Murmurs. Some nods. Some of the faces don’t change. Others look unhappy. Some, curious.
Steepling my fingers, I begin. “You are aware that Matteo Corvo has claimed the role of thecapo dei capi. And capo of the Corvo family. A role that he installed himself in after murdering my father and two other capos in cold blood at a peaceful meeting.”
I pause, letting the information sink in before I continue.
“The Cosa Nostra is built on the bonds and rules we have created over hundreds of years. Alliances.Family.Matteo Corvo has ripped that apart in the name of power. He runs unchecked, spilling blood at every opportunity. Murdering children. There is a tenuous balance in our world, a balance we need. A balance between upholding tradition, respect for the hierarchy and adapting to the world as it changes around us.”
“Family,” I say quietly. “Honor. Loyalty. Matteo cares nothing for any of it. And none of us will remain untouched by his greed. He will come for your families, if you do not follow him. Maybe not today, but one day. He will take your daughters, twist yoursons into men that you do not wish to recognise. He willdestroythe Cosa Nostra if left unchecked, and I cannot stand by and watch that happen. I will not stand by and watch the Cosa Nostra burn.”
“Pretty words,” someone interrupts. I scan the screen. “Good evening, Ricardo.”
The older man doesn’t smile. “A lovely speech, Caterina, but a little redundant. Except for one thing. You are no longer a Corvo, but anAsante. If the rumors are correct, you even wear their brand in your skin. And as such, this discussion should not include you.”
Calm.
“Ricardo.” I tap my chin. “You have three daughters, correct?”
He stiffens. “What of it?”
“Tell me,” I say shortly. “If your daughters were taken, and forced into a marriage with falsified records, would you stand for it? If they were beaten, branded, drugged andraped,would you stand by and watch that happen?”
“I – of course not,” he blusters. He looks to the other faces on the screen. “It would be cause for retaliation, as well you know. Wars have been started for less between the Families.”
“Indeed.” My tone is ice-cold. “And if they were carved up, the pieces of their body scattered across your gardens, would you accept that?”
Plenty of them shift uncomfortably at my stark words. Ricardo reddens.
“We are not talking about the Fusco—.”
“Any one of your children could be Nicoletta Fusco,” I snap back at him. “Any one of them could beme. Amie Corvo, my father’s widow, is laying in the hospital as we speak and may never see again because of what Matteo did to her. He tortured her for his own entertainment, and he will do worse if he is not stopped.”
I force myself to take a breath. “As for my own circumstances - your daughters are lucky to have you, Ricardo. My father’s body was still cooling when Salvatore Asante took me by force at Matteo’s request. I had to retaliate for myself. You could always ask myhusbandhow that worked out, if you can find the parts of him I left behind when I was finished. Do you have any other questions about my marriage?”
Ricardo flushes. “Ah – no.”
“I may wear the Asante brand in my skin now,” I say quietly. “But mynameis Caterina Corvo. I will always be a Corvo, until the day that I die. It is a promise I have lived by my entire life. Matteo sold me off in an attempt to prove otherwise, and yet I amhere.I’m fighting for our future, for your future, while he hides away in my father’s house, content to drink his wine cellar and play at being thecapo dei capiwith his paid mercenaries surrounding him.”
Elio Maranzano is first to speak in the silence that settles over the call as I finish. “What exactly is your plan?”
“Two nights from now, my men and I will be visiting Matteo. This uncertainty has gone on for too long, and every day, more blood is shed.”
“With what allies?”
I lean back. “Dante V’Arezzo. Luciano Morelli. Giovanni Fusco. And Stefano Asante, thenewcapo. I’m happy to assure you that he bears no resemblance to his predecessor. They have agreed the use of their men. Matteo has a significant number of paid men in his pocket which we need to counter. Some of them, I can see on this call. They stayed silent as Matteo whipped me.”
More men sit up at that. Several drop off the call altogether.
“There is a new alliance in place.” I tap my finger on the table. “Across the Cosa Nostra. Apermanentalliance, to help us weather the challenges we face on the outside. Opportunity. Growth. Strength. We have spent too long on petty squabblesand disagreements, and it has caused a chasm across our world that others like Matteo have exploited.”
I wait for the murmurs to die down. “Assuming, of course, that I remain the Corvo capo. Should Matteo continue, I can assure you that our world will look quite different in the very near future.”
I gaze into the screen. “I will not beg. But we will march, and I will remember who stood by and waited for the coin to land before choosing a side. I expect an answer this evening.”
I’ve barely ended the call before my phone rings. “Marco.”
“Well done.” My uncle doesn’t waste time. “Some will be angry, but if it works, it won’t matter. Do you think he’ll take the bait?”
“I hope so.” I meet Dom’s gaze. His gray eyes glitter as he straps on his weapons. “We’ll find out. How quickly can you get your men here?”
