“As a result, people will seeyouas weak. Your brand suffers… competitors become even more aggressive… and it all becomes a downward spiral.
“From a purely practical standpoint, we should be involved in both drugs and prostitution, no matter how distasteful it is. It’s the best way to maintain a level of safety for everyone involved, and to increase control over all other aspects of your business.”
“I couldn’t have put it better myself,” Niccolo said.
“Good, because you didn’t,” Dario said in irritation.
Niccolo just looked amused.
Dario obviously hadn’t liked Sofia’s take –
But he’d asked her for it.
And that was aconsigliere’sjob: to give the Don advice he didn’t want to hear, and that everyone else was afraid to tell him.
I was impressed that Sofia had done it, and done it well.
“Massimo?” Dario asked.
“There are good arguments on both sides.”
“But if you had to choose one?”
“…I’d get us back into both,” Massimo said gently. “Teenagers are dying, and the women aren’t going to quit, so we might as well do what we can to make everyone safer.”
Dario grunted in annoyance, then said, “Valentino?”
“I know you guys partied in Ibiza back in the day,” Val said, “and I did my fair share before I met Cat. It’s not like we never did any coke or messed around with escorts.”
“Your point?” Dario snapped.
“Isn’t it kind of hypocritical for us to have done that sort of shit in the past, but tell other peopletheyshouldn’t do it?”
Dario glowered a little more, then turned towards the couch. “Lars?”
“I don’t have an opinion.”
“That’s not an option,” Dario said. “You’re part of the family now; you have a vote, and I want to know your thoughts.”
Lars looked uncomfortable, but he said, “From a purely practical standpoint, if we don’t take these gangs out of the equation, we’re going to eventually end up fighting a war with them. So if we can avoid a war, I vote for that.”
Dario didn’t look pleased. “Rachel?”
“If you’re looking for moral pros and cons,” she replied, “you realize you’re asking someone who did contract killings for a living.”
Dario smiled in amusement. “I remember very well.”
We all knew Rachel was talking about the time she nearly killed Dario, back when she briefly worked for our uncle Fausto.
“Alright. When I was at MI6, I wasn’t privy to how the government handled things, but I heard rumors. Let’s just say that on one hand, they tried to stamp out certain activities – but they were also aware that they could only go so far. They allowed local organized crime a certain amount of leeway because they knew if they wiped everybody out and created a power vacuum, worse groups – like the Russians – would move in and take over. The government was very concerned about human trafficking, but they used a lighter touch in things like drug enforcement.
“They were pragmatic, you could say. And if the government of the United Kingdom was pragmatic about these sorts of things, I don’t see whyyoucan’t be, as well.”
Dario stood there, a dark look on his face. I could tell he wasn’t happy with what he’d heard.
“Well, that’s everyone,” Niccolo said. “I thank you all for speaking your minds, but now I need a private word with the Don. If we could have the room, I would appreciate it.”
Everyone stood up and began to walk out, including me.
