15
Massimo
The news of Argon’s death reached me through Besnik, one of my loyal bosses, before Christmas. I’m not surprised. I’m a bit miffed. We must find someone to replace Argon. With his incredible aptitude with numbers and moving money around, he was the one who kept our cryptocurrency. He’s the only one who knew the passwords and changed them numerous times a day. If the money is lost, our heads are on the chopping block. We’re in a bind to find the information only he knew.
Argon was to blend in, not make himself so prominent. Only his best friend Besnik knew what he really did for us. But once he left home, where he played the doting father to Prende, he lived a larger-than-life role amongst his peers. He became a liability, and he was disrespecting the Micheli family. I wouldn’t doubt they didn’t off him but there is the issue of that damn code that is hidden somewhere and we need it.
On the heels of his death, one of my lieutenants inadvertently showed up at the wrong time, posing as officials to raid one of the Michelis’ warehouses. Again, nice plan, but not approved by me. I wonder how long I have before the Michelis begin to look at recent hires. My name is on that short list.
Did the Michelis murder Argon for retaliation? Is Prende in on it or just a pawn in a larger picture? I’ve seen Marchello with her, as I’ve had my men watching her and others in the family.
What a shitshow. I have my hands full trying to control men who act on their own will, for their own gain, and never think of how it affects the rest of us. This is all piled on top of the fact that I still haven’t processed my mother’s illness and truth about my biological father.
The news about Cosimo being my half-brother makes sense. It accounts for my wider face, and a few other things that never made added up. Like why Cosimo has baby pictures and there are very few of me. Mama said she didn’t have money to develop photos back then, and reminds me it was before cell phone cameras. I know Mama and she has them hidden somewhere. She’d never throw a picture of me out. I’m her firstborn for heaven sakes.
Now it adds up. All the excuses and little lies over the years to cover up my real identity. Mama might think she’s better than grandfather but they both told lies that led to more lies and brought me to this moment of truth.
Who am I? What family do I belong in? Will I fit in with either family once everyone finds out my true background? Or will both sides want to kill me? Neither side will know where my loyalties lie, and I could be eliminated simply because I’m of mixed blood.
Albanians and Italians intermarry but never have I heard of one that is mafia royalty on both sides. Clearly Mama loved Aldo and turned her back on her family until she needed Grandfather for our safety. In hindsight, it’s a good thing she did. Since Aldo died so young, Mama would have given up too much to stay with him. No one could have known he’d go so young.
So, I’m a lovechild. Nico must’ve hated keeping the secret and knew he could never take the place of my real father. He’s on the lower echelon and it’s because of Mama as he’s Italian on both sides of his family. My mother sure gets swept off her feet by Italian men, that’s for sure.
It’s crazy how a person can be attracted to a particular type when it comes to looks and fall so deeply in love that one has to have them at any cost. But that’s what Aldo was to Mama. In my eyes, it was her weakness that led her astray.
Then she found Nico, someone she could live with the rest of her life and she didn’t have to hide him from anyone. He loves her, and they have Cosimo.
Nico tried over the years to get close to me. Now I understand this looks are from frustration. I’m sure he’s miffed at his failure to keep me away from the street life and out of Grandfather’s clutches. It’s why he kept Cosimo in sports, something I never cared about, and why he was so hard on me when I stayed out past curfew.
In his defense, he did his best to keep me safe and on the path to a different life. He just wanted more for me and his son. I can’t be angry with him over good intentions.
For me to be legally adopted, papers giving up Aldo’s rights must have been forged. I guess Mama was still in love with Aldo and put him down as my legal father, which pissed off my grandfather, who wanted to erase all ties with the man. No one was to know the truth about my lineage.
What am I supposed to do with this information? For now, it’s best to keep it a secret. It never hurts to know more than my enemies. In this racket, I never know when I might need to use it.
Grandfather knew the Michelis are my blood, yet he let me infiltrate them and thought it was brilliant. The darker side of Grandfather is coming to light. He’d never hurt me unless it was an unforgivable deed. I’m not stupid enough to give him a reason to have to that to kill one of his own.
Mama’s warning to be careful around him is not to be taken lightly. I must cover the bases. He took the news of Valentina better than I anticipated. I’m sure he enjoys having the upper hand, and nothing is better than a captive audience who knows they need to please you, and for now, I’m pleasing him in his eyes. But I’m my own man and I know I’m appeasing him.
I’ve been assured Valentina is watched closely as Luciano knows the lives of his family depend upon her being delivered to me. I’m sure a part of Grandfather hopes something will go wrong but that won’t get him the oligarchy seat he wants. Being able to use Luciano for information that enables access to the 12 is his endgame. And Luciano needs to be alive for that. Grandfather can’t just step in, especially if foul play is suspected.
Grandfather doesn’t need to know everything when it transpires. Details are best if doled out on a need-to-know basis. This strategy has always kept me one step ahead of others around me.
First, I have to get past the holiday mass with my family. Then, it will be New Years where Savio will be getting drunk and picking up woman to spend the long and lonely night with. That will take my mind off of Valentina. She’s pissed that I haven’t responded to her text messages.
She gave up on getting information out of me. I’m enjoying the amenity, and yet, I can’t forget her eyes that haunt me.
I spend Christmas with my family and New Year’s with Savio is bust as I’m not interested in the friends we’ve amassed and even though he invited women for me, I act like an ass and get drunk. Before midnight, I fall into my bed, thinking of those perfect eyes I long to see again.
Before the wedding,Besnik helped facilitate the return of the black book with the passwords we needed. I orchestrated that, but no one needs to know except Bresnik. Grandfather had to use it to show off and act like the don of all dons as I can’t give up my identity yet. I’m the mole in the Micheli organization.
I gave Micro, my guard, the job of the botched snatch and grab of Prende’s purse that he farmed out to a new soldier. My mistake for not specifying someone who has a proven track record and isn’t learning on the job.Two drugs were found in Argon’s body. Either could have killed him. I suspect the Digitalis did the job.
Two anonymous identities wanted him dead. I suspect the Michelis, that’s obvious. I’ve picked up enough to know that Dante likes to make little waves and enjoys staying under the radar. His legit businesses are something I’m envious of and something he should be proud of as he hobnobs with Florentines.
He’s building luxury condos in a prized location in Florence and his construction business has the contract for the new city hall. He’s able to finesse his way through the political jungle to get things I’m making inroads with, but it’s difficult because we are not Italians.
Life is complicated. Dante is my brother and I want to be part of his family and success, but at the same time I feel like I’m betraying the Albanian side of my mother. Now I know why my grandfather kept me so close all these years, knowing my true identity. He knew I was born into this life double-fold; he has a dedicated mafia ‘son’ at his side, and now I know why I fell so effortlessly into my mother’s clan.