“Nico,” he breathed into the receiver. “Meet me in my office. We have a few things to discuss.”
We never talked about business over the phone. It was always in person and at a secure location in the casino’s basement.
“I’ll be there in five.”
And then we ended the call.
* * *
Most men piss themselves when there’s a gun held to their head, the cold metal pressed to their temple. Some men even shit themselves. None of that ever bothered me. They could piss and shit and scream and cry without me feeling anything. Not even an ounce of compassion.
It was their fear that got me off.
I enjoyed holding their lives in my hands, knowing I would splatter their brain matter on the floor.
Dead.
Lifeless.
Even as a kid, I enjoyed doing bad shit. And because I always got away with it, I kept doing it.
More violence.
More crime.
I was a Luciano through and through, even if my brothers didn’t see me as their equal. And when I was with Ava, I got the same high. The same feeling of having the ultimate power over another person. Except this was different.
Possession.
Obsession.
I sat in my father’s office next to Stefan and Angelo. Dante was across the desk from my father. Neither of them had spoken since we entered his office.
So I tipped the glass to my lips and drank. Angelo smoked a cigar, a cloud billowing around our heads. Stefan just stared at the wall, waiting for Dad to speak.
My father’s office was in an unfinished cement room below the casino, disconnected from modern technology. The Feds couldn’t get a tap on us down here.
“Where are we at with the Vianellos?” Dad asked, eyes on me.
“I listen to Ava’s calls and read her texts and emails. She doesn’t say much over the phone.” I leaned forward, holding his gaze. “The girl likes me. She doesn’t suspect a thing. If she knows anything about Giancarlo, I’ll get it out of her.”
Dad looked at Dante. “How is she handling the financials?”
He rested the dress shoe on his knee and sipped from the glass. “She came up with a good idea to funnel more money through the hedge fund. We started the paperwork this week.”
My dad grinned with delight. “Didn’t I tell you to give her a chance? She’s a smart girl, the perfect replacement for Giancarlo.”
“I think she’ll side with her father,” Dante said confidently. “When it comes down to it, they are family. She won’t choose us over Giancarlo.”
Dad tapped his fingers on the desk, eyeing up my brother. “When Ava discovers her father liquidated her portfolio, I doubt she will be inclined to help him.”
“What if she already knows?” I asked. “Ava only has Giancarlo and the staff at his house. Her mother hasn’t been home in years. Her dad is all she has left.”
I would always choose my family.
His eyes swept over to Dante. “Have you noticed any unusual behavior from her? Anything on the security feeds that would indicate she’s helping Giancarlo?”
Dante shook his head. “She just made the first few transfers this week. Until she’s had more time to get acquainted with our books, I don’t think she’ll do anything stupid.”