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)
“What story is that?”
“You fall in love with a pretty girl and think it’s time to settle down.” He pulled the pipe out of his mouth and let it sit between his pinched fingers, his arm resting on the armrest. “And you fuck and fight and maybe pop out a kid or two, and then the haze fades. The love is still there, but the excitement and addictive rush that she’d replaced from Cosa Nostra ends. And then you chase it once more. So you end up back here, a little older and a little wiser, back to the life you swore you’d leave behind. It happens every time.”
I stared at him, my fingers curled into a fist and tucked under my chin.
“This isn’t a job you do. It’s who you are. And you’ll always be Cosa Nostra.”
I watched him breathe in the smoke from his pipe as the water continued to splash the tiles of the fountain. It sounded like a waterfall in the background. “I’m going to avenge Don Mancini and return the syndicate to its rightful owner. And then I’ll serve her in whatever way she wishes.”
“And even if all of this works out for you, do you want your woman in that kind of position?”
I nearly took his words as an insult. “I would never let anything happen to her.”
He gave a shrug. “You probably said the same thing about her father, and he got a bullet in the brain.”
Now, that one really did feel like an insult. Like I was the one who’d failed him, when he’d failed to heed my warnings. No matter how I proved myself to him, his perception was always steeped in doubt.
“But if you stay with Cosa Nostra, she can live in the most beautiful city of Palermo with the protection of the largest organization on the island. Raise a couple kids, have dinner ready for you when you get home. Can’t do that and run a syndicate at the same time.”
I smirked because of the ridiculousness. “You have no idea what she’s capable of.” When I’d pulled over on the side of the road, she was dragging a dead body out of the car, one of the two men she’d slashed to death with her knife. She could handle any weapon and land her shots even when she was terrified. There was nothing my woman couldn’t do, and with me at her side, even the sky wasn’t the limit.
At that moment, Don Russo joined us and took a seat. “Looks like Icarus is trying to interfere with production.”
“How?” I asked.
“Dispatched his men to Colombia.”
I smirked. “He’s in way over his head.”
“Hope so,” Don Russo said. “If not, we can change suppliers. But it’ll cost twice as much.”
“Then we raise the price,” Uncle Marco said. “Problem solved. We’re already the biggest supplier on the island.”
“And then our customers will start buying from the Skull King,” I said. “Which is exactly what he wants.” I tapped my finger against my temple. “Not as dumb as he looks.”
Don Russo stared at me before he shifted his gaze back to Uncle Marco.
A silent conversation seemed to pass between them.
“I tried calling Leo,” I said. “Call doesn’t go through. He either blocked me, or he’s got a new phone.”
“If Warren suspects Leo’s had a change of heart, he’ll keep him on a tight leash,” Don Russo said. “If he was a rat in the first place, he can be a rat again. Despite being helpful to Warren, he also squandered his credibility.”
Don Mancini had been right to call his own son an idiot, and Francesca had been wrong to disagree. “Then I need to get that rat working for me. Problem is, I can’t get a hold of him. I need you to find him for me.”
Don Russo gave a nod. “Consider it done.”
“Are we going to have lunch?” Uncle Marco asked. “I’m starving,” he said as he held his pipe between his fingertips.
“You’re always starving,” Don Russo said as he shook his head slightly. “Even though you eat like a pig.”
“Wolfe, would you like to join us?” Uncle Marco asked. “We would love to have you.”
I should get home and be with Francesca, but something made me want to stay. The old feeling of camaraderie, of friendship…I didn’t know. “Only if I get to pick where we go.”
Uncle Marco grinned. “Done.”
4
WOLFE
We went to Enosteria Sicula, a restaurant only open for dinner except for Cosa Nostra. We had a backroom deal with them, selling them their supplies for a fraction of the price from our network in exchange for being open for us during the day a couple days a week. We had that connection with a lot of the restaurants in Palermo. Cosa Nostra was the best-kept open secret in the city.
We sat on the patio together, drinking wine while we waited for our entrees.