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Our women are all here. Mimi is upstairs with Mia and Charlotte.
Our best bodyguards are all around. It’s a fortress heavily guarded but then so was Vincent’s house.
It wasn’t enough.
Pa straightens and looks at each of us.
His gaze lands on me and I know what he’s going to say to me, even before he says it.
The other day I was so quick to want responsibility. I was so eager to want to take charge and help protect my family. I wanted in and didn’t want to sit around feeling useless.
“My boys…” Pa begins. “When I look at you, you all look like my kids still. My three boys I knew would have to step up one day. I tried so hard to keep this from happening but the day is here. Salvatore…”
“Yes Pa,” I answer.
“You… it’s time. You will assume your role as capo. For now you will take charge. If and when Vincent assumes his duty, you will follow his lead as underboss.”
The words work into me bringing truth home, truth as truth, pure and raw.
It’s who and what I am.
“I accept Pa.” I bow my head in reverence, vowing to be all that capo means.
“Thank you. I give permission to choose what capacity you’d like your brothers to act in. To have your back as additional capos in which you will take charge, or do you wish them to stay out of trouble.”
I look from Nick to Gabe and know there’s no way they’ll want out to safety. Not now. I wouldn’t insult them like that but I will ask the question.
I’m in charge so I’ll do this and bear in mind all that happened today. They’ve got to be shit scared for their families. The same as I am for Mimi.
“My brothers always have my back, sir, I need them now in whatever capacity they choose to be with me. If they choose it. I am mindful that they both have wives and kids.” I thought I should say that first. Pa nods. I look to Nick first. “Nickoli… do you accept?” I ask.
“You know I do, brother,” he answers with a nod.
“Thank you brother,” I tell him with deep appreciation. “I would like you to be second in rank down from me.”
Nick bows his head in reverence.
I look to Gabe next and he’s already nodding before I can ask.
“Don’t even ask me brother, you don’t need to. I always have your back. Always and forever. I’m not going to stop now,” he tells me.
“Your wife…” I point out because I don’t think it’s right that he should take time away from Charlotte when she’s pregnant.
“She will understand. There’s no way she would allow me not helping. Definitely not.”
I worry because this is the exact thing Charlotte wanted to stay away from. Our life, our world. Life in the mob.
Fuck. It’s shit. All of it.
“Thank you, brother. I would like you to be first in rank down from me.”
That’s how the structure works for us.
It’s like an army with different degrees of authority depending on rank. That’s how we’ll work this too and end this disaster before it gets worse.
We need to.
We can’t let what happened today happen to anyone else.
