“Don’t kill her,” he growled. “We need her as leverage. You can’t bargain with a dead body.”
“Dante DiSalvo is having his usual birthday party in Atlantic City,” I said, wondering if this would solve our problem. “We could give Gia to him as a gift.”
The old man turned his head and scratched the stubble along his jaw. “That could work. But make sure Dante and his men don’t touch her. Lorenzo won’t pay for damaged goods, and Angelo will start a war if anything happens to that girl. I can’t have that kind of fallback on our family. I need this taken care of tonight. The longer I give Lorenzo to think this through, the longer he will find ways to avoid me. No one takes money or favors from me and walks away without paying me back. He needs to learn a lesson. They all do.”
I was his heir apparent and rightfully so. We were cut from the same cloth. Angelo was weak, and Marco was too unpredictable. He wasn’t a baby like Angelo, but he had a softer side to him that often made me question his loyalty to this family. Marco showed compassion, as most normal people did, but we couldn’t have that. There was no room for feelings in this world, not when they could get you killed.
I pushed myself up from the chair, assuming we were about to be excused to handle business. “I’ll make the arrangements with Dante.”
My father nodded. “Make it look like Sonny kidnapped Gia. We want Angelo to question everyone in his life, including Sonny. He needs to learn that the only way he will survive in this game is if he pledges his full allegiance to us. By the time we are through, he will obey my orders. We want him to realize his life of privilege can be taken away from him at any moment.”
“He’ll fall in line after we’re done with him,” I promised.
Dad moved his hand out in front of him. “Go, let me know when it’s done. I’ll be awaiting Lorenzo’s call.” He grinned so wide he looked like the Cheshire cat.
When my father issued an order, we followed it. Angelo was about to learn that actions had consequences, and rules were in place for a reason. So was Lorenzo Carlini.