“What is his plan?” Ben adds.
“He has befriended the Bratva and helped them to reorganize and structure. He has been building a network of Russian support in many states, and the plan is to launch a coordinated attack on key Italian American territories to bring you to your knees and take power for himself.”
“What has he promised the Russians?” Ben asks.
“Land and a partnership, but I fully believe he will betray them once he gets them to do his dirty work.”
“When is he planning this attack?” Leo asks.
“In the new year.”
“Where does Rena fit into this?”
“He hasn’t managed to secure the full loyalty of The Outfit. Many are suspicious of him and unhappy at being forced to work with the Bratva. He killed some dissenters at the start, expecting it would send a message and the others would fall into line, but he suspects there are more opponents. Serena is a way to legitimize him. She’s a DeLuca. She’s known to the men, and he believes she will bring stability to the organization so he can execute his plan for total domination.”
“He’s fucking delusional,” I say. “Rena will never buy into that.”
“He doesn’t care. He’s taking her to Chicago and making her marry him. Then he plans to knock her up and produce an heir so no one can contest his legitimacy anymore.”
* * *
“I need to meet that guy tonight,” Ben shouts into his cell as we race across the back lawn of the governor’s mansion toward our helicopter. “It can’t wait until tomorrow.” He has the Chicago PI on loudspeaker so we can all hear.
“That’s going to be a problem,” Donny says, and there’s no disguising the trembling in his voice. “The guy’s just been dumped on my doorstep, stone-cold dead. He’s been gutted, and it’s a clear warning. I’m getting out of here, and I’m done with you. Don’t call me again.” He hangs up.
“Jesus Christ.” The strain is showing on Ben’s face. “Someone give us a fucking break here.”
We climb into the helicopter, strap in, and buckle our headphones on so we can continue planning.
“This is a setback,” Leo says, “but we know he has taken the girls to Chicago, so I say we head there with a large crew, like we planned, and we seek out Dominic or Franco. They were on our side previously, and I bet we can win them around again.”
Dominic and Franco were two of the guys Accardi and Barretta were training for potential leadership roles before everything turned to shit for us in Chicago.
“We don’t know that for sure,” Ben says. “It’s too risky.”
“I agree,” I say as the solution becomes crystal clear. “We don’t know what DeLuca has promised them. Their loyalty to Gino was virtually nonexistent, and while they may have been loyal to Barretta, he’s dead now. They will choose the winning side, and with the way DeLuca wiped the board with us, that most likely isn’t us.”
“We need another in,” Ben says, looking contemplative.
“We have one,” I reply, eyeballing the boss.
He understands immediately. “Another in besides Salerno.”
“We don’t have the luxury of time, Ben. He has the woman I love. The woman I plan to spend the rest of my life with. I’m fucked if I’m going to sit here twiddling my thumbs while he’s planning to force her into marrying him. We need to get there now.”
“Think this through, Alesso. If we do this, you will lose Serena because I honestly don’t think she would move to Las Vegas.”
He’s actually wrong, but it won’t happen anyway because I won’t let it. “I wouldn’t want her to.” I could never take her from her family, and there is no way I want her around the scene in Vegas. That shit would be triggering for her. “Trust me, I’m well aware of what this means. I love her enough to give her up if it means I get to save her.”
An agonized expression crosses Ben’s face, and heavy silence descends for a few beats. He shakes his head. “I can’t allow it. I can’t let you do this. We’ll find another way.”
“With all due respect, boss, this isn’t your decision to make. It’s mine and mine alone. Remember the things you had to do when it was Sierra who had been taken.” I hate reminding him of that awful time, but he made difficult sacrifices in the best interests of protecting those he loved. This is no different. “I don’t like this, but unless you can give me an option right now, we have to do this. We need Salerno’s Russian spies. They are on the ground now. They can get us a location on Serena and find out what DeLuca has planned. It’s our best chance at getting her back in a way that will limit the casualties.”
Ben looks torn, and I get it. Sierra is heavily pregnant and seriously stressed over her sister. Ending this quickly is what is best for everyone involved. But losing me to Saverio is a bitter pill for both of us to swallow.
Yet I don’t see I have any other choice. “This is the only way to end this quickly,” I quietly say. “I know you don’t like it. I don’t either, but it’s our only play.” I clear my throat and straighten my shoulders. “Make the call, Ben. Phone Saverio, and make the deal.”
39
