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“Maks will…”
Will what? Have someone killed on my behalf? Make sure I go nowhere alone ever again?
“There’s no way he’ll agree to letting my family take care of this alone. And frankly, I’m not insulted. The more men guarding you, the better I’ll feel.”
“And what do you mean, a member of your family?”
“Unless it’s going to work or something else uneventful, one of the men in my family always accompanies the women. They all have bodyguards, but no one will ever be more dedicated to protecting the women we love than us.”
He tilts my chin up and drops a soft kiss to my lips. Neither of us makes any pledges because it’s too soon for those feelings to have fully developed. But we both know we’re on a short track to them.
“Chellie, no one who isn’t related to me will ever be good enough to protect you when I can’t be there. I’ll never trust anyone with your life the way I do my brothers, cousins, uncles, and dad. As far as I’m concerned, Gabriele’s like a cousin. He’s been a part of this family since he moved to America when he was ten. He and Carmine became best friends the moment they met. His dad had a similar role as Uncle Domenico, Marco, Matteo, Carmine, Gabe, and me.”
“But you all have other things you do.”
“And none of them take precedence over family.”
“But you all work for your family.”
“You know what I mean, Chellie.”
He watches me in silence as he considers what to say next. I hope he lets me in rather than shuts me out. I want to understand what’s happening. I want to know he and his family can accept me. If he shuts me out, then I don’t know that I can do this. It’s obvious family is everything to Enzo. If he can only consider me his and not part of the bigger picture, then I don’t want to live in fear every day because I know nothing and have no one to go to.
“My dad and uncles don’t really guard anyone anymore, but they all can. They’ve all beencaposlike we are. Uncle Sal was an underboss like Luca is now. They both spent some time ascaposbefore assuming that role. My dad is ourconsigliere, but he was acapofirst.”
I only know what these positions are because of the movies. But how accurate is Hollywood? Nothing about Salvatore makes me think of Don Corleone. Nothing about the other men makes me think of Ray Liotta’s character inGoodfellas.
“Chellie, maybe the old-school families were like the movies, but we aren’t. The men don’t cheat, and we don’t shoot people because they look the wrong way at us. We aren’t sitting around some table smoking Stogies and counting our money.”
He says it with humor in his voice, but I wince anyway.
“Since the words aren’t knew to you, and maybe you have some understanding of them, I may as well explain.Capois short forcaporegime, which is like a lieutenant if you want to give it rank.Capo dei capiorcapo di tutti capiare bosses of bosses, or the senior most capos.Everyone but Luca and my dad are those. Since Marco is the next oldest after Luca, who’s our underboss or heir, Marco technically carries either of those titles alone. But no one inside or outside our family sees it that way. Marco, Matteo, Carmine, Gabriele, and I are equals.”
I can’t believe I went from fearing he would tell me nothing to being terrified that I now know too much.
“Do the other women know this? I mean, I guess Maria and Serafina must. But what about Olivia and Sinead?”
“Olivia probably does because she’s married to our second-in-command, but I don’t know about Sinead. Probably because Gabriele would want her to understand the risks of being with him. I don’t know when he told her, but I’m pretty sure he has.”
“These risks. Are they why you’re telling me?”
“Partly. I want you to know I have the authority to deal with this threat, but I also want you to know that I have the ability to.”
That, I’m not asking any follow-up questions about.
“You said your dad is theconsigliere,and that Domenico is or was acapo. Why isn’t he the underboss orcapo di capo?”
“Capo dei capi, and Uncle Domenico was until Marco was old enough to take on the job.”
“You didn’t name Cesare.”
“Uncle Cesare married into the family because Auntie Paola got pregnant at nineteen. They were having fun but never intended to get serious. Both of their fathers insisted they marry. My grandfather and Uncle Cesare’s father were rivals. My family ousted Uncle Cesare’s, so my grandfather never welcomed Uncle Cesare. Basically, my grandfather forced them to marry to punish Uncle Cesare for touching Auntie Paola and to punish her for not staying a virgin.Nonnowas nothing like Uncle Salvatore, Auntie Paola, and Papa. He was a hard man to be around let alone love. I did because he was family, but I didn’t like him. He never did anything to me, but he scared the shit out of me. He was cruel to Carmine, as though the mess with his parents was his fault.Nonnorefused to allow Uncle Cesare anywhere near the family business. Papa and Uncle Salvatore offered him positions once Uncle Salvatore became don. But he's always declined, and Uncle Salvatore hasn’t forced him. It’s actually just as well. Without our last name, he’s able to do a lot of shit no one thinks twice about. He’s in insurance and has been very helpful.”
Another thing I’m not asking any follow-up questions about. I don’t want to know anything about their insurance fraud. Unless I marry Enzo, I won’t have spousal privilege not to testify against him. I know that’s why he chose the wording he did. This is a shit ton of family history to absorb.
“I said my dad is ourconsigliere. That makes him Uncle Sal’s top advisor because they trust each other, and because my dad is also a lawyer. They may argue like only brothers can, but it’s always because they both put our family and the people who depend upon us first. They never do it outside Uncle Salvatore’s office. If we’re in there, don’t come near it, Chellie. Call me or text me, even if you’re in the kitchen or living room.”
I nod.
