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“Clearly,” I retort.
I’d bet a million dollars that I know why he’s so riled up—when he’s pissed at one of us and when someone fucks with his money. My money’s on all of the above.
“Is it done?” Grandfather asks, his tone stern.
Bingo. I know this man better than anyone. My whole life has been spent at his side, learning everything there is to know from him, and that includes his tics. You don’t become Sottocapo by being oblivious to the signs right in front of you. But you also don’t earn the title without shedding a little blood.
And because avenging my mother was important not to just me but the entire family, he allowed me to have that moment. For years, I’d been obsessed with finding out the truth, and once I finally put all the pieces of the puzzle together, I couldn’t think about anything else.
Soon, I’ll be sitting right where Renato is, but the way my grandfather saw it is that I’ll never be the ruler I’m meant to be if I don’t make the man who killed my mother and left me bleeding on the side of the road pay for what he’d done. Even if that man was my father, he shed De Luca blood, so it was only fitting we did the same. And now that I’ve gotten it out of my system, I can finally become the man Renato raised me to be.
“Samuele Russo is dead, a bullet between his eyes.”
We stare at each other for a moment, his gaze pensive and cold.
“And your brother?”
I swallow a breath. “Not going to be a problem.”
“Good.” He snuffs out his cigar, then uses his eyes to instruct Prince to pour us all a tumbler of whiskey. “Now on to business.”
I nod and settle in for the meeting. Prince hands us each a glass of our own and returns to his seat. Things have been in the works to establish a territory in the States, but dealing with my estranged family was something that couldn’t wait. And he had been willing to allow me that. It’s the only way I could truly focus on the family. Finding out the truth about Inna, my mother, and killing my father had become an obsession, one that I was forced to overcome or risk losing my title as Underboss to Prince.
Grandfather has been grooming me from an early age, and as the years have gone on, he’s prepared me to take on more of a leadership role. He says it’s time that I earn the name I’ve been born into, and for that reason alone.
He hasn’t figured out yet that Prince and I see the toll this life has taken on him. He’s aging, and while still a son of a bitch, he’s not nearly as quick as he used to be. Not to mention all of the coughing fits lately.
We haven’t found the courage to let him know that we see him, despite how strong he is. And we won’t. De Luca men don’t do sympathy, and they’ll never admit to weakness.
“I’m ready.” I bring the glass to my lips, swallowing the contents in one gulp.
Grandfather clears his throat before taking a sip of whiskey. His eyes are dark, sunken as if he hasn’t slept in days, and though he’s fighting hard to keep a steady hand, the trembling is obvious. He’s sick and has been pretending he isn’t ailing for some time now.
Knowing how proud he is, I decided to push the thoughts away, shelving them for another conversation. He’ll have to confide in us soon enough, but the expression he wears tells me that whatever he summoned us here for is more important.
“I’m sending you to Miami.”
With my lips pressed in a straight line, I nod. “The Alvarezes finally came to their senses?”
Prince smirks and leans back in his chair. “A proposito di fottuta ora.”About fucking time.He rants.
Grandfather ignores his outburst and puts his attention on me. “No. That’s why I’m sending you two.”
Prince perks up as he always does anytime he’s given the chance to prove himself. It doesn’t fall very far from the family tree if you ask me. The sight of blood is exciting, and Prince lives for the chance to draw it. He’s our enforcer, and I’d be lying if I said he wasn’t damn good at it.
“Alvarez has agreed to meet but may need a little convincing.” He pauses for a beat. “Your job will be to scope things out, set up the initial meeting, and ensure a deal is made.”
“Not a problem,” I add, accepting the challenge.
“Enzo.” His tone is clipped and serious. “This needs to go off without a hitch. An agreement needs to be made before returning to Italy. Do you understand?” He stares at me, his gaze just as cold and accusatory as his tone, almost as if he’s warning me not to fuck up.
A wave of resentment threatens to wash over me, but a deep breath settles the thoughts before they arise. There’s no point. Trust is earned every day with this man, and it’s not like I haven’t given him hell over the years. The same way I know all there is to know about him, he can read me like a book, too.
“Don’t worry. You’ll get your deal.”
He tips his chin in my direction and then points his sights on Prince. “You’re to go with him.”
Prince shuffles in his seat, eagerness creeping across his features. He tries to dial it back, but it’s too late for that. Grandfather sees it and lets out a heavy sigh.
