Tempted By The Mafia Boss

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Salvatore

I don’t know how we’re still alive.

It was a close call, or maybe it was a message.

One that would work as a message if we lived. I don’t fucking know.

All I know is the man wanted us dead.

Dead… just like Frankie.

You don’t just come for Giordanos like that and shoot two of the main family members. He tried it though because he can. The fucking bastard knew he could. He knew he could kill us.

I’m inclined to believe that was more the intention than the aspect of a message.

The question is why.

Why now?

Where the fuck has he been all these years and what the hell brought him back?

We went straight to Pa.

Us the other week gathered in Vincent’s office was one thing. The calling of an emergency family meeting is another.

Now we’re in the meeting room at the family home. Inside around the long mahogany table is Pa who sits at the head. My mother who is his consigliere, Vincent, then me, Gabe and Nick.

It’s times like these when I fail to see how we’re supposed to fucking stay in the office and do the books – The accounts.

We’re supposed to stay off the streets and away from trouble.

Like fuck. What happens when the fucking streets come to get us like they did today?

Vincent just got off the phone and looks mad as all hell, no worse than Pa though.

“Speak boy, what the fuck is happening?” he bellows at Vincent.

Him talking to Vincent like that is something else. Vincent’s forty-two and nobody but Pa can make you feel smaller than an ant on his shoe when he’s pissed like this.

“We’re all in danger,” Vincent declares.

“And in what manner are we in fucking danger Vinny?” Pa yells and Ma snaps her gaze to Vincent, eyes narrowed. She’s not the standard Italian mother. Most cook and make sure there’s food on the table and the home is kept in order.

My mother is a woman like that in every sense of the word but she’s queen of the pack.

“Vincent please answer your father,” she says, her even tone doesn’t match her angst filled expression.

“I got tricked,” Vincent states. “A few months back I was under investigation by the feds. I had to speak to them.”

I straighten up. “You spoke to feds?” I can’t help it. The words just fly from my mouth. In our world the only thing that’s worse than a cop is feds. We have associates who are cops but that’s it. That’s as far as we’ll go in regard to law enforcement.

We all know not to interrupt when we’re in meetings like this, but this is different. We’re talking about feds and the man who killed our brother. Seeing that motherfucker is cause enough to interrupt to see what the fuck is going on. It’s been close to eight years since Frankie’s death and not for shit have Stephanou and his minions been seen in Chicago or anywhere since.

“I had to,” Vincent answers me.

“You fucker, you spoke to feds and didn’t tell me,” Pa spits, eyes bulging.

“Pa, you know what it means to be investigated by those fuckers. I couldn’t drag you into it.”

Pa backs down because he does know. We all know. It’s the reason why I manage the larger sums of money. I’m good at dispersing it and making it look legit. I just know what to do. Mostly I know what to do to keep people like the feds off our ass. The last time we got any kind of snooping from the feds was before I worked for the company.

“I couldn’t drag anyone into it,” Vincent says. “I spoke to them and in the process ended up giving info I never knew they were looking for. Intel has just told me that they raided an investment company that supposedly belonged to Stephanou. Counterfeit money. Millions of it. The company itself is international and worth billions. There was also a warehouse.”

Pa stands, fists balled. “How is this linked to you?”

“Intel said the man I was working with was a front for the business. He wasn’t the owner. When he went down everything collapsed. The investigation wasn’t about me. It was about him. The feds tricked me. They needed me to confirm the business contracts and associates I was working with over the last few months. From Giordano’s Inc. to my own business.”

At the mention of Giordano’s Inc. Pa stills. “Was he linked to your business or ours?”

Vincent sighs. “Both. In regards to Giordano’s Inc. They paid for shipments to be made to England.”

I don’t know what the hell to make of this. What the fuck does it fucking mean?

I glance at Gabe who is already looking at me with narrowed eyes.

“What kind of shipments?” Nick asks.

“What would have looked like random shit. Statues and figurines except there was money stashed inside them. That was one thing but the biggest part of their association with me was in investments.” Vincent sighs. “I helped them a few times to buy property in the Caribbean and direct their investments. The man I was working with is Lawrence Tamworth. But it was Stephanou’s company. He’s been shut down. Closed out and Stephanou knows it was me. He knows it was me who spoke to the feds.”

That part there is the thing to worry about.

“Fucccckkkkkk,” Pa snarls.

Jesus Christ. I stare at Vincent and he looks back at me.

“We know what that means, don’t we?” Vincent states.

It means death.

That’s what it means.

We really are all in danger.

It means we have a target on our backs. Same as Frankie.

Stephanou is one of those people who will come for the guy who did him wrong, but push him to the max and he’ll take out everybody associated with that guy. That was why Gabe and I were almost gunned down today.

“How does Stephanou know you talked to the feds?” I ask before anyone else can talk. “How did this happen? How the fuck did he know to look in your direction. How the hell would he know?”

The whole thing is shit but there’s more at work here. It’s too coincidental.

“We have a fucking rat. That’s the fucking what and the how of it,” Nick puts in and I nod.

“Yes,” I agree. I’m seeing the picture unfold before me.NôvelDrama.Org holds © this.

It’s the answer when nothing makes sense. When something doesn’t make sense it’s because it doesn’t. It doesn’t make sense because someone screwed with something along the way. What I don’t know is who would be idiot enough to be a rat in our circle.

“I think so,” Vincent agrees. “But this feels like more than just a rat. A rat is an enabler. They have to be ratting to somebody who hired them. Somebody who set me up.”

Jesus… what the fuck? What the hell is this now?

Vincent blows out a ragged sigh. “I think somebody set me up. Me specifically. Lawrence worked with a number of people. It was a big company with international connections that have all been shut down or seized. Somebody played the cards right so that I’d get blamed. Blamed in such a way that it drags everybody in.”

Pa snarls again and cracks his knuckles. “Who… that’s what we need to figure out. Who would do this and how?”

“What about the Fontaines? They’re the only people gunning for us,” I say. “The shifty as fuck shit from the other week. What if this was about that?”

Vincent raises his shoulders and grits his teeth. “As far as I know they aren’t in any form of alliance with Stephanou. They hate each other just as much as they hate us.”

I think about it.

Stephanou Portaleu and the Fontaines do hate each other, but they behave the same. Both families operate on their own, and if they have any alliances they’re few and far between.

The only differences between them are that Stephanou and his family are raw assed gangsters who will come for you not caring who they kill in the process. They’re strong on their own and men of conquest who will take matters into their own hands. They don’t need anybody besides themselves to get a job done.

The Fontaines on the other hand are linked to government. That makes them strong in other ways but there are limits depending on who the government link is. Nobody has ever known the answer to that. Who they’re tied to. All top secret and that means the Fontaines have to tread softly when it comes to eliminating their enemies.

The Fontaines can’t just come for us. They have to sneak around to do it. They’re mobsters alright with their set up of people who do their dirty dealings, but really they’re businessmen who carry guns. They’re into international prostitution and drug trafficking. Shit that makes you rich like a god, but shit you can’t come out in the open and reveal.

The last saga with them a few years back showed how much stronger we are than them on the streets. We expected retaliation because Joey Fontaine was killed, but nothing happened. You can’t just kill a crime boss and expect nothing to happen.

Nothing happened. Until now.

I straighten up. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” I say more to myself but they look to me. Everyone looks to me.

“What’s that son?” Pa says.

“The… enemy of my enemy is my friend. We’re enemies with the Fontaines and Stephanou. With our alliances with the Morientz and other crime families they can’t fight us the way they want without a bloodbath on their side. It disrupts everything. So the next best thing is to send someone for us who can take us down. I think they’re working together to do just that.” I’m thinking as I go along and trying to make sense of it all. I could be wrong. I could be way off but I’ve learned to think on my feet quickly. Think fast and try to guess the next move before I get caught in a trap. That’s what this feels like. Some kind of trap.

“Stephanou can take us down even when he’s been closed for business. He doesn’t need money,” Vincent adds and darkness settles in the pit of my stomach.

“Jesus Christ…” Pa breathes and runs a hand over his beard. “This is about power. Like always it’s about power. I agree it could be the Fontaine’s doing. And I wholeheartedly agree they have someone working with them who works with us.”

“Yeah, there’s more to it though Pa. There’s the whole aspect of the feds. This person working both sides is more than dangerous to be able to pull those types of strings. And on me.” Vincent balls his fists. “Our men have been with us for years. But rest assured I will find this person and they’ll pay with their life.

Pa looks to all of us. “Boys we’re in a state of war. If Stephanou is here expect his crew too.”

My stomach actually churns at the mention of that. I’m very well aware of Stephanou’s crew. There’s Stephanou’s two brothers, Diego and Riccardo and his cousin Davide. All a bunch of psychos who are notorious for the way they kill and the crimes they commit. You name it, they’ve done it. Rape, murder, everything. Their lack of humanity is what makes Stephanou so strong.

Pa looks to Vincent and continues giving his orders. “Vincent get everybody on this. All the muscle. Contact all our alliances, mobsters and cops alike. Everybody. We find Stephanou and flush him out. Stop him. We focus on him first because rest assured after what happened today he’ll be plotting for us.”

Vincent nods. “On it.”

Pa focuses on me, Gabe and Nick. “You three are to have protection with you at all times. Men with you and your families. But most importantly, leave this to us. Lay low. Lay fucking low at Giordano’s Inc. and that damn club. Stay out of it.” Pa’s nostrils flare like he’s already angry at us.

It’s because he knows what we’re like and what we’ve done in the past.

I tense. This is the same shit I have a problem with. Leaving things alone.

We’re targets and the situation is next level bad with fucking psychos after us but I’m supposed to just sit tight and watch.

I decided I needed a one on one with Vincent so I went to his house the next night.

He answered the door with his baby.

I can always see the look of pride on his face when he’s holding Timothy.

I always see it. Always.

I’ve fallen into the role of uncle now. Like I’m in a game.

“Hey bro,” Vincent smiles at me. He’ll play the good, happy father while he’s with his boy who is the spitting image of him.

“Hi.”

I walk in and Sorcha comes down the stairs with a blanket. She looks like she never even had a baby, but I recall her looking like she was about to have triplets just a handful of months ago.

“Salvatore,” she beams and greets me in her usual good natured way.

“Hey doll,” I tip my head with the same respect we show the wives in the family but like always when I come to visit she gives me a warm hug.

“Woman you’re supposed to be resting,” Vincent chides her.

“Vinny the baby is nearly two months old, I’m fine. Can you believe this guy?” she bubbles, pointing at Vincent who smiles. “Most women complain that their guys don’t do enough, mine drives me crazy pampering me to no end.”

“Because I love you,” Vincent says in a matter of fact way.

Six years of marriage and a new baby and they act like they’re still dating. It’s nice. They have the kind of relationship most people dream of. It’s called perpetually in love.

“I love you too,” she replies, taking the baby. She stands on the tips of her toes to give him a kiss.

“Do you guys need to get a room?” I tease.

Sorcha laughs and makes her way upstairs with Timothy.

Vincent watches her go and I see the worry come back into his eyes when she turns the corner up the stairs.

He looks the way he did yesterday and when he moves I follow him out back into the garden.

He takes a cigar from the humidor and hands it to me, then he takes one for himself.

“What’s up Salvatore? I know this isn’t a social visit. I’ve already had the others here, I expected you next.”

“They came?” It doesn’t surprise me.

“Oh yeah.”

“I’ll bet Nick was the first.”

“He was, knew he would be. Also knew you’d be the last and you all wouldn’t come together.” He inclines his head to the side.

He lights up, holds the lighter out to me to light my cigar too and then he takes a draw, pulling in smoke and releasing it.

“Vincent there comes a point where shit gets real. It happens, it happened, it’s happening. You can’t keep putting me and the other guys to the side,” I express.

“It’s protection Salvatore. You guys aren’t trained to deal with this kind of shit.”

“Like fuck Vin, neither were you.” I point that out because he wasn’t ready to take the lead when Frankie was killed. “I’m the second oldest. It’s my right to be part of whatever plan is going on. I can’t be the little accountant you all want me to be when serious things are happening.”

It’s a fact. I can’t just stick to the books. I’m not some pansy ass shit who wants to lock himself away in his office when shit’s going down. And not when I don’t just have myself to think about.

When these enemies come for you they go to your weakness first. Your woman. With the way I’ve been with Mimi over the last few weeks people know she’s mine. I all but displayed her in the fucking exhibition box showing everyone she’s mine. She is my weakness.

“Salvatore I’m aware of that. Very aware. I know that if I get picked off like Frankie you’re supposed to take charge. I know that if something happens to Pa I’ll have to bring you in. I know that if this gets real bad we’ll have to bring you boys in.” His shoulders slump and he sits forward. “An animal going to be slaughtered knows it’s going to die. It sees the blade coming for it and knows there’s no hope but yet it still tries to escape. That’s me. I’m a mobster. More than you, worse than you. I have my business but my duty is to protect the family, make sure certain things don’t happen. I know the ropes. I know what can happen, but I still hope I can handle it. I still hope so you guys won’t have to.”

“That’s putting us to the side Vincent,” I point out. “It’s wrong.”

“Salvatore what’s wrong is I can’t believe Frankie’s gone. I refuse to believe and accept he’s dead. This presence of the bastard who killed him is… I don’t know how I’m keeping my cool but I know I have to be sensible about what I do. What we all do. I don’t want you to have to be pushed into action the way I was.”

I shake my head. “You can’t control that Vincent. You can’t control what happens next. The same as you can’t tell me not to take the reins or want to help.”

“I am,” he answers to my surprise. “I am, brother. If we’re right and we have a rat, the person behind all this is definitely someone I give credit. No ordinary rat can just infiltrate us. It’s not done. That makes them dangerous. Very dangerous to have played a game the way it was played. Means we can’t trust anybody. No one at all. We don’t know who or what their game is. So I’m telling you the same as I told the others. Stay out of it. This isn’t your fight.”

“Not yet. You mean not yet. It wasn’t you Stephanou came to yesterday. It was me and Gabe. We weren’t even at the docks. We were at the booking office. He knew about that. Knew when we left. Means he’s watching.” I put my cigar out and stand. I can’t stay here and accept that I’m to do nothing.

I start to walk off but he calls to me.

“Salvatore, we’re in danger … I put my woman and my child in danger just by being capo. I don’t want you to do the same thing when you don’t have to. If you play the wrong card or make the wrong move they come at you through your weaknesses. Those you love, those close to you. Bear that in mind before you do something stupid.”

I stare at him and release a ragged breath, but I don’t answer. I just walk away leaving him staring after me.

Mimi… She is my weakness but I’m conflicted.

I understand the need to lay low and not get involved. I do.

Gabe and I could have been killed yesterday.

That means we’re already involved.

Already in the game.

No one can tell us that we aren’t.