“We’re all curious about why you didn’t call after the FBI left your office.”
“Do you want me to call when I take a shit too?” I sit down, resolved that I’m going to have to go through this bullshit.
“Does the FBI check your shit, because if so, yes,” Marco says, his voice tight. Clearly he thinks I need to take this more seriously. It’s almost as if they forgot that Agent Ricci’s visits give me information we need.
It then that I remember they took an interest in the deal I have with Marco. “They don’t have interest in my shit, but they were intrigued by my business with you.”
Marco arches a brow.
I wave his concern away. “They took a look at a legit import manifest. They took nothing.”
Marco’s jaw tightens and I worry he might crack it. “And still you didn’t call?”
“What for? They didn’t take anything. They’re just fucking with me and as you know, I fuck with them back.”
"The FBI isn't just targeting you. They hit the Ferraza’s shipping yard two days ago. And Luca’s restaurant last week. The week before it was one of my casinos."
I raise an eyebrow, absorbing this information. "Coordinated, then."
“Over the last few years, they seemed to have focused on us individually, but now they’re coming at all of us at once,” Leo says.
I shake my head. “That’s not totally true though, right? All that work the Blackwood guy did to try and turn your daughter against Marco.” I glance at Leo, then turn my attention toLuca. “Turn your sister against Marco.” I finally look at Marco. “They’re after you. Except for Ricci, who’s always been after me.”
“We have to consider that this has all been about taking down La Corona.”
The door opens and Roman, Marco’s second in command enters. He's not a don, but it seems likely he’ll take over Don Leo Ferraza’s business when he passes since Roman is married to Leo’s only heir, Isabella.
“Yes, yes,” I’ve heard this all before and while I don’t doubt that someone has been fucking with us, finding men in our ranks willing to betray us, I’m not convinced it’s the FBI behind it.
“You don’t think Agent Ricci looking into my business with you counts?” Marco asks.
“It’s all legit, Marco. She’d use it against me not?—”
“Unless her boss has asked her to expand the scope of her investigation,” Roman says.
"Look, I'm not saying we ignore this," I lean back in my chair, deliberately casual. "But Ricci's been sniffing around my operations for years?—”
“Today was the third time. In one year. Before that, how many times had the FBI been in your business?” Leo interrupts me.
I shrug. “Once, twice maybe. But more with my dad, and I don’t remember you hauling his ass into a La Corona meeting about it.”
“Three times suggests they’re hunting for something in particular,” Roman ignores my statement.
“The point is, they can look all they want in my business, they won’t find anything. Their playbook hasn’t really changed, just the scale."
“How long was she there?” Luca asks.
I can’t imagine why that info is important, but I detail the raid, leaving out the part where I hint that Agent Ricci and I should heat up the sheets. "They're fishing. If they had something concrete, they wouldn't need to turn our businesses inside out."
Leo shifts in his leather chair, exchanging a loaded glance with Marco then Luca.
“What?” I ask, my annoyance growing.
“I think you enjoy these raids,” Leo says. “I guess I can’t blame you. Agent Ricci has legs?—”
“Don’t fucking talk about her legs,” I snap before I can think better of it.
“You do seem familiar with her methods,” Luca says.
