Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 88182 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88182 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Still, can’t lie to him.
“I have some ideas I wanted to pass through the old man.”
“Good ideas?”
“Nothing you’d be interested in.”
Stellan’s eyebrows arch. “I’m very interested in what my people are doing. Especially when it comes to men like Mr. F.”
“It’s nothing. It’s barely family business.”
He studies me for a long, tense moment. Stellan’s a good boss and a solid friend, but what I’m doing transcends all that. It goes back to the core of me, down into my roots, into what makes me the man I am today, and I’m not sure Stellan would fully understand. I won’t lie to him, but I also won’t back down, not when I’ve gotten this far.
“You know I trust you, Prime.” Stellan speaks carefully as he stands to place his empty glass on the cart. “I believe you have everyone’s best interests in mind. I know you wouldn’t do anything to harm the Famiglia. But I also know you haven’t fully acclimated to what you are these days, and sometimes you need a reminder.” He turns to face me, arms crossed, all friendliness vanished from his face. “You are a Capo in my organization. You owe me fealty, your blood, your fucking life, everything you are. If you put on different shoes, I get a say in how they fit, do you understand me?”
“I understand, Don Corsetti.”
He huffs as he tugs his suit jacket closed and buttons it. “I trust you, Prime,” he repeats. “Which is why I won’t stop whatever game you’re playing. But I’ll ask two things of you.”
“Anything.”
“First, keep any negotiations between you and Mr. F only to properties and businesses you personally control. If Famiglia assets get looped through, I have to be involved.”
“Understood.”
“And second, you need to be careful. The old bastard’s not as strong as he used to be, but he’s still crafty. I’ve had trouble with their people recently and I don’t want to hear you getting tangled with them.”
“I’ll handle it, boss.”
Stellan grunts and looks like he wants to say more, but there’s a knock at my door. It opens a crack and Deanna pokes her head through. She seems surprised to see Stellan, since I have no meetings on my books, but brightens when she recognizes him.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. Stellan, right? It’s nice to see you again.”
“Deanna.” Stellan warmly shakes her hand. “We met last year at that thing for the sick kids…” He trails off vaguely and Deanna laughs.
“There are probably a dozen sick kid things every month, but you nailed it. Can I get anything for you two?”
“No, I was just leaving.” Stellan glances back at me. I can tell he wants to talk more, but he’s using Deanna’s arrival as a convenient excuse to slip out. He doesn’t like being seen together if he can avoid it. He’s getting almost as paranoid as Fontana these days.
Having something to lose does that to a man. Not that I’d know.
Deanna watches him leave, which I don’t like. When Stellan’s out of range I grunt at her. “No need to ogle my friend’s goods. What do you need?”
Her head whips back and her eyes are wide. “I wasn’t ogling anything!”
“You were staring at Stellan’s rear like a butcher drooling over a prize hog. You know he’s married, right?”
“You’re not funny.”
“Nobody’s laughing.”
Her teeth set in a straight edge as she crosses her arms in that adorably pissed way she has. “I need some things from you if I’m going to do that task you gave me.”
“Which task is that?” I peek at my phone, thoughts straying to Fontana. What’s he been doing with Stellan and the rest of the Corsetti outfit? And what has Stellan heard, exactly? I’ve been discreet and I don’t like that rumors are already slipping out.
“Well, you have a call with David Sorensen in a few hours to go over finalizing your partnership, then there’s the monthly financial audit of the lots we should discuss, and I also need a list of every woman you’ve slept with in the past six weeks—“
“Hold on, what?”
“—and ideally your black book as well. Why are you staring at me like that?”
“I’m not giving you the names of every woman I’ve had sex with.” Not that I could, even if I wanted. Most of them prefer to skip the whole personalization thing and stick with baby, oh god, harder, and my favorite, I’m fucking coming.
“You want me to find you a wife, right? Then I need some place to start.”
“Try starting with women I haven’t already been with.”
“And how is that supposed to work?”
I gesture at my window. The view overlooks the city. “You figure it out. That’s what I’m paying you for. Philly’s a big damn place.”
“Right, and you’ve banged your way through most of it.”
“Now you’re out of line.”
She rolls her eyes. “Don’t pretend like you’re insulted. It’s the truth, you really have slept with at least half the female population of this city.”