Chapter 41 – Nico
The lock sprang open, and Luigi jumped back.
I turned the knob. The door swung open. A multi-million-dollar brownstone likely had an alarm system, but we had that end covered.
Sure enough, the telltale beeping started a second later.
Rushing through the kitchen, we emerged in the living room as Tony shot to his feet.
“Shut off the alarm,” I commanded.
Tony pointed his gun at us, eyes narrowed. “You picked the wrong house, boys.”
I had ten men pouring inside. Each was armed, and the blood slowly drained from Tony’s face.
“Get your grey ass over there, and shut it off,” Luigi barked. “Now, Tony.”
Recognition flashed through him. With a curse, he holstered his weapon and made a beeline to the panel on the wall near the front door. I didn’t relax until he punched the number into the system and the beeping stopped.
“So, you’ve come for me too,” Tony snarled, turning around. “I should be honored you saved me for last.”
My grandfather’s capos had disappeared over the course of the last week. Like a frightened flock of birds, they’d pestered the old man daily about the situation. Don Grimaldi hadn’t taken their chirping seriously.
But it seemed Tony was much smarter.
“If you’re going to shoot me in cold blood, at least let me see your faces, cowards.” Tony planted his hands on his hips.
“We’ll pass,” I quipped. “Don’t want to leave any physical evidence of a break-in.”
Tony peered at me, eyes narrowed. “No matter, I’d know your voice anywhere, kid.”
“I wasn’t hiding.” I lowered my weapon. “I’m actually here to make you a deal.”
Tony snorted. “Help you turn on your old man?”
“His time is up, and you know it.”
Grey Tony was the smartest of the capos.
Unlike the others, his head for business made him valuable.
The issue of trusting him was easily solved by assigning some coolheaded soldiers to watch him.
They could learn the ropes, and eventually I would promote them to Tony’s position, sending the middle-aged capo into an early retirement overseas.
“Let me make you an offer,” I began.
“Did any of my brothers receive this offer?” the capo challenged.
I shook my head. “Those fat pigs were dead weight.”
“What an honor,” he muttered.
“Honey!” a sleepy female’s voice called down the front stairs. “Was that the security system?”
Luigi motioned with his gun for Tony to speak.
“I just stepped out front,” he called to his wife. “Sorry to wake you, cara mia.”
Her voice turned sultry. “Are you coming to bed?”
“Go to bed,” Tony snapped.
She cursed at him in Italian before her footsteps retreated.
“That was harsh,” Joey laughed.
Tony pointed a finger at him. “You don’t touch her, you hear me?”
“Enough,” I bit out. “We’re not here for her, and you know it.”
“Do I?” the capo scoffed. “Seems you’re capable of a coup. Anything else is less a sin than that.”
“We don’t touch families.” This wasn’t the Old World. The long-standing tradition with Italian mobs in America was that we kept the women and children out of the line of vengeance. They were off limits. Period.
“So, what’s it to be?” Luigi gestured at the body bag one of the guys carried. “You in? Or you want to stay out?”
Tony and I stared at one another. Here was where I tested his greed. One of the most powerful driving forces was the only thing strong enough to test his loyalty to my grandfather.
“You going to kill the don?” Tony asked.
There was no point lying to him. “If it comes to it, but I’m certain mother nature will take that off my to-do list.”
Tony nodded. “I know a nice hospice center. They wouldn’t ask any questions while we wait.”
My smile spread against the black material of my balaclava. “See, already proving how useful you are.”
With a nod from me, the men lowered their weapons.
“Here’s how it’s going to work.” I jerked my chin. Emanuele and another soldier stepped forward. “These two are your shadows. You won’t even take a shit without them in the room.”
“When will you put the old bull out to pasture?” Tony huffed.
“Friday night.” After the ball. For a myriad of reasons, there seemed a poetic justice to letting Don Grimaldi go out on a high note. I needed the next forty-some hours to finalize my ascension to power.
“I’ll see you at the party then.” Tony stuck out his hand. “A pleasure doing business with you…don.”