"How much total?" I asked.
"Approximately two hundred thousand over eight months. Small enough to avoid immediate detection. Large enough to be worth his while." Elio slid a folder across the table. "Bank records show deposits to an offshore account. Traced back to Costello shell companies."
"He's been selling us out the whole time," Matteo said. His hands were clenched into fists. "Giving them our financial information. Our business structures. Everything they needed to build their case against us."
"What's he getting in exchange?" Luca asked.
"Protection after retirement. The Costellos promised to take care of him once he's too old to work." Elio's expression was cold. "He's sixty-two. He was planning to retire in three years with Costello money and our secrets."
The room went quiet. We all understood what this meant. Vincent had betrayed us thoroughly. Systematically. For money and false promises from people who'd kill him the moment he stopped being useful.
"I'll handle him," Matteo said. Simple. Direct. His usual solution to betrayal.
"No." I kept my voice level. "We're not killing him."
"He stole from us. Gave our enemies ammunition to destroy us. That requires permanent handling." Matteo leaned forward. "Unless you've gone completely soft since Emilio—"
"Watch yourself." The warning in my tone stopped him cold. "This has nothing to do with Emilio. This is about making smart choices instead of emotional ones."
"Smart is eliminating threats before they testify against us," Matteo argued.
"Smart is not creating murder charges on top of everything else we're dealing with." I looked at Elio. "What do the feds have on Vincent?"
"Nothing concrete. They suspect he's been cooperating but they can't prove it. If we turn him over, they might give us consideration during sentencing if the RICO charges stick." Elio pulled out more documents. "We could make a deal. Vincent's testimony against the Costellos in exchange for leniency for us."
"Absolutely not." I stood and poured myself a drink. "We're not cooperating with the FBI. That makes us informants. That destroys our reputation more thoroughly than anything the Costellos could do."
"Then what do you suggest?" Luca asked.
I thought about Emilio. About mercy and second chances. About choosing to be better than what circumstances demanded.
"I'm going to talk to Vincent. Show him the evidence. Give him a choice." I turned back to face them. "He leaves the city. Disappears. Never comes back. We don't turn him over to the feds. We don't kill him. We just make him gone."
"That's too soft," Matteo protested. "He'll just set up somewhere else and do the same thing."
"He'll run scared for the rest of his life knowing that if he ever surfaces, we'll find him." I met each of their eyes. "This is how we're handling it. Vincent gets mercy this once. If he's smart, he'll take it and disappear. If he's not, then Matteo can have him."
Matteo didn't look satisfied but he nodded. Elio looked thoughtful. Luca just smiled like he'd expected this outcome.
"When did you get so merciful?" Luca asked.
"When I started trying to be someone worth the faith Emilio has in me." I finished my drink. "Bring Vincent here. Tonight. I'll handle the conversation."
Vincent arrived at 9 PM looking nervous. He'd probably suspected something was wrong when my security showed up at his apartment with a polite but firm invitation to meet with me.
I was waiting in my office. Alone. No Matteo to intimidate. No Elio to analyze. Just me and the man who'd betrayed us.
"Sit," I said, gesturing to the chair across from my desk.
He sat. His hands shook slightly.
I spread out the evidence Elio had compiled. Bank statements. Wire transfers. Communications with Costello intermediaries. Eight months of systematic theft and betrayal documented in neat columns.
"Want to explain this?" I asked quietly.
Vincent looked at the papers. Went pale. "I can—"
"Don't insult me with lies. We know everything. You've been stealing from us and feeding information to the Costellos. The only question is why."
