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“He has dementia. Only a few people know about it, but I’ve been planning to officially take over for the better part of this year. It’s time,” he says matter of factly.
“How will that work? Will you have a meeting with all the bosses around?”
“I’ll probably just send an email once everything is in place,” he says, holding back a smile when he catches my shocked expression.
“An email?” I ask incredulous, arching back to meet his gaze.
“Everyone knows who I am and that I’ve been running things around here anyway. At this point, it’s just a formality, especially for the older generation.”
“So there won’t be like a mafia boss convention, where they crown you?”
He laughs. “You watch too many movies. It doesn’t work like this in real life.”
“I read books, thank you very much,” I scoff.
“Well, it’s too dangerous to have everyone in the same room at the same time. Even if precautions are taken, the risk is too great. Not only because many of the families arewarring, but also because the FBI would have a field day if they ever found us all in one place.”
“I guess.” Might not be the best time to tell him I made friends with a hacker who threatened to take the entire operation down if Dante hurts me.
“We’ll probably have a Zoom call at some point.”
My jaw drops.
“What? Don Vito Corleone would turn over in his grave.”
“Considering Mario Puzo wrote that book in the sixties, probably on a typewriter, I reckon you’re onto something.”
“Do you think he’d even have written The Godfather if he had access to the internet?”
Dante shrugs.
“I bet he’d spend most of his day watching porn, The Godfather the last thing on his mind.” I grin. “So, you’re like the boss of Blackwood?”
“Something like that.” He nuzzles my neck, pulling me closer into his embrace.
“What do you mean?”
Dante sighs, “My family is the oldest one in America. We have been at the helm of things for a long time, ensuring things don’t get out of place. I guess you can say the families govern themselves but ultimately answer to us. To me.”
I bite my lip, “So they come to you if anything is wrong?”
“Yes.”
“And you have to go deal with that?”
“Sometimes. Sometimes, I send others.”
“Has anyone ever tried to...take over?” My heart speeds up.
“Every day,Fata. Being a Don is a constant battle. I cannot step out of line. I have to be ruthless; otherwise, others will think me weak.”
“So you’re in danger?”
“Are you scared for your life? I’ll protect y—”
“No, I’m—” I interrupt, chewing on my finger, my brain working overtime. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
His arms tightened around me. “I promised you the truth, so I won’t tell you that nothing ever will. But I can promise you that I’m a tough motherfucker.”
