I nodded, because I knew it.
“Can you imagine leaving Las Vegas to live with Amo in New York, as a Capo’s wife?”
I tried to see myself in New York, away from my family, as the woman everyone in the Famiglia would look up to. Anxiety tightened my belly. “No,” I croaked.
That night I went over to Nevio’s bedroom. He gave me a distracted smile as he put on his leather wristbands, combat boots and leather biker pants, getting ready for his night out with Massimo and Alessio.
He put two curved knives into his holster at his back, then two daggers into the holsters at his calves.
I watched him quietly as I sat cross-legged on his bed. In the beginning when I’d realized why the three of them went out at night, I’d asked him to stop but eventually I’d realized he needed this like I needed ballet, as a way to deal with his demons.
“Would you ever leave our family?”
Nevio stopped and gave me an incredulous look. “For nothing in this world.”
“Not even if you fell in love?”
Nevio came toward me, his eyes burning with intensity. “If I ever thought there was someone who’d make me consider leaving our family and the Camorra, I’d kill her before she turned me into a traitor of everything that matters.”
“Don’t say something like that. You don’t mean it.”
He got down on his knees before me and his expression terrified me. “I’m fucking serious, Greta. Our family is everything. Nothing deserves to take its prime spot.”
I sighed. “You always think in extremes.”
“Maybe, but some things are just black and white. No reason to sugarcoat it.”
Nevio’s expression turned playful. “You need to stop reading all this shit about emotions. Sometimes it’s better not to have and understand them.”
I rolled my eyes and got up. “Be careful tonight.”
I always said these parting words even if they were unnecessary. My heart felt heavy as I returned to my bedroom. Nevio’s words had only confirmed what Nino had said, what I’d known all along.
I turned on my phone when the airplane landed in Las Vegas. Several messages popped up on my screen. I ignored the ones from Cressida and Dad asking where I was.
I had several missed calls and two messages from Marcella.
You stupid idiot, they’ll kill you. Turn on your brain for once.
Amo, please don’t be stupid.
Then there was a message from Maximus.
I should have come with you. You need back up. Fuck, they’re going to kill you.
If I’d brought Maximus with me that would have sent the wrong message. It was better this way, me going alone. Maybe it was stupidity. Maybe it was suicidal, but I’d made up my mind and nothing would stop me now. Definitely not Dad, because he had no clue what I was doing.
The last week since my conversation with Dad my resolve had only grown, but I’d hidden it from him. The only people who knew of my plan were Maximus and Marcella. Both had tried to talk me out of it until I’d boarded the airplane.
When I left the airport, I stepped foot on Las Vegas ground not as future Capo of the Famiglia. I was here privately. I’d tried to come up with a plan to make this go as smoothly as possible. There really was no handbook on how to approach a family of murderous sociopaths.
I called Fabiano. He picked up after the third ring.
“I’m at the airport in Las Vegas. Can you pick me up?”
Silence.
“I wasn’t informed that you and Luca would be coming over for a meeting.”