I hope so.” He shook his head and sighed. “That stunt in your apartment building is going to cost me. I have contacts in the police force and some pull in city hall, but making this disappear is going to be tough. I’m going to walk away from this slightly diminished, and I can’t afford that right now.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I know it’s my fault. Luca’s been doing everything right, you can’t blame him”
“I don’t fully blame Luca,” he said. “But Luca is also aware that he shouldn’t have let you go in the first place.” Uncle Luciano sighed and rubbed his face. “I believe I’ve been fair.”
“You have, sir,” Luca said.
Uncle Luciano seemed to nod to himself for a moment as he leaned on his cane again.
“I’m going to return your phone,” he said. “Luca can give it back to you, if you want it.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“But I need you to swear that you won’t leave this house. Not until the lawyers have been through everything and we can make your inheritance airtight.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I said.
“Good.” He nodded to himself again. “Very good.” He turned to head toward the door. “Then I’m going to leave you in Luca’s hands. Please, no more stunts.”
“Uncle, wait,” I said.
He turned to me, a frown on his face. “Yes, Clair?”
“Why are you doing this?” I asked. “I mean, are you going to take some of this money, is what you want?”
He gave me a bitter smile. “I have plenty of money,” he said, his tone sharp. “I don’t need a dime of yours.”
“I know, it’s just—”
“You’re family,” he said. “And as much as you hate me, as much as your mother’s taught you to despise me, I’m not such an evil bastard that I’d turn my back on you when you need it.”
He looked at Luca, nodded once, his eyes narrowed and sharp, then headed to the door. His bodyguard opened the door and helped him outside. I watched them go, feeling like my body rang like a bell. The door slammed shut and Luca walked over and turned the bolt closed.
He turned to me and I couldn’t meet his gaze. I looked down at the floor, feeling like an idiot. He walked over and lingered in front of me for a moment.
I looked up into his handsome face.
He didn’t seem like a monster. He cooked, drank wine. He smiled at me, made jokes, teased me.
He murdered men though, killed them in cold blood.
“You hungry?” he asked.
“No,” I said. “I think I’m going to sleep.”
“Good idea.” He brushed past me and his hand moved across my leg, touching me slightly. I felt a chill and watched as he disappeared into the kitchen.
