“Perhaps. Incentives go a long way.”
My jaw clenched, teeth grinding together. If I could, I’d reach through the phone and knock his head right off. It had been eight months since she’d been sold off by our father. I already regretted waiting this long to make such an offer, but now, with more than half a year of tenure as don, I was coming from a position of strength. Proposing such a thing earlier would have placed me and the entire California outfit on shaky ground.
“You find me something that leads to her safe return home, I’ll not only open up one avenue of business for you here. I’ll even sweeten the deal with an extra seven percent profit margin on that avenue’s business withmiafamiglia.”
Costello cleared his throat on the other end. “Generous. Say I want fifteen?”
“It’s gone down to five, you arrogantcazzo. Don’t test me on this.” He wasn’t the only one I was going to make this offer to. May the best man win.
A huff sailed across the line. “Let’s not beat around the bush, then. I want access to the shipping process from port to warehouse through Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Oakland. You give me that, I’ll guarantee your sister’s safe return, and…you get your pick of one venture in Chicago. Your interest?”
While I hadn’t expected reciprocated terms, I didn’t give him time to pull back.
“Legitimate. Sports team merchandising.”
“Smart. Conditions?”
“Persetta Iannelli. Alive. If she’s dead, you can bury any thoughts of an alliance. And don’t let me catch another one of your men on my territory again until she’s home. Otherwise, I’ll send back something larger than limbs next time.”
After a tense silence, Costello answered, “Pleasure doing business with you, Iannelli.”
I switched off the call and tossed the cell phone onto the pile of paperwork beside my laptop, cursing the Chicago famiglia’s Don, his mother, and everyone else. I needed Persetta home. With each day, each week, each month that went by without her being found, my heart turned harder and colder.
Chapter 4
SCOURGE
You’re the reason pain is all I now know.
“Hey,boss,”Riccosaidfrom the doorway as I hung up my last call of the day—another paid incentive to the morally righteous for a possible strategic opportunity—“thesottocapojust dropped off a gift for you in the basement.”
“Finally,” I said with a hint of impatience. I cracked my knuckles. Some good news at last. Hopefully, this led somewhere. “Our guest in good shape?”
“Not to walk.” Ricco snorted at his poor joke, immediately catching himself and straightening his slacking posture as I strode across my office. “Sorry, boss, yeah, the prisoner’s intact. He’s been readied for you.”
I walked up beside him and removed my cufflinks. Blood too easily sank into every crevice, and these had been a gift from my mother. I dropped the cufflinks into his palms, then undidmy tie. The blue silk with little goldfinches perched on branches remained as soft as when my sister gifted it to me.
“How old are you, Ricco?”
“Seventeen, boss.”
I clicked my tongue and handed my tie over. As a new cugine in the outfit, Ricco was young, well-groomed, and still a bit too lanky for his age. He was one of those pretty boys with matching skin and hair that girls fawned over before they grew up, but there was enough time for him to come into his own. Life hadn’t beaten him down the way you’d expect with a deadbeat, abusive father like his. Somehow, he still wore his heart on his sleeve, too kind, too earnest—something he needed to work on, or else this world would swallow him whole. But he had a drive that couldn’t be learned. It was what made the difference between a foot soldier and a capo in the making, and junior here had it in spades.
“You’re young, still a kid. One of the good ones. I know you and your mother feel I’m owed. I’m not. Don’t let what happened with your father define you. If this is the life you want, do it for you. No one else.”
“I am, boss.”
“Then you’ll need to learn to guard your thoughts, kid. Keep that heart of yours, but don’t let anyone know. Our dignity and the impressions we make define our worth, not only to our organization but to the world. That starts with respect and hard work. We earn one and do the other. Put both together, and the world is your oyster. Leave one out, and the maggots will call your name. You got me?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed. After a tense moment, he nodded. “This is what I want.”
“Good.” My lips twitched as I clapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s go, kid. You’re getting your first lesson in hard business today.”
The smile that lit up his puppy face should have been annoying. Instead, a chuckle escaped me. His excitement was contagious, even if he didn’t know yet what he was headed into.
As we walked into the basement, instead of only the remaining odor of bleach from the last interrogation and the fumes of old cigarette smoke, I caught the whiff of fresh blood, like a shark to its prey.
“You’re right on time, as always.” Salvatore D’Amico sparked his lighter just as Ricco shut the basement door behind me. The boy stayed outside. Cleaning duty was more than enough for the kid’s first go at our world.
