“Two million a month.”
“How?” Sal said, shaking his head. “I know the family makes money but not that much. Where are you getting the money to pay him? Father has been dead for three years.”
Sal looked up at me and gasped when I didn't say anything. “No. Please tell me you’re not.”
I stayed silent, giving him my answer.
“Are you crazy! If the feds find out, we can all go to jail!”
“They won’t find out.”
“Yes, they will. They always do!”
“What?” Dwayne asked. “Where is he getting the money, Sal?”
“He’s taking it from the Valentinetti Corporation Charities!”
31
Giovanni
“Are you out of your mind, Giovanni? You can’t be serious. Those charities are for people who suffer from drug addiction and violent crimes. You take money from them to pay that criminal!”
I sat there and let Dwayne and Sal say what they needed. They were right. That was precisely what I did. I couldn’t take the money from the family corporation because it had gone public two years ago and was subject to FCC regulations, not to mention many other governmental subsidiaries. The Corporation couldn’t be touched without setting off alarms. However, the charities, well, they were a 501C. Money passed in and out of the charities all the time. I just needed to make sure that the transfers were worded and wired a certain way. I knew that none of it was legal, and since I refused to use the family's personal accounts, I was left with no other choice.
It was a slippery slope and one I was desperately trying to get off of. Now I needed Sal to stop ranting and help me figure a way out of this without causing a rift with the Capribella family.
I needed the Capribella’s on my side to take down Bianchi. Without them, I would be starting another war, and if that happened, there was no way Victor Capribella would allow Layla to marry me.
Everything was hanging by a thread.
One misstep, and the thread would snap.
I couldn’t let that happen.
“I need your help.”
“Now you want my help,” Sal scoffed as he looked at me. “Why now? You’ve been doing a bang-up job all by yourself. Why do you even want my help at this point when you never asked before?”
“I’m asking now.”
“Fine, you want my help. Tell that criminal to go fuck himself. He wants a war, then he’s got one. Stop all shipments, guns, and drugs immediately. Close the warehouse. Make it unavailable to anyone. Then call a family meeting and come clean. I want to see our mother's face when she learns what you’ve done. Then I will help you clean up this mess.”
“She already knows,” I replied. “The charities are in her name.”
“Wait a damn minute. Two of those charities are in my mother’s name,” Dwayne whispered, looking at Sal.
And this was where I knew it was about to get really bad because I was about to lay it all out, every dirty unconceivable detail. Taking a deep breath, I braced myself and said, “Who do you think makes the transfers.”
“You son-of-a-bitch!” Sal and Dwayne both roared as they both charged me, slamming their fists into my face. I didn’t stop them. They had every right. I endangered my mother and Aunt Daniella, Dwayne’s mother. I put the hearts of our family in danger because I couldn’t find a way out of this mess.
As the head of the Valentinetti Family, I was responsible for everyone. It was my choice. My decision and now if we got caught, my mother and aunt would go to jail for fraud and embezzlement. I knew the risks going in. They did too. Yet, it still didn’t make it right.
So yes, I did nothing to stop Dwayne and Salvatore from hitting me. Just like I knew when Lorenzo, Luciano, and Illyria found out, they too would be angry. Each would want their pound of flesh, and I wouldn’t stop them.
Since taking over the family, I’ve made many decisions that I’ve regretted, this being the biggest. I just needed to clear the air, let the family know, and make amends. I knew I wouldn’t be able to move forward without them.
“Whoa!” Antonio shouted as he rushed into the room, trying to get Salvatore and Dwyane off me. After a few minutes, he succeeded, taking a deep breath. “Someone want to tell me what is going on?”