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“Why are we meeting with the Rossis?” Ricardo asked. “Aren’t we doing away with them?”
Enzo gave him a sharp look as my mouth dropped open in surprise. “No, that was whatyousuggested. Romeo Rossi can be a good ally or a hell of an enemy, and I’d rather him be the former.”
“When I take over…” Ricardo started, but Enzo held up a hand.
“Who says you’re taking over? I’ve got plenty of years in me yet,” Enzo complained, eating his breakfast.
I scarfed down my food and asked for seconds, not wanting to be part of this conversation. I was hired to be Enzo’s muscle but not his confidant, and I certainly didn’t want to be involved in any conversation about getting rid of the Rossis. Particularly since I happened to still be in love with the Rossifamiglia’s daughter, Allegra.
“I’ve got a job to run by you,” Ricardo mumbled, leaning over toward me, and I grunted in response.
“After breakfast,” Enzo warned, and Ricardo picked at his food. All the stimulants he was probably on, he didn’t have much of an appetite, I guessed.
I grunted again and got up to start clearing the table. Enzo put a hand on my arm. “The housekeeper will do that,” he said gently. I nodded, embarrassed. I hadn’t been in the life for quite a while, hiding out in safehouses upstate after I got out of prison. I wasn’t used to having things like housekeepers.
Ricardo gestured for me to come out back with him, then handed me a cigarette once we were there. I handed it back, shaking my head. That was a habit I broke when I went inside. He shrugged and lit it up for himself. “Did you see Allegra Rossi last night in that slutty little dress?” he asked, and I stiffened.
“No,” I lied. “Was she at the meet?”
Ricardo snorted. “There and the club, looking like she should be a dancer. She was such a little tease, looking at me like she wanted to eat me up and then pushing me away when I asked if she wanted to get out of there.”
Rage boiled in my stomach, and I looked down at my feet, trying to breathe in through my nostrils.Thatwas why Ricardo had been talking to Allegra. He’d been hitting on her, and I couldn’t react. No one knew about the affair I’d had with Allegra nearly ten years ago. I’d been the mafia princess’s dirty little secret, and so I couldn’t do what I wanted, which was punch Ricardo right in his coke-snuffling nose.
I didn’t respond, but Ricardo didn’t seem to notice. “So I want you to do something for me,” he said, his tone low and conspiratorial.
I looked up at him, trying to keep the anger out of my face. “What’s that, boss?” Calling himcapowould’ve put a bad taste in my mouth, so the English “boss” was as far as I could make myself go.
Ricardo grinned nonetheless. “Want you to take her,” he said.
I blinked, shocked. “You want me to what?”
He shrugged. “Grab her. Kidnap her. Take her somewhere upstate. I know she’s taking over for her old man. I’m not stupid. But she’s just a chick. She can’t do much damage, but she can manipulate some guy with her body to do what she wants. We can’t have that.”
“I thought Enzo said—”
“I don’t give a fuck what Enzo said,” Ricardo growled. “You work forme, got it?” That wasn’t exactly true. I worked for Enzo, and I didn’t think he would sanction this particular job.
“What’s your plan?” I asked.
“Don’t worry about my plan,” Ricardo said with a sneaky grin. “Just keep her out of town for a couple of weeks, and I’ll have her father taken care of by the time she gets back. Then she won’t be any trouble at all.”
I swallowed hard. He wanted me tokidnapAllegra? Take her away from her father so that he could kill him? Enzo would never allow that, but Ricardo did plenty of things his father didn’t allow. Allegra would be in danger if I said no. Ricardo would hire some guy who would probably hurt her or worse.
“All right,” I said. “I’ll do it.”
“Tonight,” Ricardo said.
I blew air out of my nostrils to keep from hitting him, my hands fisted at my sides. “All right,” I repeated, and Ricardo flicked his cigarette off the terrace and went back inside.
Kidnap Allegra Rossi. That was my new job. How the hell was I going to do that, when she hated the sight of me? I needed to talk to Enzo about Ricardo, and soon. There was no way I could pull off this job, especially knowing that Enzo wouldn’t want this to happen.
It took a few hours before Ricardo left the house, but when he did, I snuck upstairs to Enzo’s office, knocking on the open door. Enzo looked up with a frown on his face, but then he smiled when he looked at me. “Rocco,” he said, gesturing for me to sit down.
I sat down in the chair. “I’m sorry about last night,capo,” I said earnestly. “I didn’t mean to—”
He waved a hand at me. “That’s all right. I’m not stupid. I know my son talked you into that club, not the other way around.”
I sighed in relief, even though Enzo was mistaken. “I just don’t want you to think I don’t appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”
