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We take our seats in my well-furnished office.
“Great place you have here,” Pietro leans in, speaking to me in a mix of Italian and the Sicilian dialect that’s native to our region.
“We needed a quiet place out of the city. No disturbances and all.”
His gaze peruses the paintings on the wall and the books lined up on the shelf before finally landing back on me.
“Quite a party you are having here Alessandro.”
I sit upright, to command the room and to take a defensive stance for my people. They have lost someone important to them and I will not have Pietro make me feel bad about it. He has barely been in the country for twelve whole hours and he is already comparing me to my father.
“They are mourning. Luca was an important part of the operation.”
He eyes me quietly, making me feel uneasy. I decide to play host so I can offset his balance a little bit, “Can I get you a drink? Maybe a cigar?”
He waves his hand dismissively, “I have had a long trip. Let me rest. Sono troppo vecchio per queste cose.”
I see what he is doing, saying he is too old for these frivolities, bringing my young age into play. He is smart, I will give him that.
“Non si e’ mai troppo vecchi per commemorare la famiglia,”I reply. One is never too old to commemorate family.
He clears his throat before smiling at me, “I just meant that this is a whole lot different than the way your father used to do things.”
“My father is not here anymore, Pietro, I am. And it would do us all best to remember who the leader of the Ricci’s clan is.”
Back down! I remind myself that this man served as my father’s consigliere for a long time and I would love to have him working with me. But I also know that that would only work if he knows who is in charge.
Me. Alessandro fucking Ricci.
I cannot have people questioning my sovereignty just a few months after taking over. This is why we have not publicly announced my father’s death yet. This is the kind of thing that encourages a revolt. This is what gets leaders usurped.
“Alessandro, how has your time asCapobeen treating you?” He raises an eyebrow, as he addresses me in Sicilian, something like concern evident in his eyes.
I respond in kind, using the same dialect. “I’m managing, Pietro, handling things as best I can.”
He doesn’t seem convinced, leaning back and exhaling a heavy sigh. “Look, I know we have not gotten off on the right foot but I have to be honest with you. It doesn’t look that way, my boy. Nicola Moreno, an associate if not a friend of your father’s, has been feeding me information. He tells me someone has been targeting and killing Cosa Nostra bosses.”
My eyes narrow as I take in this troubling revelation. Someone else has made the fucking connection. This means that I am quickly running out of time. “Nicola Moreno mentioned this?” I need to hear more about what he knows.
Pietro nods solemnly. “Yes, Nicola believes someone ruthless and cunning is picking off our people one by one. He’s convinced it’s a vendetta against Cosa Nostra. He thinks it’s the Russians.”
“It is not the Russians,” I say simply.
This captures his attention as he sits up now. “You knew about this? Why did you not reach out? How long have you known?”
“I am handling it,” I lie. Telling him that I have known for months and still not managed to get to the bottom of it all somehow feels worse. “Nicola, does he know who this person might be?” I lean forward, seeking any lead that can shed light on these mysterious hit jobs.
Pietro shakes his head, a crease of worry etching deeper lines into his face. “No, he has no name, no face to give us. But, Alessandro, this is dangerous. We cannot allow our families to be taken down. We must find out who’s behind these killings and put a stop to it. And no one can know about your father’s death until we have more clarity. We do not want to make things even more unstable than they already are.”
I run a hand through my hair, considering the gravity of the situation. “We’ll need to dig deeper, talk to Nicola, see if he can provide more information, even if it’s just a hint. This matter must be handled discreetly, without raising suspicion. I don’t want my soldiers getting spooked. Spooked Mafia men are harder to handle”
Pietro nods in agreement, his expression grave. “Agreed. And in the meantime, you need to tighten security, protect our people. If there’s a threat within, we can’t afford to have any weaknesses exposed.”
I look into his eyes, determination burning in my gaze. “I’ll do what’s necessary, Pietro. We won’t let our family fall apart.”
“One last thing Alessandro?”
“What is it?”
