“Ridolfo, do you know of any contract between Papa and Massimo?”
“Very little.”
I keep my voice low, so the driver won’t hear.
“If Papa made a contract, can’t it be dissolved now that’s he’s deceased?”
“That’s a question for an attorney but don’t ask this one, it’s his,” he warns.
“Isn’t there a way out of this? Can’t I go back to Sicily?”
“Let’s go one step at a time. You might need Massimo. Your brother might not be able to protect himself, let alone you.”
I love my brother and am beginning to feel more and more like him every day, making decisions based on what the family needs instead of my own. I understand what his days must be like now that he’s in charge during what could be the most dangerous time for our family’s survival. I worry about him and hope he’s surrounded by loyal men but how can he be sure?
He’s my best bet to get out of this contract. Whatever went wrong, maybe he can fix it and buy me back.
21
Massimo
“Mama.” I greet her with a hug and kiss both cheeks out of respect rather than the forgiveness she wants. “How are you?”
“I’m fine but sore. These pain meds make me loopy.” She struggles to sit up in bed and I help her, adjusting her bed pillows.
We visit and try my best to be pleasant. I listen to Nico as he cooks and tells me how well Cosimo is doing in school.
“That’s great, Papa.
“Mama, I met a girl, I like this one.”
This news is the best medicine. She perks up, wanting to know more.
“I’m getting to know her. When you’re feeling better, we’ll get together.”
She grabs my hand as I sit by her bed and lean in to hear her.
“That would be great, be good to her.” She smiles.
“You get some rest. I’ll see you soon.”
I can tell Mama’s exhausted but having a woman in my life will give her hope for grandchildren one day and a reason to live. With the amount of time I spend working and my track record with women, she had probably given up on grandkids.
Nico and I nod to each other as I make my way to the door. I’m no longer angry with him. He had the impossible task of trying to fill another man’s shoes and loves me in his own way. That’s more than I can expect for a man that raised another man’s love child as his own.
Once I’m in my car, I call Grandfather to make sure he’s on his way out of town. He wants me to solidify our relationship with Giovi and is more than happy I have Valentina to facilitate a likely regime change. He believes Giovi will be more motivated to stay in power with his sister’s well-being riding on it. He may be right, but I’d never let anything happen to her.
Giovi’s situation is as unpredictable as it is unproductive. He has to keep men loyal to him when the men might not be confident in his abilities since his dad was whacked. He also has to keep the syndicate’s products moving or he’ll have issues with cash flow and soured contacts he needs to keep afloat. Any failure to meet terms with us will void our stay of execution.
Like I always say, everyone lies. At some point, greed, for money or power, fucks up everything. I don’t relish the thought of war but I sure as hell will fight for what’s mine and take out any person who deserves it.
“Giovi will have to be in control to protect his family. We have to make sure of that. Congrats on the girl, she’s very pretty. You’re a lucky bastard,” he says and the implication strikes me as inappropriate. I’m his grandson. Would he really muscle in on my woman?
“Maybe,” I reply before hanging up. He’s overstepping and I don’t appreciate the connotations.
Is Grandfather fucking with me? The words of my mother can’t be ignored. But would he have a reason to knock me off, or set me up? I can’t fathom it. He spent the past two decades mentoring me and teaching me survival in the wild. He has no children. He treats me like his son. It’s partly why I’m so wealthy.
I toss my second set of gum before I arrive at the police station to give my statement before Valentina’s appointment. I can’t be distracted from my duties, and just like the police, I need to figure out who killed Argon and Luciano.