We went to Cambio, a restaurant that had great Roman pasta. I’d been there a couple times. Of course Constantine knew the guys here too, just like in Taormina. He made small talk near the bar before we were given a table in the back, away from everyone else.
Also just like in Taormina, he ordered a bottle of wine for the table and barely glanced at the menu, as if he already knew what he would order. “What are you thinking, sweetheart?”
I’d had no appetite at all when he’d asked me to lunch, but now that we’d changed our surroundings, the desire for food started to come back. “Thecacio e pepe.”
“Excellent choice.”
“What about you?”
“I like their steak.”
The waiter came to the table, and the guys had a small conversation about tennis before Constantine ordered our lunch for both of us.
“So, you really know everyone, huh?” I teased.
“Yep,” he said with a nod. “Got eyes and ears everywhere.”
Whenever his profession was mentioned, I became more curious ... and more wary. “How was your week?”
“Busy.”
“What did you do?”
“Work.”
“The entire time?”
“Yeah, that’s how it works.” He grabbed his glass and took a drink. “The job and I are the same entity.”
A job I still didn’t understand. “Could you ... tell me more about it?”
“I’ll tell you anything you want to know,” he said. “So, I’m sure you already know that President Barsetti is the head of state of Italy and oversees the laws that govern this country. And I’m sure you also know that Pope Zephyrinus is the leader of the Catholic Church, the head of the Vatican. So you have the president.” He raised one finger. “And then you have the pope.” He raised a second finger. “But there’s another ruler in Rome—and that’s the emperor.”
I felt a shiver down my spine, straight from my neck to my ass. It was ice cold and terrifying.
“And that’s me.” He raised a third finger. “Emperor Constantine. Leader of the Roman Republic, ruler of Italy. We all have very different roles in this country and abide by our own rules.”
It was the first time in my life I’d been stunned into complete silence.
“Like it was for the emperors after Christ and the death of Julius Caesar, it’s my job to protect this country, not just from enemies outside our lands, but from those within. To protect the civilians who call this place home. Some have called my tactics ruthless and savage, but I take that as a compliment.”
I did not expect to get into this at lunch. But I did ask ...
“I police the criminals operating within this country, make them adhere to humanitarian practices that keep people like you out of harm’s way. I make sure that whatever drugs hit the streets are not laced with fentanyl. I won’t judge anyone who wants to take a hit, but I’ll make sure people aren’t dying needlessly because the dealer wanted to maximize his profits. Trafficking has been outlawed under my rulership. I won’t put up with that shit. Anyone working in a gang has to be at least twenty-one. No kids. I do that sort of thing.” As if he’d said something insignificant, he took another drink of his wine.
I was still stunned. “How—how do you enforce all that?”
“With the men I employ under my rule. I have four barons who work with me, ones that I trust the most to enforce my laws. It’s a large network of people. I also leverage resources from President Barsetti. My job is to focus on the crime aspect of the city, to protect the country from terrorism,and President Barsetti is more concerned with nonviolent legal matters. Like tax fraud and tax evasion, city and building codes, petty crimes, arson, stuff like that. The really violent assholes are my responsibility. And the pope ... he brings me back to God when I stray too far.”
“You know Pope Zephyrinus?”
He nodded. “I know him well.”
This was the part where I should stand up and get the hell out of there. But I stayed. The part where I assumed he was a pathological liar. But I believed him. “How did you get into that?”
“It’s a long story. But I basically worked my way up to the position and was elected based on my pedigree.”
“Your pedigree?”
