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“Get them to work on it faster. I need answers, Andre. McPherson’s people have one week to get me the information I need or I’m pulling my entire account. They’re not the only people offering that service. If I can’t trust them, I’ll take my business somewhere else.”
“You know McPherson’s a mean S.O.B.”
“I’m counting on it. If you don’t get anywhere with his underlings, I want to talk directly with him. If he doesn’t believe one of his guys is fucking us over, I’ll convince him.”
“Got it. Anything else?”
My mind was spent. We’d been at it for hours which wasn’t unusual for us, but it was doubly exhausting when I had to work so hard to stay focused. I ran my hand over the back of my neck.
“No. It’s been a long fucking day. I’m going home.”
Andre rose to his feet. “Oh, shit. I almost forgot. That kid started today. The new one. You said you wanted to meet him. You want me to tell him it will have to wait until tomorrow?”
I wasn’t waiting until tomorrow to meet the newbie. Andre didn’t know it, but this new guy was another part of my plan. As a reconciliatory gesture, St. Valentine had asked me to take his nephew under my wing, introduce him to the business. At first, I wanted to refuse, but I didn’t have a reason I could justify. And it gave me more leverage. I wasn’t foolish enough to trust a St. Valentine with anything important and St. Valentine himself knew that. Which led me to think the offer was disingenuous. St. Valentine either needed his nephew out of his hair or there was something else behind this gesture of trust. Placing the kid in my midst was too obvious. Of course, he was a spy. He’d tell St. Valentine anything he could, which would be nothing of any real value. In order to show my good faith, I was willing to do my part. Keep my enemies close. In this case, my enemy’s nephew would be in my own home.
“Send him in.”
Andre hesitated at the doorway.
“There’s something else?”
“No. Yes. You seem different tonight.”
“It’s been a long day. I’m tired.”
“I could put that off as the result of aging, but I don’t think that’s it, is it?”
I rolled my eyes. I was definitely too tired for his big brother crap. Technically, the role belonged to Dante, but Dante was... Dante. Andre filled the gaps my brother’s extended absences left behind. Even when I didn’t want him to.
“Not tonight, Andre.”
“Sure. I get it. But I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t warn you. Be careful with this girl, Gabriel. We - you - can’t afford to blow this. If St. Valentine finds out-”
“He’s not going to find out-”
“And if he does?”
“Then I’ll deal with it,” I snapped.
The door closed behind him before he could piss me off again. I needed another drink, but I needed a clear head even more. I already didn’t trust this kid, but I needed to get a good read on him.
I leaned back on my throne and closed my eyes. I didn’t operate in chaos. I didn’t operate in desperation. Andre knew what I was trying to hide. I should listen to him. Now that I was away from her, I could be objective. Was this really the right course of action? There were other ways to stick it to St. Valentine when the time came. I could cut my losses and walk away now. Cancel plans for dinner. Make an excuse. We’d had one date. She’d get over it. It’s not like we were in a committed relationship. Andre was right. The risks were too great. Too much to lose. There was more at stake than even Andre understood. The malfunctioning skimmers were a small piece of a larger picture, the scope of which had grown exponentially over the last two years. We were on the verge of a revolution. If I was successful, we’d never have to look over our shoulders again.
Dante could do... whatever the hell it was he did. Or he could walk away from the dark altogether. But at least he’d have a choice.
Mama could go to bed at night and not worry about her children’s safety. She could look forward to a peaceful life. To family reunions with her real family, not the bonds forged from vows and misguided allegiances, but by blood and kinship. She could spend her remaining years tickling her grandchildren and making pasta from scratch until her tired hands couldn’t do it anymore.
Lilly could actually pursue her dreams. She could step out into the light where she belonged and not hide her talents behind a blue screen and thumb-ups on social media. She could have the freedom she deserved.
What I wanted from this world didn’t matter if none of them were happy. From the day I was born, I was groomed to work hard to make sure everything I did mattered. I was years away from completion, but if it worked, if everything came together the way I’d planned, no one could stop me. The next few years were crucial. The foundation had been laid. I put in the work and rose to the top. I had to step on some toes to get there. Some of them weren’t forgiving and when I left it all behind, they still wouldn’t be happy. Which meant I had to choose - them or me.
I wasn’t going anywhere.
These men weren’t stupid. The smart ones would lie low. The others would learn not to get in my way when I made an example of their less intelligent counterparts. There would be casualties, but I had my eye on the endgame. I was prepared to deal with the consequences as long as it meant my family could live on in peace. If I had to kill every son-of-a-bitch who got in my way, I’d do it.
Andre opened the door after a cursory knock that was more show than substance. He entered my office, then stood by the door as a tall, gangly blond walked into the center of the room. To his credit, he appeared to be nervous. He looked over his shoulder at Andre, who nodded at him.
“Mr. Calegari, I’m Darion. I just wanted to tell you-”
