58. Niccolò
58
NICCOLò
“G abriel Panebianchi just pulled up. I’m going to head down to the lobby to meet him,” Leo says, stepping out from my office.
“You ready for this?” Dante asks. “After today, you could very well get everything we’ve worked so damn hard for.”
“It’s about fucking time,” I say. I would let out a breath of relief, but being in this world, we’re trained to hold that breath until the outcome is exactly as you want. You never know when the tables could turn so drastically against you.
Dante brings his attention back to mine. “Are you sure you don’t want Leo and I there when you meet with Matteo?”
Shaking my head, I say, “No. This is something I need to do on my own.”
“And what if he doesn’t like what you have to say?”
I give Dante a loose shrug. Matteo not liking what I have to say hasn’t crossed my mind because in the end, he’ll have to accept Isabella and me. Will this be a lot easier if he doesn’t try to kill me? Of course. But I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to never have to give her up again. Whatever it takes.
“Matteo might not like what I have to say at first, but rest assured, by the end of our meeting, we will be on the same page.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” he says.
“Trust me, I’ve had over three years to think about this. Failure isn’t an option, Dante.”
A knock sounds at the door before it opens and Leo and Gabriel walk in. The older gentleman is around my dad’s age, maybe a few years younger. He’s never been an issue for us, always on time with the money he owes us, and always making sure his soldiers are kept in line. I rather admire the man, but he’s been the one who’s been the most hesitant about me taking over.
When Leo, Dante, and I first started meeting with the capos, we reached out to Gabriel to set up a meeting. He was receptive to the facts we were giving him during the meeting, but he was hesitant to give me his full support.
“Niccolò, thank you for meeting with me so quickly,” he greets, and I stand from behind my desk, extending my hand out to him to shake.
“Of course, Gabriel. Please, take a seat,” I say, gesturing to one of the two chairs positioned across my desk. Leo and Dante resume their positions by the door.
“I’m sure you know why I’m here,” he begins. “Last time we spoke, I was a bit reluctant in regard to your plan to undermine your father, but I’ve had some time to think about it and go over your plans for the family.”
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to make sure you’re making the best choice when it comes to who you’re aligning yourself with,” I say.
A lot of people use fear as a way to motivate people to do the things they want. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s one of the most effective forms of motivation. But when it came to Gabriel, fear was not the answer. Threats were not the answer. I knew the facts would back me up. Swindling one of my own to get him on my side wouldn’t have been a great start to our working relationship.
“Your patience is appreciated, Niccolò. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately, and I wanted to meet with you today to let you know you have my full support.”
His words make me want to smile, but I force my face to remain neutral.
“I appreciate your support, Gabriel.”
He gives me a nod before saying, “Do you know when you’ll be making this shift?”
“I have one last meeting this afternoon, and if all goes well, I’ll be moving forward with taking over once my dad gets back from Miami.”
Gabriel chuckles. “Now if that ain’t an ambush, I don’t know what is.”
“I have to do what I have to do. You know how my dad is.”
He chuckles again. “That I do. I’d wish you luck, Niccolò”—he looks at me like he’s studying me—“but I have a feeling you don’t need it.”
“I’ll keep you updated, Gabriel,” I say, pushing myself up from my chair. I extend my hand out while he stands.
“I look forward to it,” he says, shaking my hand.
Turning around, he goes to exit my office, and Leo says, “I’ll walk you out.”
They exit, leaving Dante and me. I walk around from behind my desk with my hands in my pockets. Dante has a grin on his face and says, “Damn.”
“Yeah, it’s all falling into place. Now I just need to make sure my meeting with DiMaggio goes just as well.”
Dante laughs. “Why do I have a feeling that’s not going to happen?”
I let out a humorous scoff. “Yeah, well there’s no other option. I’m not leaving his place until he accepts Isabella and I.”