He grabbed his phone and found it was Ace Moretti, one of his cousins. The guy was a vicious young shifter who was looking to move up the ranks and become a “made man.” When Ray had moved up to Capo, Ace had neatly inserted himself into Ray’s previous position of chief enforcer.
Ray didn’t know what to make of the guy, really. He seemed shut down and cold a lot of the time. Ray had run into him multiple times while he had been growing up since he had changed families so often. He didn’t know if Ace had been subjected to the same kind of emotional torture he had suffered or if the guy was just an asshole.
Ace wanted to meet with him, pronto. Ray had mentioned a job that needed doing, and Ace was keen to get on it. Ray checked on Augusta one more time, making sure she was sleeping peacefully. He tucked a blanket over her and kissed her forehead before leaving her a note and heading out.
It was early. The crowds of workers were still just a trickle. As it got closer to nine, the cafés would be stacked with people desperate for their caffeine hit before they went into the daily grind. He was glad his job wasn’t so boring, even if it could be dangerous.
He ordered a strong coffee and picked up a few fresh bagels and donuts in case Augusta would like some when she woke, then he hurried to the park to wait for Ace.
It wasn’t long before he saw his cousin walking down the path from the opposite direction. The guy had a bit of flair … over his tailored suit, he wore a fitted trench coat that flapped around his legs as the cool breeze whipped up to tug on the coat’s long tails. It would have been a great effect if Ace had been walking tall and proud.
Instead, his cousin was walking with his head down, and his hands jammed in his pockets. His shoulders were a tense, tight line, and even from this distance, his entire body seemed to be screaming “fuck off” in bright neon lights.
He waved as Ace got closer, and his cousin straightened and ran a hand through his dark blonde hair. Immediately he settled himself, showing off his true height and moving casually, so his jacket fell neatly from his shoulders to his knees.
He’ll never move up if he can only turn it on when a superior is watching.
Ace would have to learn to look polished at all times. It was hard to appear elegant when you were pounding a guy’s face in, but composure was all part of the job.
If he ever has to shift in that jacket, there will be hell to pay.
He laughed to himself. It was a never-ending source of entertainment to him how the Morettis kept paying thousands of dollars for tailored suits that ultimately were torn to shreds when they shifted.
“Hey, Ace,” he said, welcoming his cousin. Ace nodded, his face locked down and tense.
“Ray. What have you got for me?”
Ray frowned. He didn’t like this guy’s attitude. If he had spoken to the Don like that, he’d probably be missing an eye right now.
“You’ve heard everything that went down, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. It was a few months ago now. I’ve been working on the other end of town. What do you need?”
Ray was insulted again by the clipped, brusque tones but decided to let it go. Maybe he’d be a very effective enforcer if he was cold and to the point.
“Well, even though most of it is sorted, we still don’t know who rubbed out that bookie. Things between the Fontanas and the Morettis are still up in the air, very tense. The De Lucas should be keeping their heads down, and the Lombardis may well be trying to turn this to their advantage. Everyone wants to avoid a clan war.”
Ray could tell by the hungry sheen in his cousin’s amber eyes that he was hoping for a war.
“What do you need me to do?” Ace asked. Ray held in a sigh. The kid really needed to learn some respect.
“Get on the case. Find any information you can. Do it quietly … don’t go around killing people. Just gather information.”
“Can do,” Ace said, turning to walk away.
“Wait,” Ray said. “You need to know that even though it looks like the Fontanas did it, there is no guarantee. It could be a frame-up. So don’t make any big decisions before you talk to me, got it?”
“Yeah, boss,” Ace said casually. He turned his back and walked away, waving over his shoulder.
Ray shook his head, astounded at the kid’s arrogance. Maybe what he needed was a good woman … it had certainly made all the difference to Ray.
The end