“Oh, but…” Father has been sick more than once lately, missing out on Trio matters. And, there is no question who will take his place in the Tribunal. “Nico?”
“Yes, your brother will take his place. I doubt he will pass up this opportunity to make his little sister a widow.” Alessio’s wry tone doesn’t amuse me one bit.
37
Alessio
“You’ve never called me before,” Nerio says when he picks up after Caterina has gone to pack a bag.
“Our father is dead by my hand,” I inform my bastard half-brother.
A long stretch of silence follows, but I’m not foolish enough to believe he grieves. Once Silvio tired of her body, Nerio was left to the indifferent care of his junkie whore mother. But he has never lacked ambition. “Am I to call you Capo or a dead man?” he asks at last. It’s obvious he doesn’t feel any personal interest in what the answer is.
“The Tribunal will decide that. If it should go against me… Valdo is young, too young to rule, but a De Luca has ruled over Vegas for-”
“I am not a De Luca, a fact none of you have ever allowed me to forget. What do you want,Capo?”he asks, a hard edge to his voice. I suppose I can’t blame him. Only twenty but his life has already been one long fight - for protection when he was small,for a place in our world as he grew, for respect from our men, for everything he’s ever possessed.
“I am asking if you’ll stand by our little brother’s side, if you will be his shield if I die tonight.”
“I’m a simple cleaner, not a bodyguard.” There’s nothing simple about being a skilled assassin. It’s why my father decided to acknowledge him openly a few years ago and why he’s not permitted in Vegas unless there’s a job to do.
“Nerio…”
“Fine. If the boy is left alone, I’ll be there.”
I don’t know if I should find any comfort in his words or not. He may kill Valdo and attempt to claim Vegas for himself, but I owed him the phone call at the very least. “If I return tomorrow, I’ll call again for your oath.”
“If, if, if, Capo,” he replies bemusedly before hanging up.
I go upstairs to find my wife and help her pack.
***
After trying to convince me her big brother would never do anything to make her so unhappy, Caterina then shared with me the stunt my father had pulled prior to the ill-fated trip to New York. The audio recording of our intimacy makes me angry enough to want to drive out to the desert where my father's corpse has been buried and piss on it.
Rocco was plotting, and Nico was primed to come after me. Maybe the old man really did want me dead if he couldn’t push me to torture my wife. All the more reason I won’t apologize for what I did.
Caterina admits Nico’s involvement is ‘not ideal’ but still believes he will give me a chance to explain my actions. I don’t share her optimism, nor do I relish the thought of begging himfor absolution. Men like me aren’t made that way. We don’t forgive. We don’t forget. We don’t crawl. We don’t beg. And, no matter how much he loves his little sister, Nico is the same sort of man.
Initially, I tried to leave her at home but, as Caterina argued to be in Chicago by my side for the Tribunal, I changed my mind. If I die, she won’t be safe in Vegas, especially not if Enzo attempts to seize power.
“If you think there is no hope, we’ll run away,”she’d whispered on the way to the airport when her own faith began to waver.
I’d held her close, giving her comfort alongside my honesty.“I’ll never run. Sooner or later, death comes for us all but maybe not yet.”
The sun has already set when we’re met at O’Hare by Nico’s men. Rumors are swirling that Arturo Morelli has some serious illness which is why he’s suddenly pushing more responsibilities off on his oldest son. If it’s true, I hope Caterina’s family will tell her instead of her learning of it from secondhand gossip.
Being surrounded by others, we say nothing in the car, but my wife is wearing the necklace I gave her, and her hand is wrapped around mine.
The car stops in front of her childhood home. I hear the wailing of an infant from somewhere upstairs when Matilde hurriedly answers the door. “Topolina, you are well?” I politely ask the girl.
“Sì,” she replies, giving Caterina a quick hug.
“I thought you would be living under Nico’s roof.”
She shakes her head. “No, Signora Morelli needs my help here more. I am content. Mi scusi, signore. One of the little ones needs soothing.” She rushes off after a lingering glance at Caterina. Ordinarily, I would expect my wife to follow her, butshe’ll have a chance to see the babies and speak to Matilde alone later.
She firmly holds my hand with her chin held high as her mother and Dante step into the hallway. I note he is not as affectionate with his sister as usual, pushing her toward their mother to avoid her embrace before he gives me a cold smile. “What an interesting turn of events, Alessio. Shall I offer my condolences for your loss or congratulations on your advancement?”
