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Mattia’s the best person I could have hoped to pick to act as my right hand. I’ve witnessed him single-handedly take down a group of men. In the same way they follow my own orders without hesitation, the rest of my men have never hesitated to follow his orders either. Because I respect him, they do as well. The moment he asks for something, they get it done.
I need to get a handle on this before shit hits the fan. I should have deployed him to my personal detail as soon as I found out what had happened. I can’t keep working myself to death to avoid this mess. There are too many people working under me for me to just ignore this. I may have started this, but they’re the ones that could get caught in the crossfire if Gabriele catches me being complacent. We need to be ready for whatever gets thrown our way.
I check my phone again. Still no response from Aria at all. And a few minutes later, Mattia arrives at my doorstep.
“Right, so where do we start?” he asks.
“First, I need to know if I’m being watched or tailed,” I say. “I want to try something. I need to get out for a little while after being holed up with business paperwork. Do you think you can arrange something and conduct some countersurveillance while we’re out?”
“I haven’t seen anything suspicious on the security cameras,” he replies. “But I agree. The best way to know if they’re there or not is to take a step outside and see if anything happens. I doubt they’d try something, not yet, but this way we know if they’re having you watched or followed.”
I lean back and let out a loud sigh. It truly is the simplest way to get the information we need, and it will only take a few seconds before we know. We both agree that this is the way it needs to happen. I just wish I didn’t feel like a war was creeping up on us.
“Alright,” I say. “Be prepared regardless, just in case anything goes down.”
“You’ll have me at your side, two guards following just a few paces behind, and a guard on every street corner,” he says. “If anything happens, we’ll have you covered.”
“That’s why I keep you around,” I joke.
I can’t stop tapping my foot on the ground as I wait for the elevator to reach ground level. And when it finally does, I take a few deep breaths and take a step outside. Then I brace for potential impact. In reality, it doesn’t matter how many guards are stationed and where. It’s a dangerous lifestyle being the Don of a prominent crime family, regardless of whether or not I’m up against the Morinos. I can’t let myself hide out in my fancy home like Gabriele does. That’s no way to live.
“Coast seems clear so far,” Mattia says with a smile. “Where do you wanna go?”
“Let’s go to that little place by the park that I like so much,” I say. “And we can walk. I’d like to clear my head.”
We walk in silence for a while, but I know that Mattia has a lot of questions. Even though he’s basically just an employee, he’s been the only person who really stuck with me through it all. He was my personal guard before I went to prison, and he was there to pick me up when I was released.
Over the years he’s been the closest thing I have to a friend. I try not to be too friendly with him, as it doesn’t always seem appropriate. But my mind is spinning, and I need someone else to take a look at my problems for a moment. If I’m going to ask anyone for their thoughts, it may as well be him.
“What do you think I should do?” I ask as we walk under the shade of the trees.
“About the baby?” he asks. “Or about your safety?”
“Both,” I answer with a shrug. “I’m worried about what this means for our operations as well. They’re all related and it’s enough to drive me crazy.”
Mattia takes a few steps, tugs at the leaves of the trees absentmindedly, and then gives a loud sigh.
“When it comes to your safety, I say you stand your ground,” he says. “Gabriele has taken enough from you. Show him that you aren’t going anywhere.”
“So what? Do you really think I should strike first?”
“No, nothing like that,” he says. “I just mean that we can’t act afraid. We’ll keep the security up at all of our places, that’s worth doing, but you need to show him that you ain’t afraid of him.”
“Ah,” I laugh. “That should be easy because I’m not afraid of him. I am angry at him.”
“I don’t know what you’re going to do,” he says seriously. “But whatever you decide, we all support you as always. All I can say is that the baby can’t fight for itself. That little lifeform that’s growing inside that woman’s belly has no idea of what’s happening on the outside, and it shouldn’t have to pay the price for the actions of those out here.”
“That’s pretty profound of you,” I say. “But you’re right, that doesn’t help me at all.”
“Sorry, boss,” he teases.
“You know, I can’t help but wonder what kind of life that baby would have if its grandfather and father are sworn rivals,” I say. “It’d be terrible for the kid if we’re constantly trying to have each other killed.”
“No way to raise a kid,” he agrees.
“So then I wonder if I shouldn’t stay out of it, you know?” I say. “But if that’s what she wanted, then she wouldn’t have told me about it in the first place.”
“Perhaps she was trying to tell you so that you could defend yourself against her angry father,” he suggests.
