Chapter 68
CHRISTIAN
L eon and Dante inherited a construction company when they took over Jimmy’s concerns.
Technically, it belongs to Ettore, or used to.
It’s amazing what a man will sign under duress…
It made a good base to keep ten of Ettore’s men we captured from the Russian warehouse while we dealt with the fallout.
A few days ago, Ettore himself was handed over by the Russians and is likewise here.
I’ve had time to reflect on my working-over by Jero, Roman and the others in the warehouse. They didn’t feel like overly long rest breaks, from my side of the picture, but in hindsight, they probably were, and it was Jero’s decision when they started and stopped.
They could have done a lot worse to me in the time they had.
He’s said he would have my back, that he was on my side, more than once.
Was he, even then, looking out for me?
Yeah, I think he might have been.
Time to get some answers.
Time for Leon to make decisions on what to do with them.
None of the usual workers are on duty today.
Leon has commandeered the construction manager’s office and sits behind the desk.
Dante is seated to his right. Me, I’m pacing.
The ants are restless. It’s not my decision who gets to live or die, but I’m about to play my part.
The men are going to be brought up. Leon will question them and decide.
A life-or-death kind of decision.
“Christian?” Leon says.
I stop my pacing and blow out a breath. “Yeah, I think Jero was helping me. He’s been helping me for a while.”
“And Roman?”
His wife has had their baby while he’s been locked up with us. I considered ending him when I was trying to get Carmela out of the coffee shop, but something stopped me.
“I like Roman. He’s alright.”
“Not what I’m asking.”
“I choked him out for what must have felt like no fucking reason, so, yeah, he was likely to be pissed and out for my blood in the warehouse. But he’s also not a dick, you know.
Just a soldier doing his job. He also doesn’t hit as hard as Peter or Bo, and I think that’s why Jero put him in the team.
The last time they worked me over, it was only Peter and Bo, and they just did as they were told.
No offense taken beyond it fucking hurt. ”
“And Peter and Bo?”
“Bo just does what he’s told. Not a lot of thinking going on, if you know what I mean. Peter is competent at what he does. He’s also the closest soldier to Ettore besides Jero.”
Leon nods and turns to Dante.
“Peter worked for Cedro before Ettore,” Dante says.
“Jero likewise worked for your father before. Neither of them is a dumb thug and both have always been polite and professional with me; Bo and Roman, I don’t know personally, nor the rest. I might have seen them in passing.
Let’s see what they say when we talk to them.
No one wants to take the life of a good soldier who was only doing his job, but we also don’t have the time and luxury to give chances and risk being fucked over. ”
“Agreed,” Leon says.
The men are brought up one at a time, cuffed, with two soldiers standing at their flanks. Leon does the talking. They are shown evidence of what happened to Cedro and his late wife.
The first man gets a shake of Leon’s head when our soldiers take them out. The second a nod. Then two more shakes.
I don’t imagine he’ll send them back to Edoardo. They’ve been here and know too much now. I’m guessing they’ll be taken somewhere quietly and disposed of.
Then comes Bo. He’s shocked by the information. He gives me a cagey look before focusing on what Leon says.
He gets a nod.
Peter is next. His face is a stark mask as he listens to what Leon lays out.
“I have eyes and ears,” he says. “The servants talk. Brigida was vocal to those she trusted about Ettore’s treatment of Carmela.
He wasn’t the same caliber as his predecessor, that’s for sure.
But as far as I knew, Cedro had given Carmela to him in good faith.
As for him being responsible for killing your father and Mrs. Accardi, you could easily have fabricated the evidence, and I haven’t heard Cedro’s side of this.
But there have long been rumors that Ettore has agreements in place with the Russians.
I even escorted him to several meetings.
I did not personally attend the talks… Edoardo did.
Do I believe Ettore is capable of doing what you claim?
Yes, I do. Did I want to work for him? No.
After Mrs. Accardi’s funeral, I went to Cedro and pleaded with him to let me enter his service.
He told me he wanted me to work for Ettore, where I could protect his daughter.
” He shakes his head. “I failed that duty.”
There is a lengthy pause. “If I killed every man who had failed Carmela,” Leon says. “That would include everyone in the room.” He calls his soldier to take Peter out. He also gets a nod.
Next comes Roman. He shuffles into the center of the room and sneers at me. Leon doesn’t even get to start before Roman starts on me. “You’re such an asshole, Christian. My wife had a fucking baby that I haven’t even fucking seen. You choked me out, motherfucker. And I still pulled my punches!”
“Pulled your punches? You punch like a girl!”
“AND I nearly put my back out dragging your heavy ass!”
“Enough!” Leon barks. He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Take him the fuck out.”
“I’m going to kick your ass, Christian!” Roman roars, fighting to break free of the two guards. “My wife was going to name our baby after you. I swear to God, I will disown him if she has!”
“I’m going to kick your ass right back. Bet she’s glad you’ve been gone so you don’t eat all her fucking cakes!”
“Er, boss? The decision?” one of the soldiers manhandling Roman out of the room asks.
“Yes,” Leon growls. “For fuck’s sake. Yes. Any man who has to deal with Christian’s bullshit deserves a second chance.”
The door closes. Dante is smirking. “I like him.”
I huff out a breath. “Yeah, I like him too. That’s why I only choked him and didn’t shoot him.”
Finally comes Jero, and after all the excitement with Roman, his quiet presence makes a marked contrast.
Leon gives him the same talk.
Jero nods.
“I suspected. I was conveniently out of the way when both incidents happened… Christian was supposed to report to someone else, but I stepped in and asked if he could work with me. Ettore didn’t object.
I didn’t even know why I did it at the time.
Perhaps he represented a connection to your father.
I respected Stephano Barone… Not that they’re remotely alike, you know.
I was a nobody until the day Don Cedro asked me what I wanted to be.
Mr. Barone did the same when he was underboss and asked me to be his enforcer.
I didn’t get to pick Ettore. I questioned things a good soldier probably shouldn’t.
Then Christian came along, and, no offense, but it was obvious Ettore wasn’t his first loyalty. ”
“You’ve protected him,” Dante says.
Jero shrugs.
I blink rapidly. Well, fuck. There’s something about having the facts laid out that creates a paradigm shift. I wonder how many times he looked out for me when I didn’t even know?
“He has a tendency to go off-script, so, you know, that’s been a challenge. But yeah, as best as I could.”
“Would you like to continue doing that?” Leon asks seriously. “Because I love my cousin, but I’d also be the first to agree, he would benefit from supervision.”
“I’m right fucking here,” I say, although my words lack heat.
“Yes, sir,” Jero says. “I would.”
DANTE
The soldiers have been dealt with. Only three of them didn’t make the cut. But that’s how it goes in our world. Their deaths will not be drawn out, and that’s as much as they deserve.
Now it’s time to deal with Ettore.
As I enter the room where he’s being held, my mood turns dark. Just by existing, he leaches joy from the world.
He’s bound, gagged, and zip-tied to a chair, naked.
A single high window casts light over his pitiful form.
To the right is a table holding a few items one might consider useful to such a scenario, including a water cooler—I don’t plan to be here long enough to worry about hydration.
Still, I appreciate the gesture by whoever set up the room.
Ettore glares between Leon, Christian, and me with his one good eye.
The other side is a vacant hole… several fingers from his right hand are likewise missing.
I can’t tell exactly how many, but the blood-stained bandage suggests at least a few.
His face is swollen and misshapen. Bruises litter his body.
It looks like the Russians made good use of him before they handed him over.
We’ve had him for three days. Once our doctor checked him, to ensure he wasn’t going to die too soon, we left him to wallow until we were ready.
He’s on the road toward death. Today, he will reach the end.
A knock sounds on the door. Christian turns and opens it, and a soldier pushes Cedro in his wheelchair into the room.
Ettore snarls behind his gag.
The door closes again.
“Ettore,” Leon says. “You can probably imagine, I’ve been waiting for this day.”
Ettore rocks in his chair, hatred and fear etched into his bloodshot eye.
“Nothing to say?” Leon asks, smirking. “I did consider removing the gag, but then I decided it was better this way. Nothing you have to say is of interest to me. Only the sounds of your pain. And I can still enjoy them from behind a gag.”
He turns to Cedro.
Cedro nods.
He turns to me.
“Have at it,” I say. “I think we’ve all got some rage to work through on this piece of shit.”
Leon steps forward and punches Ettore in the face. The blow rocks his head back. The wounded gasping sound escaping around his gag is barely satisfying. Leon must agree because he punches him again before shaking out his hand.
“I’m out of practice.”
“I’m not,” Christian says, cracking his knuckles.