I tighten my grip on my glass. “You can’t be serious.”
“We could work with Corrado. Fiorella is still his niece, after all.”
“He won’t stop coming after her,” I say sharply, struggling to stay under control as Adriano watches me carefully. “He can’t let the former Don’s family survive. They’ll always be a problem. As long as they’re alive, they’ll be a threat to his legitimacy. I can’t have that.”
He nods slowly. “I understand all that. But the shortest path to getting what I want is through Corrado. We can make him the Don. Give him our support. Make it clear that if any of the former Don’s children end up dead, he’ll pay the price for it in blood. We can put him on a leash.”
“And how long does that work? A few years? What happens if my baby is a boy?”
Adriano’s eyebrows lift. He sits back slightly. “Your baby?”
I suck in a breath. This isn’t how I planned on telling him. “Fio’s pregnant.”
He lights up, eyes widening with excitement. “That’s fantastic. Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” I grind out. “But you see the problem, don’t you? My child will be a threat. My child’s child will be a threat. Corrado might restrain himself for a while, but I’ll always wonder. And one day, he might decide he likes life without a collar on.”
Adriano’s joy fades as he looks back at the fire. “You’re right,” he says simply, not looking at me. “But you’re thinking about your family. I’m thinking about the Famiglia.” He lets out a long sigh and tilts his chin up. “You’re a good man, Luca. You’ve been a loyal friend and soldier for a long time. I’ve rewarded you again and again for that.”
“And you know I’d do anything for you, Adriano, but?—”
“But wives and children complicate things.” His smile is bitter, and I know it’s from hard experience.
“Raf will be a better leader. He’ll work closer with you. He’ll owe you everything, while Corrado will always be a threat.”
“That’s true,” he concedes. “But Raf is in bad shape, and he doesn’t have the support of the Capos.”
“We’re working on that.”
“Peace, Luca. That’s what everyone wants. No blood, no fighting, just peace and prosperity and fucking money.” He pushes himself up from his chair and stalks away. I watch him walk around behind his desk. He stays on his feet, glancing out the windows, and finishes his drink. “I’ll give you three weeks.”
I open my mouth to tell him that’s not enough, but the look he gives me makes the words die in my throat. He’s already conceding too much. This is a man juggling dozens of different interests and dealing with more pressure than I can imagine. And here he is, giving me time to pull off a miracle, even though it’s not ideal.
“I’ll make it happen.” I stand and place the half-finished glass back on the drink cart. “Three weeks should be enough.”
“If you can’t do it fast, you can’t do it at all. Be aggressive, Luca. Show strength. Make sure the Serrano Capos know you aren’t weak. Make them see Raf as their real leader. And do it fast. Ihatetalking to fucking politicians.”
I nod to him. “Thank you, Adriano.”
“Good luck. I really hope you pull this off.”
The unspoken promise hangs between us. Three weeks, and if Raf isn’t the undisputed Don of the Serrano Famiglia, Adriano will step in and make a deal with Corrado.
Peace is coming, whether it benefits me or not.
I leave his office. These are dark days. I start formulating plans in my head as I make my way back out to my car.
My phone starts ringing. I pause beside the driver’s side door and check the screen.
It’s Leo. I frown slightly. He’s on Raf protection duty.
“Don’t tell me you’re bored?” I say as I answer the phone and climb into the car.
“Luca, listen to me, something’s happening.” Leo’s voice is a hushed whisper, and a chill runs down my spine. The urgency in his tone is very bad.
“What’s going on? Talk to me.”
“There are these guys here. They’re dressed like doctors, but I don’t think they’re doctors. I told one of the nurses to send them to the wrong room. She likes me, so she’s doing it, but I don’t fucking know, man. This feels fucked up.”
