I swallow hard. I don’t know what to say. “I didn’t realize that swearing my undying allegiance was a part of the move-in package,” I retort dryly.
And just like that, Elio takes a step back, slipping back into an easy smile. He shrugs nonchalantly. “No, I suppose it’s not. I just want you to know that if you do anything to hurt him, therewillbe consequences.”
I put my hands on my hips. “Well, it’s a good thing I don’t ever plan on doing that.”
Elio chuckles. “I’m glad to hear it.”
He leaves first, humming a playful tune, while I remain in place, ignoring the cold twist in my gut. Elio may be on Dominic’s side, but I need to be careful. Felicia and I might be safe under Dominic’s protection, but it’s clear there’s more than one shark in these waters.
Chapter 16
Dominic
“I’m glad you’re still with us,” Lorenzo says hoarsely. He’s got a cigarette pinched between his lips, blowing smoke out through his nostrils. Even though his webcam quality is shit, I can still make out the glint of the fat gold chains around his neck and the greasiness of his thinning hair.
The power of modern technology means we don’t have to meet in one location. It’s smarter and safer this way. I can’t count how many times the cops have raided in-person meetings and thrown our big players behind bars in one fell swoop. It’s taken a bit of convincing, especially with some of the older capos who are set in their ways, but the advantages of hosting a call are as plain as day.
“I’ve spoken to Renato,” Bianchi, a capo whose territory encompasses the Bronx, informs us as he takes a big swig of beer. “He says he wasn’t the one who called the attack.”
“Bullshit,” I hiss. “His men specifically said Renato wanted me brought in alive.”
“Calm yourself, Costello,” Russo, one of the capos in charge of the northern districts, says to me. “We’ll get to the bottom of this, but we can’t have you flying off the handle.”
“Renato’s men attacked my man in broad daylight,” Lorenzo snarls. “Not to mention made a move on my laundromats. If this isn’t a declaration of war, I don’t know what is.”
“There has to be an explanation,” Di Paola, yet another capo, says reasonably. “Perhaps a few of Renato’s men have gone rogue?”
Lorenzo growls. “If that’s the case, Renato doesn’t deserve his fucking rank. What kind of caporegime can’t control his men?”
“We need to sort this out before we have a full-out war on our hands,” Bianchi says. “The last thing we need right now is in-fighting. The Russians and the Irish have been waiting for their chance to strike. If they sense a weakness in our alliance, they’ll no doubt use it as an opportunity to claim our territory.”
“I want Renato’s head on a fucking pike!” Lorenzo bellows.
Russo clicks his tongue. “You know, none of this would have happened if you weren’t spending all your time in Atlantic City.”
“The fuck did you say?”
“You’ve left your right-hand man completely exposed.”
“Dominic can handle himself. Ain’t that right, Dom?”
I press my lips into a thin line, staring at the desktop screen. I nod once, but I don’t say anything. This meeting is getting us nowhere. Lorenzo might be my captain, but he’s always been too much of a hothead to be a proper leader. His sharp tongue and quick temper have landed us in hot water more than once, but I’m in no position to argue with him.
While the capos argue amongst themselves about how to handle the situation, my mind drifts. I wonder if Arin and Felicia are settled in. Elio’s been texting me occasionally with updates, but I haven’t been able to check my phone since the meeting started. Hopefully Arin and her daughter find everything to their liking.
Ourdaughter.
I still can’t believe it. It all happened so fast. One second, I’m a carefree bachelor, and the next I’ve got a four-year-old child I didn’t know about. My mother’s probably going to lose her mind when she realizes she finally has a grandchild.
I clench my hands. I don’t know the first thing about being a father. I don’t have a nurturing bone in my body. Corralling and ordering a team of thirty-some associates doesn’t count as being fatherly, either. I can’t exactly treat a little girl the same why I treat the men under my command. Those skills simply aren’t transferable.
If anything happens to my daughter, Iwillkill you myself.
The corner of my lip lifts at the memory of my little spitfire. I don’t know if Arin knows this but seeing her all fired up like that really turns me on. Hopefully I’ll be able to control myself now that we’re living under one roof. It’s hard enough keeping my hands off her, but now that she’s right down the hall from me, this is going to prove distracting as hell.
“We’ll reconvene tomorrow evening,” one of the capos says. “We need more information before we jump to conclusions.”
Lorenzo’s face is bright red, the vein at his temple bulging out of his skull. “Now wait just a fucking second—”