At the top of the stairs, I’m met by another large man. Now that I think of it, all three of them look strangely similar. He nods and gets out of my way as I enter the room, where there are already three members occupying their seats.
“Gentlemen.” I nod and pull out my chair. “Don Bartolini, Don Ricci, Don Rosati, De Angelo,” I greet and take my seat.
Bartolini is the first to comment, as always. “Catalano sent you. What is more pressing than him being here? This is an important meeting.”
I narrow my eyes at Bartolini. “Don Salvatore understands that, although he has an urgent issue, he needs to deal with.”
“Is it true that there is a threat to his life?” Ricci inspects my face.
I look at him, contemplating how much I should say. “The don is dealing with this, and he asks you all not to get involved, unless it comes from him. In that case, he will inform you. Besides, we have other problems to deal with tonight.”
I glance toward De Angelo, and he nods. He is, after all under scrutiny tonight.
Nico clears his throat. “As soon as the rest of the commission is here, we can start.”
We don’t have to wait long before the other members walk in, and the meeting starts.
I stay silent and observe as they argue, pointing fingers at how the Camorra’s don got arrested. Who is to blame, and what are the consequences? Now I understand why Salvatore sent me here tonight. He couldn’t have stayed calm. I’m the rational one. I always observe, think, and then act. He would have exploded at their bickering.
When my glass is empty and I can’t take it anymore, I curl two fingers into my mouth and blow hard. The whistle cuts through the noise, sharp and commanding, and every head in the room turns toward me like I’m an alien. Maybe I am. They are all dons, and I'm not. But I occupy Salvatore's chair, and that means something. My don doesn't trust easily. I've spent years proving myself worthy. His faith in me is my authority here. I can interrupt. I can challenge. I've earned it.
“If you're all done bickering like high school girls, I suggest we work toward the solution. Pointing fingers at the unknown will not get us or Camorra anywhere.”
The moment of silence is followed by agreements, and Nico is the first to speak.
“First, we are dealing with the situation. Our lawyer is working on getting my father out; however, it doesn’t look good. Thataside, I’m working on reclaiming what we’ve lost, and as you know, I have money invested and plans to secure the family business. Money isn’t an issue, and I can assure you I have everything under control. You won't be disappointed.”
“What if your father talks in exchange for a deal and rats us all out?” Ricci, the oldest and most skeptical on the Commission, asks. He couldn’t stand a day in prison. Not with the standards he requires.
“Well, we need to make sure he doesn’t, then,” Nico answers.
Bartolini laughs. “And how do you plan to do that?”
Nico grins. “How about, let it be my first assignment to earn your trust in the Commission.”
The room quiets for a moment, just like the calm before the storm. I exhale and shake my head when the stillness bursts into a baffling chatter of voices. I wait for Nico to show disappointment, but he surprises me when he raises his voice.
“Enough.” All eyes land on him. “I know this is unheard of, but for once, let’s talk like rational people. If my father talks, you’re all done for, and instead of him, you will be the ones in prison.” He looks each of us in the eye. “I’m taking back my father’s territory, and I will have support from you. In return, I will make sure he doesn’t talk.”
“Well, I agree with him for once,” Rosati says. “How about we give a kid a chance?”
Once the meeting is wrapped up with agreement and a new perspective, the room clears out slowly until I’m the only one left. I came here for another kind of business.
“Savastano, tell me, how are the goods? Is your don satisfied with them?” Nico pulls out the chair next to me before lowering himself onto it.
“He is. That’s why he needs more.” I pull the note from my pocket and pass it to him.
He opens the note, and his eyebrows jump. “That will cost him a lot of money.”
I raise my eyebrows. “That’s fine.”
He chuckles. “Good. I do have a request. If he had been here, I would have had a talk about this with him. I need his support so I can regain the trust of the men in the Camorra. If they know I have support from other families, it will be easy. And you saw just now that I can’t ask this of other members.”
I narrow my eyes. “What does he get from it?”
He tilts his head to the side. “He gets first dibs on my supplies and a twenty percent discount off the price of goods.”
I look at him, inspecting his face. I search for just a second to see if his perfect stone mask will fall to show me his real intentions, but nothing happens. I nod. “I will talk to Salvatore. In the meantime, I will need the goods as soon as possible.”
