My father turned his stare to me.
No.
“What are your thoughts, Frankie?” my father asked.
I felt the sweat on my hands. Felt the treason in my veins. “I don’t know what to make of him.” I maintained my neutrality so I wouldn’t be incriminated later.
“Last time we spoke, you said you didn’t believe he took the guns,” my father said.
Because he didn’t…since he was with me. “I can’t see Cosa Nostra teaming up with the Lombardis. That just doesn’t make sense to me.”
That seemed to be enough because Elio took over. “Wolfe has given us an ultimatum. Make him a part of the crew, or he walks.”
I was so relieved the attention was off me, I nearly sighed out loud.
“Letting him go would be a mistake,” Leo said as he shook his head. “We cut him in, but keep our eyes peeled. Having him on the crew will actually make iteasier to watch him. No one’s got eyes on him in the warehouse.”
“True,” Elio said before he looked at my father. “We give him a run but keep our daggers hidden underneath our cloaks.”
My father stared at his captain for a while, his curled fingertips resting against the surface of his desk. He tapped a couple times before he scanned everyone in the room. “Let’s make sure this dog stays on a short leash.”
12
WOLFE
When I entered the office, the crew was already there.
Including Francesca.
I mean…my woman.
It was hard to sit there with a blank stare on my face when she was in the room with me. She was just too important to ignore. It felt like an insult to what we had not to address her asbabyand kiss her, not to show everyone in that room that she meant something to me.
It felt fucking disrespectful.
But I behaved as I should, sat in the armchair directly in front of her father.
Don Mancini stared me down.
I wasn’t sure if Francesca would vouch for me in their little meeting. It wasn’t her responsibility to defend my name, so I hoped she stayed out of it. But she was the only person who had proof that I hadn’t stolen the guns from the dock, because I’d been balls deep inside her at the time.
I got tired of the silence. “You got something to say to me, Don?”
His stare remained hard as concrete.
I knew the smart thing to do was be obedient and respectful, but that behavior got you the shitty jobs. Taking the cars in to the mechanic, tailing lesser targets, the kid stuff. But being unafraid to take up space in front of someone who was supposed to make you cower was what made you a lieutenant.
“You’re part of the crew.” He said it in a type of way, like he wasn’t the least bit happy about it.
“Well.” I gave a single clap of my palms. “That’s great news.”
“But that doesn’t mean we trust you,” he said coldly.
“Goes without saying, Don.” I rubbed my palms together. “Now that’s been decided, we need to make our move against Lombardi. Shouldn’t have wasted a day on this bullshit in the first place.” I rose to my feet andapproached the desk before I turned to the others in the room, pretending Francesca wasn’t there. “We hit them hard. Take out the trash is how I like to say it.”
“We’re going to meet with Lombardi first,” Elio said. “Give him an opportunity to grovel and put him in our debt.”
My eyebrow cocked as I looked at him. “Is that a joke?”
