Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 88326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“Good. Makes the trip worth it.”
“So what have the guys been saying about me since I’ve come back?”
He shrugged before he pulled the cigar out of his mouth and let the smoke escape in a hazy cloud. “At first, they were merely receptive. But after the shit with Icarus, they think it’s time for the boss to retire.”
“Don Russo didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Yeah, but you did everything right.” He brought the cigar back to his mouth, took a puff, and then blew the smoke out of his mouth. “Not only would we be dead, but Cosa Nostra would probably be overrun right now. I watched the whole thing, Wolfe. I’m not sure if Don Russo would have faced Icarus.”
“You’re saying he would have just continued to hide?”
He shrugged. “Or tried to get into the car and take off and leave us behind.”
I shook my head. “He wouldn’t have done that.”
“Well, he shouldn’t have let you take his place. He’s in charge, not you.”
“We would all be dead if it hadn’t been me.”
“Exactly,” he said. “You were supposed to succeed him before you left, and now that you’re back, perhaps you should take over now instead of waiting for him to die or retire or whatever.”
“Be careful, Santino,” I said, even though no one was in earshot. “What you’re talking about is treasonous.”
“Well, then everyone’s about to be executed for treason.”
“I don’t think it’s fair to turn your back on Don Russo over one incident.”
“But it’s not one incident.” He angled his head to look at me, his cigar between his fingertips. “We lost you for months because of his stupidity. You’re the best guy we have, and he threw you out like trash.”
That still stung a bit. “We’ve squashed it.”
“Doesn’t change the fact that his decision-making has become questionable,” he said. “I don’t consider him old by any means, but his mentality seems to have aged decades recently. The guys were joking that he might have a brain tumor, but it doesn’t seem like a joke anymore.”
I shouldn’t feel bad that Don Russo was losing the respect of his men after what he’d done to me, but I did. Maybe his logic was faulty, but I knew he would bleed for Cosa Nostra without hesitation. “The threat we’re facing is unprecedented. I think everyone should cut him some slack.”
Santino released a quiet chuckle.
“What?”
“I don’t understand why you’re loyal to him when he wasn’t loyal to you.”
“Because the issue between us isn’t reflective of his dedication to Cosa Nostra. Just because he burned me doesn’t mean he’s unfit to lead the organization. He pissed me the fuck off, but I understand our issue is separate.”
“Well, his hesitation with Icarus wasn’t separate.”
That was all it took to lose the respect of his men—a single flinch.
“You’re the one who should be in charge, Wolfe.” He turned to look at me again. “And I’m not the only one who thinks that.”
Francesca managed to make dinner for dozens of men in my kitchen and keep everything warm. I didn’t have enough real plates to feed everyone, so Francesca had to use the paper plates in the pantry, which wasn’t ideal for a heavy meal of chicken and pasta, but the men made it work.
Everyone found a place to eat, some crowded at the dining table or seated in the living room. A lot of the others sat outside in the backyard. Francesca and I sat together at one of the outdoor tables in the garden. There were two open chairs available at our table, but none of the guys took them, as if they didn’t want to piss me off by getting too close to Francesca.
“Thank you for dinner, baby.”
“Sure, no problem.”
“It’s fucking good.”
She smirked as she looked at her plate and spun her pasta around her fork.
My phone buzzed with a text message in my pocket, so I fished it out and glanced at the screen.
It was Leo.
He’s gonna be here tomorrow at noon.
Adrenaline, excitement, and ecstasy spiked in my blood when I read that.
“What?” Francesca asked. “Why are you smiling like that?”
I set the phone on the table before I looked at her. “Because Warren is going to be there tomorrow at noon.”
She was about to take a bite of her food, but she put her fork down on the table.
I rubbed my hands together greedily. “Showtime.”
We prepared the vehicles and had them parked in a line facing the gate as we waited for Leo to notify me that Warren had arrived at the property.
Francesca was at the very back of the line, Santino and a couple other guys with her. I’d kept some of my best men with her since I wouldn’t be there to look out for her.
She had her vest strapped across her chest over her shirt, her tits pushed up higher because of the heavy material. Instead of looking flustered, she seemed calm, her hands gripping the straps of her vest.