Page 66 of Corrupting Lily
“There have been some rumors, and before I go any further, I have men already out there following up on this.”
I nod and flick my hand in the air, indicating he continues.
“Rocco, or someone who looks like him, was spotted close to our South Shore docks last night.” I sit up straighter, this scenario puzzling. Why would he dare show his face here? If he wasn’t with Lily, then where the fuck was she? She is his leverage, so if he isn’t still with her, it could mean that she is either dead—a scenario I refuse to entertain and one which makes my stomach churn, threatening to spill the liquor I have just consumed—or he is on the outs of whatever plan is taking place.
Before I can voice any of these concerns, men shouting in the distance draw my gaze to the camera system in the corner of the room, specifically the one facing the gate. A black, unmarked SUV sits on the other side, surrounded by our security. With guns drawn, the occupants of the vehicle are clearly not invited. A knock on the door, followed by one of our guards entering, is therefore not unexpected.
“Boss, sorry for the interruption. But you will want to know about this. The Mancuso brothers are at the gate. They say they have someone we are looking for. Rocco.” Looks are exchanged before we rise and head out of the office towards the front door.
“Let them in. Unarmed,” I order, the guard relaying the message on his two-way radio.
It is a risk for them to come here, and if they give up their guns, it could mean one of two things. Whatever they have makes them confident in the situation, or they are desperate. They probably want to use whatever they have to get a foot in the door of our territory.
We stand by the entrance, watching the car as it pulls up, tinted with clearly bulletproof windows obscuring my view. A full minute passes before the engine shuts off and the doors open.
The Mancuso brothers could be twins if it weren’t for one sporting black hair and the other the same black hair but speckled with grey. They are burly, covered in as much ink as I am, and carry themselveswith a confidence that I admire even though they are in enemy territory, unarmed.
“Dominico Sante,” the older brother says, stepping forward before raising his hand in greeting. I take it, the handshake brief and firm.
“I am Elio Mancuso, and this is my brother, Enzo Mancuso.” He points to his brother, who steps forward to shake my hand with the same firm grasp. The thick Sicilian accent tells me they have not grown up here.
“Shall we take this indoors?” I suggest, not waiting for them to respond before I turn and head inside. I walk towards the meeting hall beside my office, taking a seat at the head of the table, while the older brother sits opposite me, with his brother to his left. I snip my cigar and light it while Dante and Nero sit beside me, with Matteo positioned by the door.
"You came to me," I remind them, eyeing them as I puff on my cigar.
“We understand that you have a situation. One we might be able to help you with.” The brothers look at each other before one reaches into his pocket and slides a photo across the table. Rocco, tied up.
“Rocco. You are looking for him. So were we.” Fuck. The 'were' suggests that either they have him or he is dead. A problem for me either way. He might know where Lily is being held, so having him alive is preferable. I school my features, not wanting to give anything away too soon.
"We have him." They have leverage, but what is their price?
“Why were you looking for him?” I ask, curious about what else Rocco could have gotten himself into. The flash of anger and then fear is definitely not what I expect to see on the younger brother's face. It seems Elio is much more adept at keeping his emotions to himself.
“Like you, I am looking for someone. Someone important to us, who we suspect is being kept in the same location as your wife." A briefglance is exchanged between the two. "Our sister Violet.”
Interesting. Their need was personal, like mine, which was good for me. Personal reasons made people on opposite sides more flexible in negotiations, but also more dangerous.
“We have their location, good up to a few hours ago. However, we lack the resources to take on a rescue mission of this magnitude quickly. I was hoping we could reach an arrangement. We would give you that information and assist with the rescue, and in return, we would form an alliance. Sealed by marriage,” Elio says so calmly that you would think what he is suggesting is a walk in the park.
Nero clears his throat while Dante strokes his beard, all of us surprised by this turn of events. An alliance with a rival mafia family was unheard of. However, an alliance with the Sicilian mafia could eliminate the issues we currently face with oversupply and excessive stockholding. If they started shifting excess stock, we would need less storage space, which would reduce the risk that holding large quantities raises with the authorities.
“I am already married, so who exactly did you have in mind?” I ask, entertaining the idea. If it got me Lily back, I would do just about anything.
“Your underboss and capo are unmarried.” Elio gestures to the two men beside me, neither of whom has reacted to this suggestion.
“I’ll do it.” I glance at Dante; his declaration and lack of hesitation are not even surprising. He knows Nero is in love, and I can see the relief when Nero looks over at him. And the guilt.
“Give us a moment,” I say to the brothers, who look at each other and then rise, moving toward the door, where Matteo escorts them out.
“I’ll do it,” Dante repeats, his gaze drifting from Nero to me as we assess him. “It’s good business. They can move stock. It would doubleour profits, and at least this way, we would not constantly fight them for territory. It makes sense.”
“You can say no, and we will find another way.” I say the words, but I don’t really feel that confident. This is our best opportunity to get our women back. He smiles and then laughs, some of the old Dante shining through.
“This is the best lead we have. Let's just pray this Violet woman takes after her name in the looks department. Else, I'll just have to take a mistress,” he jokes, trying to make light of the situation. As if what we are asking him to do is nothing. He would literally be the puzzle piece joining two sides of the underworld together. A piece of a new history. It is a lot of pressure—a lot for him to bear.
When neither of us laughs, his smile drops, and the seriousness returns.
“It is the least I can do for thefamiglia, Dominico. For you. She is the Don’s wife. It would be an honor for me to do this.” His words are sincere, and his tone broaches no more argument. He has made up his mind.
