“He will appreciate that. He will be here for breakfast in the morning,” I answer and he nods.
“I look forward to talking to him. I will need to talk to Anton. But I’ll find him. Anything new?”
“We were jumped outside the building, but I took care of it. Tim told me to let them go, a show of good faith.”
“Wise choice,” he nods, lost in thought.
“I don’t get it. Why would they hate us so?”
“Because they see us as a threat to their empire here,” he replies.
“And that warrants a shooting?”
“I’m hoping that while I’m here we can set up a sit down with the Capo. There could be another reason for the shooting, one that he might not even be aware of. But for now, still, be safe. I want everyone in guard positions but only those needed at the businesses go anywhere. I will set up grocery deliveries. I want to know about the company the restaurant in the lobby uses.”
“I can get you that info in the morning,” I say as I take a swig of my vodka.
“Good. I’ll see you in the morning,” he takes his leave and I do the same. I’m tired after all of that. I didn’t even have to ask my father to try and talk to the Italians, he suggested it. It’s a good course of action.
Twenty-Two
Adelina
I wake up to yelling. My father is yelling at someone. Or someone is here to kill us, but it doesn’t sound like he’s barking orders. Not wanting to be caught by intruders in my nightgown, I change quickly, brush my hair and teeth and tiptoe down the hall to the stairs, hiding behind a pillar to listen. He’s yelling at some of his captains along with Adolfo and Stefano.
“So what was it then? We shot at them, they did nothing to retaliate and then we go for them again? You’re lucky your soldiers are still standing, that man could have killed them. I watched him rip the head off of a man. Who wants to answer to this?”
“We’re sorry, Capo, we didn’t order this. You said to stand down and we did,” one man, Antonio, speaks up.
“Someone did. They have every reason to come after us now, be prepared to fight. The man that fought in the cage, he’s the Pakhan’s son. He could take us all on by himself and I don’t blame them. That’s twice. I understand that we don’t want them here, this is our city, but losing people in the process of running them out of town isn’t the way. We have to be smart. You have to trust me as your Capo that I will find a way.”
“They have to be destroyed,” Stefano barks and my father spins around on him.
“You will do as I stay,” he hisses at Stefano.
“You need to listen,” he starts and I hold back a gasp as my father grabs him by the throat.
“I don’t take orders from you,” my father sneers, “you only are here out of courtesy since you are marrying my daughter. You are too quick to react. Sometimes things take time. Now we don’t have that. The Pakhan is here.”
He drops Stefano to the floor and tells his captains to prepare in case the Russians attack. I stay where I am until the foyer is clear. I scurry down the stairs and into the kitchen. The staff all look so forlorn and grim, my tight smile and greeting doesn’t ease the tension in the house today.
They attacked Ivan. And he let my father’s men live? If it was the other way around, Ivan would be dead. He must have done it for me. My desire is just that, he did it for me. This should show my father that they aren’t bad people. There is enough room for everyone.
But I’m just a woman, he won’t listen to me.
I check my phone and breathe a sigh of relief when I see a text from Ivan. It’s an unknown number but he put his name in the text. Instead of texting, I call him back.
“You’re okay?” I ask him.
“I wanted to kill them, Tim told me to let them go,” he admits.
“Thank you for being honest. I don’t blame you. I’m sorry that happened. Is Tim okay?” I don’t know Tim, well. Just from the night at the casino.
“He’s fine. I save his life, as always,” he states with a little bit of sass.
“Oh good. When does your father get in?”
“He got in last night. I’m about to go out and start breakfast. Are you okay?”
