"Yes." Pedretti's mouth flattens into a grim line. "And of course all those agreements Sonny Vegas got them to make fell apart pretty fast."
I scoff lightly. "They were never going to stop hating each other."
Only a week after the two Bernardi factions had reached an agreement on territory and protocols, a group of AJ supporters jumped a group of Gino supporters, and everything started all over again. The war on the streets is only going to get bigger. The parley failed, and everything that happened…
It didn't even matter in the end.
That's another reason I've kept quiet about Darian. What does it even matter if some ex-New Yorker threatened him, his mom? Clemenza's dead anyway, and I know Darian didn't kill him.
But I don't think Russo did, either.
And who knowswhatthe hell happened to Chops Lollo.
"I did everything I could to keep everyone safe. But once things started spiraling…and then the lockdown..." I pause, choosing my words. "I understand why the Boss instigated it, but it just turned the place intomoreof a pressure cooker."
A strange look crosses Max's face, and he leans back in his chair. "In this job, DeLuca, you have to let the Boss and the other higher-ups do what they need to do. They won't always explain their decisions to you, and that's okay. Our job is just to listen, and when they want something to happen, we make it happen."
"Even when we disagree?"
Pedretti makes this face like he's trying to explain physics to a kid who's just learned to add up. "We give them advice, DeLuca. But in the end, they're the ones who take the heat, so they're the ones who make the final call."
I nod at that. "I get that. I do. And that's why I wish I'd done better for the Boss."
Pedretti puts his hand on my shoulder, and for a second, he feels like the dad I never had. "Listen, Raffi. You did everything I would have done, and that's what I plan to tell Sandro if he raises it—but I don't think you will. We've talked some, and he was really happy with your performance. So put this idea out of your head, that you failed."
I pull a face. "I'll…try."
"Sandro had some tough decisions to make during the parley," Pedretti goes on. "And he would've had his reasons for going against any advice you gave him. You handled an impossible situation as well as you could, DeLuca. You have my apologies for leaving you high and dry—and also my thanks."
"Thank you, sir," I say quietly. I wish I could feel happier about it. But while I may have earned Pedretti's respect, I still feel like I lost some part of my honor along the way.
But when Pedretti goes back to this idea of me leading security at and around Leo and Julian's house, my thoughts drift back to Darian, wondering how not having to work so close to him would affect me.
The thought of never being likely to run into him again…
"I'm honored by the offer, sir. But I'd like to have some time to think about it, if I can?"
"Of course. Now tell me about this Nero Andretti guy—he'sstillhere?"
"Oh, yeah," I say with a short, humorless laugh. "He's here and he's not going anywhere, not unless Sandro kicks him out."
I take my break down by the pool after a busy morning getting Pedretti up to speed. The Manor is returning to normal, but nothing feels normal to me.
I lean against the wall of the pool house, taking in the stillness of the water. This place has a way of calming me, even after everything that's happened. The memory of Chops Lollo and Donnie Russo's fight here is still fresh in my mind, and then afterwards…
The way I stripped off in the laundry, the way Darian's eyes went wide and unfocused?—
"Cut it out," I mutter out loud, then look around to make sure no one might have overheard.
Of course, if the security room people happen to be watching, they might have been able to hear. But most of the time we don't listen in. No point. Anyone here regularly is aware of the microphone placements, knows when and where to keep their mouths shut in the grounds.
Something niggles at the back of my brain, but when I chase the thought, it gets wiped away by more pressing matters.
Should I take this promotion? I wouldn't see Darian much, if at all.
I think I loved him. Hell, I still do, though I know it can never amount to anything. He made it clear he didn't want me. So that's it—I need to move on. Build a bridge, get over it, all that shit.
Moving over to work security at Julian and Leo's place would be the best thing for everyone.
