And just like that, our lives are in danger all over again, way beyond anything Sam Fuscone or the Irish could ever come up with. The call is short and ends fast, with the only answer I could possibly give.
Yes.
Yes, I will come to heel when called by the Commission. I’ll put my life in their hands and trust that the old ways will hold up, that no one will blow my brains out as soon as I set foot in...wherever I’m going.
I check my email quickly—my private email, which they also somehow have—and find the details.
Chicago. The meeting is being held in Chicago.
“Bad news?” Frank asks when I walk back over.
I’m not sure how to answer that. I’m already thinking through all the possibilities.
“Georgie,” Frank persists. “What’s the problem?”
I put my phone away, glancing at Angelo. I’ve come to rely on him for more than just protection. He’s one of the so-called Old Guard. He knows things I don’t know. Things I need to know.
“Frank,” I say, “I’m your brother, but I’m also your Boss. This Georgie shit needs to stop.” Georgie is what he’s called me since our teens, when he claimed I broke hearts on the regular.Kissed the boys; made them cry. I fucking hate it, which is why he uses it.
“Aw, you know I’m only—”
“I mean it.”
Frank gives me a sullen glare. “That’s right, Iamyour brother. So how come I don’t get to be Underboss, huh?”
We’ve talked about this so many times, I have to fight not to show my frustration. “You’rebetteras Enforcer. Haven’t I told you this, time and time again? I expect you to keep those lazy Capos in line.”
Frank shrugs. “They don’t listen to me, ’cause they know I ain’t important enough to be Underboss.”
“You have more influence than you think. They look to you to see how to behave. When they see you don’t respect me, why should they?”
“WhyshouldI respect you whenyoudon’t respect—” he begins, exploding like he always does, but he stops suddenly, glaring over my shoulder. His eyes come back to me, hard and black. “Oh, is that how it is, Georgie? You’re such a fuckin’ big shot now you get your bodyguard to settle family arguments for you?”
“Go home, Frank,” I say, suddenly exhausted. “And make Celia happy by going straight there for once instead of getting tanked beforehand.”
I can see aFuck youhovering on his lips, but he spins around without another word and crashes loudly out of the warehouse.
I wait until I hear his car screeching off before I turn to Angelo. “I don’t need your protection from my own brother, Angelo.”
Angelo, who is still several paces away from me, spreads his hands. “I did nothing, Boss. He must be reading into things.”
Idosigh, now. What Angelo says is probably true. The mere flicker of Angelo’s eyelid or the tick of his little finger tends to get people on edge. Angelo’s reputation doesn’t just precede him. It’s bled into the very streets of this city.
He’s older now, in his forties, still startlingly attractive; the kind of man I’d expect to see on the catwalks for Italian fashion houses rather than here in a dusty old warehouse. “That call was from the Commission.”
Nodding, Angelo says, “It was only a matter of time.”
“We’ll be travelling tomorrow night. Chicago. You, me, and three others. Frank’ll be one of them. He’ll lose his shit otherwise.”
Angelo just nods again. It’s all the same to him.
“Well?” I ask, changing the subject. “How did I do?”
At that, Angelo frowns. “Not my place.”
“Are we really going to do this every time?” I walk by him to grab my jacket from where I laid it over the back of a chair. I even dusted the chair down before I did, picturing Finch’s face if I came home with my Armani covered in grime. “Come on, Angelo. You know I like hearing your take. What would Tino think of how I’m handling things?” There’s a pause, and I know that means I’ve done something wrong. I turn around to look at him. “Tell me.”
What I like about Angelo is that he doesn’t mess around. Once he’s certain I want his opinion, he gives it.
