Mixed up with me.
But it was changing now. Perhaps they had already changed, and all I wanted was to see her. To know she was ok.
Fuck, even just hearing her voice would have been something.
Pushing thoughts of Katya away took a lot of effort, but there were too many things on the table now. I had to trust that Katya knew how to take care of herself.
“I think they’ve already started it.”
I shook my head, disagreeing with Frankie. “Not yet. We’d know if there was a fucking clan war in the city.”
“Well, yes, but families have already started merging up. That mutual agreement that the mafia families here could only have alliances with families outside the city isn’t holding much water. I think it’s only a matter of time before the Trievs actually start breaking ground.”
“Fuck.” Dom threw his head back and let out an exaggerated sigh. “This is why you should have let me bomb them a long time ago.”
Frankie was quiet for a while.
But maybe Dom was right. “I hate to admit that your plan might have been a better idea than I’d originally thought.”
Sure, there would have been consequences, but they would not have cost my family forty million dollars, connections with officials in the state, and control over our part of the city.
It wouldn’t have disturbed the systems that the mafia families had already implemented.
“Well,” Frankie said, “we can’t bomb them now. They’ve grown and gained a reputation. I’m sure they have deals in place with some of the city officials. Attacking might jeopardize our own relationships.”
I leaned back into my chair, sitting behind my desk.
“Maybe,” I suggested, “it’s time to work together with another family.”
Both my brothers looked at me, then at each other. “What?” Dom asked.
“I think working with the Petrenkos is what we need right now. You disagree?”
Frankie looked as if he was thinking about what I’d just said but wasn’t convinced.
“I think that’s a decision you should think about.” He said finally. “We haven’t clashed with the Petrenkos, but they’ve tried to take our property twice now. Having them as allies would make us susceptible to being backstabbed.”
He didn’t say anymore, but I could see it in his expression. Is that what we really want?
It wasn’t, and something like that wouldn’t happen. Yuri was a very…unusual man to be the head of a mafia family. He had all the blood-curdling qualities you needed to attain a level of power in this damned city, but he was not one to feign or pretend loyalty.
And Katya…
Dom stood up, picking at his sleeves as if he’d ever been one to focus on primping. “It’s already three. I’ve got people to beat, stab, and or shoot.”
Frankie glanced at his watch and stood too, giving me a nod. “I think you should really mull the alliance idea over.”
I smiled as they left, thinking about Yuri and the alliance.
I needed to have a meeting with Yuri.
Yes, joining hands would be the best. The Trievs were wild and unpredictable, having somebody to watch your back was very well needed, and who better to do that for the Sorvinos than the Petrenkos.
“Are you sure?” Yuri asked, surprised at my proposal. I noticed that he did not refute me right away. “As Don, you can make the decision on your own, but I think counseling with your brothers would be better, they are sub-heads, aren’t they?”
Frankie was second in command, and Dom oversaw the muscle of the family, protecting the clubs and bars.
“I already did, they were hesitant, but I wasn’t refused right away. The hesitation is understandable, but they’re very sensible, they might accept with enough reason.”