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“In some ways they are,” I said sternly, sitting back down as Gio’s eyes narrowed on me with betrayal.
“What?”
“They have achieved far more than any mafia family ever has. They have rewritten how an empire can run and thrive. That is something to admire, as well as something to fear.”
“Someone has to stand against them, mamma! Otherwise, when does it end?”
“Right now, it ends when they say it ends. Because you have allowed them to have all the control and power.”
He started pacing the room, his jaw clenching and unclenching and my anger started to disperse. Now was not the time to fight my son. He had made mistakes. Mistakes he would not have made if I was here. But what’s done is done. Now it was about salvaging what was left of this mess and getting my daughter home safely.
“How many families in the North have you gained support from?” I asked.
“Four,” Max answered. “Aiani, Lino, Krilhano and Siderini.”
“And the others? Are they just remaining silent or have they shown allegiance to Barbieri?”
“We aren’t sure. We have heard of two signing contracts to work for Barbieri as well as Leone. There could be more though,” Max answered as Gio poured himself a whiskey and knocked it back in one go.
“And what do you plan to do with these families’ support? You cannot take on the South with four families,” I looked from my son to Max.
“We know that. It is disappointing. But we are going to focus on keeping territories in the North and fighting for new territories. The less power Leone has, the slower it will be for Barbieri to take over.”
“But you are acknowledging that the way this is going, the Barbieris will eventually gain enough influence in the North that they will take over,” I said, carefully looking between the men again. The quicker they came to terms with what was happening the better. They were fighting a losing battle. If we wanted to remain in power in the North, secure our family’s legacy and get Elle back, we had to look at this differently.
“I am,” Max muttered, rubbing his forehead as he glanced towards Gio.
“I will never work for a Barbieri,” Giovanni gritted through his teeth. “I would rather be shot than lick their fucking asses.”
Liv’s head snapped up and her nostrils flared in annoyance at his statement.
“Perhaps, you won’t have to. If you met with Alessio and came to some kind of arrangement—”
Gio scoffed, shaking his head. “That man kidnapped my sister, tortured her, nearly had her raped, stole Venice and Trieste from me, wants to tear me apart until I have nothing left… And you want me to sit down with him and beg him for mercy? Feed his ego by bending to his every whim? No fucking way.”
“That is your ego talking not his!” I snapped back. “What other options do you have right now? How are you planning on getting Elle back without giving everything up? What do you think your father would do in this situation?”
“Papi never had to deal with this because he was never Boss!” Gio roared.
“He may have never been Boss, but he always put his family first and his pride second.”
“And look where it got him!”
I jumped up and felt Marco’s arm around my waist. “He’d rather die for family than for his ego, which is what will happen to you if you don’t start thinking clearly Giovanni! The Barbieris are more powerful than you. Alessio is more powerful than you. I know that is hard to hear, but it is the truth. Do you know whose idea it was to create the peace treaty between the North and the South all those years ago? Your papi’s. He knew when to fight and he knew when to wave the white flag.”
Gio flopped down defeated in an armchair and Liv stood up, walking over to him to sit in his lap. He buried his face into her neck as she kissed his head. “Your mamma is right, Gio.”
“You are, Cecilia. However,” Max spoke, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. “We have nothing to bargain with. It is not a level playing field while they have Elle. They have all the power and we have nothing. What’s to say they ask Giovanni to sign over his entire empire to them for her return or even his life for hers in exchange? We say no and they keep Elle? Their demands could be reasonable, but knowing their reputation, there is a large chance they won’t be.”
Marco cleared his throat from behind me and we all looked around at him. “I have a plan.”
“What?” I asked, my face showing my surprise.
He stepped forward and nodded respectfully to Gio. “I believe the best way to get Elle back, without giving them everything, is to send someone to the South to stake out the premises. Keep an eye on their routines, movements and Elenora’s whereabouts. To look for an opening.”
“We don’t even know for sure where Elenora is being held. Or what part of the South she is in. Alessio has many properties in different cities,” Gio stated.
“I am in contact with an ex-investigator. I believe Alessio is keeping Elenora in Sicily and most likely Catania,” Marco added.
