Great. I knew this would happen. “What about safe, neutral territory?” I remind him.
“Believe me,” he responds, “there are plenty of people at my place. We won’t be alone.”
“Oh,” I find myself saying. “Like roommates?”
“More like servants,” he answers.
“Hm,” I respond, chewing over that for a moment. If he’s rich enough to have servants, plural, then maybe I will be safe. I decide to bite the bullet and go ahead. How bad could it be? It’s not like my childhood was all shopping malls and birthday parties. My dad ran with a rough crowd—not that I have any plans to share that bit of information with my new client. Noone knows my real last name, not even my best friend. “Okay,” I relent. “Give me the address.”
He smiles, holds up his phone, and texts me the address.
Glancing down, I see the zip code is right where I would expect it to be for a large house with multiple staff members onsite. It looks like tomorrow will be a very interesting day indeed. But at the moment, it’s time for me to go home and pay my rent before spending what little I have left on groceries.
I thank Frankie for the opportunity to work with him, and leave the café in high spirits.
CHAPTER 2
FRANCISCO
“If anyone on our payroll is talking then we need to find them,” Giovanni, my brother, states.
Edoardo considers this, “But we don’t know that it is our people who are feeding information to Andretti.” I understand Edoardo’s hesitancy to believe it, but the fact of the matter is loyalty will only go so far when money is involved.
“What other explanation is there for one of his men to conveniently be spotted in the exact location where Francisco was supposed to meet with a supplier?” Giovanni questions.
“Alright,” I say, deciding to settle the matter. “We need to know if we’ve got a leak. I assume you have some suspicions.”
“I could try to dig up some leads,” Edoardo says.
“Do it,” I say, looking at Giovanni to see if he wants to add anything.
He doesn’t.
Edoardo nods and walks out the door, leaving me and my little brother alone. I hate this part of my job. I wonder briefly if I werea regular CEO, would I be having trouble with loyalty. Of course, regular business dealings have their share of espionage, so I’m probably not alone. Still, it feels like I spend way too much time chasing down people who are trying to line their own pockets rather than being focused on the good of the family.
“I’m sure he’ll find them,” Giovanni says, studying the liquor tray from across the room.
“Help yourself,” I tell him.
Giovanni goes over and pours two glasses of scotch. After a lifetime of working together, we know each other’s rhythms. He doesn’t need to ask me if I want a drink. He just pours one out of habit. I take the glass when he hands it to me, and I drink. The liquor burns down to my stomach in one gulp, giving me the jolt I need to clear my head.
“It’s not that,” I respond. “I’m just tired of watching my back all the time.”
“It has to be done,” Giovanni reminds me, sipping his drink with caution.
“Why don’t you be the boss for a day?” I ask him.
He laughs, walking around the expensive leather sofa in my office to take a seat. We both know it’s a joke. We’re comfortable in our roles, and he’s never expressed any interest in the leadership position. I wouldn’t mind sharing the crown, but I get it. He doesn’t want the responsibility. At least I know I’ve got a few people I can trust not to go running to the Andretti family with their hands out.
As boss of the Corello crime family, I have to pay attention to a thousand things at once. I’ve got men working for me allacross the city, doing a variety of things that could get them into trouble. And each and every one of those men is looking to rip me off.
There’s a fine line between positive and negative motivation, and like any other corporate leader, I have to walk it. I appreciate the loyalty of my brother and Edoardo. There are other people I can count on: my son Frankie, even though he doesn’t exactly have the stomach for the more violent parts of the job. I can also count on Marcello, my consigliere, and right-hand man after Giovanni. He saved my life, taking a bullet for me. He even tried to save my parents but failed in the end, not that he could have made much of a difference that fateful day we almost all lost our lives. The day I took the throne as the Don, I rewarded his loyalty, and he’s never let me down.
I walk to the liquor cart to pour myself another. Two at a time is all I’ll allow myself. I can’t afford to get drunk on the job, and I’m always on the job.
“I am worried we’re gonna start a war if we go poking around, but it needs to be done,” Giovanni confesses.
“Worry less,” I say. “I’ll worry. You just go do your job.”
