“I know the way these things work. He’s either going to make some kind of tempting offer for you or deliver a threat in an attempt to force Ben to concede.”
“I eat men like Saverio Salerno for breakfast, Serena,” Ben says, overhearing our conversation. “Trust me when I say Alesso is going nowhere.”
* * *
“I should just kill you right now,” Ben grits out, his hands tightening around Saverio’s neck. He has Salerno pinned to the wall in his office, and he looks primed to throttle him. “You barge your way in here, risking my family, and then you spout this shit?” Ben’s head lifts and he glares at the Vegassoldatiinching toward him, ready to defend their boss to the death. “I’m president of The Commission,” Ben reminds them in a commanding tone. He shoves Salerno away while eyeballing his men. “Stand down, and remember whose house you are in.”
Saverio rubs his neck, looking murderous. He’s a reckless bastard, but even he wouldn’t attempt to hurt Ben when he is vastly outnumbered. He jerks his head at his men, and they retreat to the four corners of the room. Oursoldatiregard them warily, ready to intervene should any of them step out of line.
“You can’t be serious?!” Leo says, his eyes flaring with anger as Saverio drops into a chair. “How fucking dare you insult the boss by making such demands?!”
Saverio lights a cigar like he hasn’t just committed blasphemy and Ben didn’t just have his hands around his neck. “Simmer down, boy. You’re as hot-headed as you’ve always been.”
“Let me see if I have this correct.” Ben reclaims his seat and grabs his glass, swirling the bourbon around. “You want me to hand Alesso over to you and officially transfer his allegiance from the Mazzonefamigliato the Salernofamiglia. In exchange, you will deliver a couple of trained Russian spies who can infiltrate The Outfit and find out what I need to know about DeLuca.”
“Correct.” Saverio’s grin is calculating, but he’s a fool to come here and try to play with the boss like that.
“No.” Ben runs his finger along the rim of his glass. “Only an idiot would agree to such a deal. And have you forgotten you owe me?”
Salerno crosses an ankle over his knee, taking a couple of puffs of his noxious cigar. Stifling smoky clouds swirl into the air. I honestly don’t know how anyone smokes that shit. “I haven’t. Call it in. Use your favor to buy my Russian spies.”
“And leave my newconsigliereexposed to your manipulations?” Ben arches a brow, looking unruffled. “I think not.”
I send a sharp glance in his direction. He knows I won’t let him use his favor to protect my ass. Trading that IOU for me, when we are in deep shit and will most likely need it for something more important, is insanity, and he knows it. I have told him enough times. I won’t let him sacrifice that for me.
“Your newconsigliere?” Saverio yells, dropping his foot to the floor and sitting up straighter. Leaning forward, he glowers at Ben. “You have some nerve, Mazzone. Alessandro is my flesh and blood.” He thumps a closed fist over his heart. “Born of my beloved brother.” He looks at me, but I stare straight ahead, like I have every time he has glanced in my direction. “My God, he looks so much like him. I don’t know how I didn’t see it before now.”
“Because you were too drunk, too stoned, and too busy shoving your vile cock in kidnapped pussy,” Leo hisses, his impatience evident.
Salerno jumps up, brandishing his gun in Leo’s face. “You want to say that to me again, boy?” he drawls.
“Sit down and put your gun away,” Ben commands. “Now, Saverio,” he adds when Salerno doesn’t budge. “Need I remind you of everything we did for you, or is your memory that short?”
Even among Italian American men, there is little real tangible loyalty, and Vegas is the worst of our kind.
“That doesn’t excuse the way you have deliberately lied and evaded me for weeks!” Salerno shouts. He thumps his fist on the desk. “You dishonor me, myfamiglia,and my poor dead brother’s memory with this treachery. You gave me no choice but to come here. You have refused to even take my calls!”
Diva much, Saverio?
“We’ve been a little busy.” Ben pins the Vegas don with a cutting look. “In case you haven’t noticed, our enemies are snapping at our heels, attempting to bring us to our knees. That’s more pressing than your hurt feelings and misguided intentions.”
“I told you this Commission business was a bad idea from the start,” he blusters. “If you hadn’t got such convoluted notions in your head, none of us would be in this position right now. Giuseppe DeLuca only made a move because The Commission was the ultimate prize and your mismanagement of that situation led to our current predicament. Your failure to secure Chicago allowed the very men you thought you had defeated to single-handedly almost wipe us off the map.” I don’t like the sneering look on his face as he jabs his finger in Ben’s direction. “The threat to every made man is on your head, Benny boy.”
“That is fucking bullshit, and you know it,” I snap, having heard enough. “And where were you when it went down? How convenient you weren’t there, and now you just happen to have a couple of Russian spies on the ground in Chicago you are offering to us in exchange for my loyalty?” I fold my arms and level him with a loaded look. “Because that’s not suspicious at all.”
He barks out an incredulous laugh. “Be careful what you accuse me of, boy. I’m still your superior in more ways than one. Watch how you speak to me.”
I walk over to him when he climbs to his feet. “Let me make one thing clear.” I grind my teeth to the molars. “You are nothing to me, and you never will be. My allegiance is to Bennett and the Mazzonefamiglia. I will never swear loyalty to you.”
“You can’t deny what blood flows in your veins, and you belong in Vegas.” He steps right up to me, and we face off. “It’s your birthright. Russo is old, and he has no living heir. I lost my underboss to the Russians, and his replacement is fucking useless. Vegas needs you. Come and rule by my side, in your father’s stead, as myconsigliere.” He exhales heavily as he stares at me, his eyes brimming with emotion, but I’m not buying it. “Your destiny lies with me, Alessandro. It’s what your father would want, and Ben knows it to be true.”
“You’re giving me a pain in my face, Anakin,” Leo sneers, coming to stand beside me. My lips twitch at theStar Warsreference and the eerie similarity of Salerno’s words. “I can’t understand why you thought it was a good idea to travel all this way to insult Don Mazzone and your nephew. The truth is,you owe us. We owe you shit.”
“I know you’re pissed we kept it from you,” Ben says, rounding the desk. “But we haven’t known the truth that long either. This is not the way to handle it, Saverio. Give us your Russian contacts, and let us end this war with Chicago and get everything back on an even footing. Then we can sit down and have a meaningful discussion about the future.”
“I’m tired of your politics, Bennett. And you can’t do this. He’s my flesh and blood. He belongs in Vegas.”
“The hell I can’t.” Ben approaches, towering over Saverio by a good few inches. “Our world is evolving, and made men get to make their own choices.” Ben casually shoves his hands into his pockets. “Alesso is free to make his own decisions, and his decision is to remain here as myconsigliere. You heard him. It’s a done deal, and there is nothing you can say or do to change his mind.”
