“Good. I want you to carry out Don Matteo’s orders, but first I’d like you to find Enzo in the east wing. You know the one: big, burly guy, enforcer?”
“Yes, Don Aron.”
“Tell Enzo to meet me here in five minutes. Can you do that?”
“Of course, Don Aron.”
I pat Percy on the shoulder and send him off. Normally, I’d have him deliver my message, but I want to cause as much chaos as possible, and unfortunately that means complicating things for myself. Besides, I doubt Enzo would believe Percy. He’ll need to hear it from the source.
While Percy’s fetching Enzo, I use the time to write a detailed note. Names, addresses, phone numbers … everything Enzo might need for what I have planned.
By the time the enforcer arrives, I’m all set. I stand at the far end of the pool, at an angle where neither security cameras nor passersby can see us. Enzo’s eyes dart around as he approaches, and I have no doubt that he’s figured out the point of my positioning.
“Don Aron,” he says, inclining his head in a respectful nod.
“Enzo.”
After Enzo places his hand over his heart in a salute, I hold the paper to him. “Here. I have a job for you. Memorize these details, then burn it.”
He leans against the wall, glances at the note, then proceeds to eat the paper.
“Did I read that right? Itdidsay ‘alive,’ didn’t it?”
“It did,” I affirm as I pull out my phone and start a wire transfer using the numbers I saw in Marco’s ledger.
“Does Don Matteo know?”
“No.”
Enzo nods. “Okay. Well, I guess I’d better get going, then.” He pushes off from the wall and starts walking around the edge of the pool, hands in his pockets.
“Enzo?”
“Yes, Don Aron?”
“I assume you understand the vast difference between ‘alive’ and ‘unharmed’?”
I can only see the side of his face, but it’s enough. His smile is cold, calculating, the smile of a killer with no remorse.
“I understand, Don Aron.”
Chapter 9
Matt
“Do you know what that was about, Don Matteo?”
Not a fucking clue. I can’t let Marco know that, though. “Of course.”
“And it doesn’t bother you that he’s giving orders alone, without you present?” Marco shakes his head. “That’s dangerous, my don.”
“Only if I don’t know what he’s doing.” I shrug it off and stand. “Thank you for your time today, Marco. I’ll send for you again when next I have need of you. Until then, keep up the good work.”
Marco takes that for the dismissal it is, and finally I’m alone in my office.
It concerns me that Aron left before we really planned the next attack on the Empire. I know it’s a sore subject for him, but he’s got to try to be present for things like this. If I didn’t trust that he had something important to do, I might arrange for someone to follow him.
No, I can’t do that. He’d notice a tail in seconds. I have to let him do his thing. For whatever reason, he didn’t want me involved, and I have to accept that.
