18. ~Nico~
18
~Nico~
“That went well,” Milo commented as we stood in front of Warehouse MH14 watching yet another unit of my soldiers filter out in their vehicles and return to their respective tasks on my territory.
We’d been at it all day, meeting different units at differing locations throughout the city in order not to draw attention from either the Marchettis or the Leones.
It couldn’t look like I’d called a full meeting with every single soldier of mine.
It would be interpreted as a call to war, one that hadn’t been sanctioned by Leo or my father.
“Caterina’s intel had been dead-on where your loyal supporters were concerned. She really did her research well.”
She certainly had.
“It almost matched your instincts exactly.”
“I did doubt a dozen of them, but they turned out to be solid and on board with what needs to be done.”
“That was you playing devil’s advocate and treading carefully.”
“Something you’re usually all for, but judging by how tense you were in these meetings, barely even checking your aggression, it’s clear that’s changed. Since the kidnappings.”
He nodded. “The call you made to make the rescue of Julian about a show of force to the Marchettis and Leones has my full support, you know that. But I’m even all in for going beyond that now.”
I pulled out a smoke and fired it up with my Zippo. “Then it’s good timing and maybe that new attitude of yours toward these fucked-up circumstances will make what I’m about to tell you easier to absorb.”
He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the side of my Ferrari while I took a couple of harsh drags as I started to pace in front of it.
“Fuck, smoking and that pacing of yours all at once is never a good thing.”
“I’m considering taking power over the Marchetti Syndicate.”
“I thought you might be.”
I took another drag of my smoke. “We were so focused on undoing the damage that my father caused through his poor decision-making regarding that deal and restoring our own power that was being compromised by the unhinged moves from both the Marchetti and Leone side of things. But getting that power back only meant not being controlled by them, by anyone. It meant our freedom by destroying the three families and the entire system. Not by actually taking the Bosses’ places.”
“What Carlo suggested got into your head. Him claiming there would be a power vacuum and that it would result in us being in danger all over again.”
“Because he was right. I had tunnel vision, in a sense. All four of us did. And with the Reincourt backup in place, there was always that option to disappear, to start over. It wouldn’t be starting over, though, if things played out the way Carlo is predicting. It would mean us running, being on the fucking run and always looking over our shoulders. It would be no small thing to be known as those who took down the three families. It would put a target on our back. With all these new players that have been brought in with the Marchetti-Leone alliance, it’s served to complicate everything.”
“You think the only way to be safe and remain free is to be at the top of the food chain?”
“It’s looking more and more like it.”
“Not to mention, you don’t want Caterina and Julian losing everything they’ve built here.”
“And with my soldiers on our side, showing their loyalty the way they have been today, making it clear they’re willing to follow me into the tunnels of hell… to walk away afterward, to leave them floundering essentially… it doesn’t sit well with me.”
“I hear you. But what of Caterina? I mean, if she doesn’t want to take control of the Leone Family too?”
“Then we run with Dante Rivera.”
“If he even wants it after the shit he’s been facing with the disrespect and insanity that Santino has been throwing his way. It could leave us with just that useless Capo of theirs, Elia Volpe. He’s basically a carbon copy of Santino.”
“That can’t happen. It would be a Santino 2.0 situation before we know it.”
“It should be Caterina, Nico. We both know it.”
“We can’t force that on her.”
“Of course not. But I do think we need to put it to her again, not just walk on eggshells where that’s concerned.” He reached into his pocket and pulled his phone out. “Speaking of that, I got this text from her about Julian while we were in that last meeting.”
He held it out to me, and I took it in.
Caterina: Julian needs to be brought back in on everything. He’s frustrated and pained with the way we’ve been treading so carefully with him. Work on Nico.
Work on Nico. As if she didn’t already have the power to do that these days. Really, she knew that it was Milo who needed to be worked on where this was concerned. She was just reframing it so it didn’t look like it to him, so it wouldn’t put him on the defensive.
“It’s only been a few days.”
“I know,” Milo said as he pocketed his phone. “This isn’t following the same pattern as last time with him.”
“If Caterina is insisting, though—you know what? Text her back, tell her to fill him in on everything.”
He arched an eyebrow. “You’re sure?”
“Yeah. We can’t shield him any longer. We’ve got him past the worst of the physical healing process, at least.”
“All right,” he said, firing off the necessary message to Caterina.
I butted out my smoke and walked to the driver’s door. “Let’s head back.”
Before I’d even opened the door, my phone started ringing.
I held up my hand to Milo as I pulled it from my pocket to see Cassio Quinto calling.
Frowning, I took the call, “Cassio, what can I do for you?”
“It’s what I can do for you, Nico.”
I tensed. “What’s happened?”
“I just got out of an emergency meeting with Giovanni, Leo, and your father. One that you were purposely excluded from. Marco got word that his partner regarding the military arms deal has been murdered, along with the entire organization. A real good thing that it’s not going ahead as far as I’m concerned. But not in their eyes. To say Marco’s furious would be an understatement. He’s ordered Gio and I to coordinate attacks on Benzino business interests. For my part, I’m to take their main meth lab. Gio’s gonna hit several businesses under their protection, firebomb them, the whole nine. Marco also talked about how he wants to use Caterina’s Camlann Corporation as a front for his illegal activities, to expand through her and use her reputation as a sign of stability to those that he and Santino are partnering with now, including a massive heroin deal that they informed us in this meeting has just been closed. It seems like that disgusting flesh trade idea that Santino is determined to follow through on will also be a part of what they intend to use Caterina Leone’s businesses for. They’re going to force expansion under their terms. Santino is spearheading it too. No other specifics were given on that, such as how and when they planned to put this to her.”
“How about the proposed attacks?” I asked, as I rapidly absorbed all the intel he’d just given me.
“Three nights from now. Now, I can’t refuse to take the Benzino lab, as I’m sure you understand. But this isn’t going to land well. It will put us at war, Nico. At a time when both the Marchettis and Leones are unstable and high-level decisions are being made by unhinged individuals. I’m not in a position to stop any of this. If anybody was in a position to head off these attacks, though, the coincidental timing wouldn’t be outed by me.”
“Why are you coming to me with this? Why warn me about Caterina too?”
“You saved my life. And as I’ve alluded to, you’re not the only one disillusioned with things. But as Marco’s heir and arguably the most respected member of the entire outfit, there is something to be done about it, hope to be had, through you.”
“You’re pledging your loyalty to me?”
“Yes, I am. Do with that as you will.”
“Thank you. And thank you for bringing this to me.”
“Be careful, Nico. You’re definitely out of favor with Leo and Marco at the moment. Santino included. Leo has leaked the truth about your care for Caterina. They know you’re not doing as was outlined in that disturbing contract.”
“Punishment is coming.”
“I believe so, yes. I just don’t know how that will come about.”
“All right, thanks for letting me know.”
“No problem. Just be careful, Nico.”
“Will do.”
With that, I hung up and turned to Milo, who was looking on with a whole lot of worry.
“We need to get home now.”
“What’s going on?”
I hauled my car door open. “I’ll fill you in on the way.”