11. Leona #3
“About the federal government bearing down on you?” He smirked. “The racketeering case being built against you? RICO, I believe your law enforcement calls it.”
If I had been drinking some of that likely poisoned water sitting in front of me, I would have spit it out.
“The RICO case.” It was a statement. Not a question. A question would mean that I didn’t know what he was talking about. I didn’t have any fucking clue, but I would not let him have the upper hand.
He knew he had it anyway. “The FBI has documentation on all of you. You’re all one indictment away from collapse. Our meeting right now connects you. Especially you, Signorina Vero. Especially how you sit at this table as an equal. I am surprised Maximiliano didn’t alert you to this.”
Another lie.
Another thing he kept from me.
My brain spun and my chest grew hot while I tried to process what this meant.
A RICO case could take us all out. The nature of the RICO laws meant any person connected to organized crime could be implicated and convicted of crimes—regardless of if they’d actually committed them or not.
This was how the US government went after us in the eighties and nineties.
It allowed them to go after the Heads, even though it was the soldiers on the ground who did the real dirty work.
RICO was the death of the mafia. This could put us all behind bars.
Was that why the FBI wanted to meet with me? What did they have on us?
My blood blazed with anger.
I did not look behind me. I did not react.
“We are the mafia. RICO is an always-present threat. It happened before; it can happen again. We will deal with it.”
Greco twisted one of his gold rings. “I, however, am not in the line of fire—”
“Yet,” I said, eyes narrowed. One thing was for sure: if I was going down, I would take that bastard with me. “If this meeting implicates me, it also implicates you.”
Greco’s face split into a grin. “No, you see, charges would never stick against me. Not with my connections. Not simply returning to my home.” He looked down at me again, like I was a silly little girl who didn’t know what she was doing.
“You think you have more allies than me. Let me assure you, you don’t.
You think you have control over more people in charge?
Not even close. You think you can outsmart me?
I have been doing this for a very long time, signorina.
You all would be wise to accept my bargain.
If you do, I can make this all go away. This is the protection I offer. ”
Fuck. If he could make the RICO case disappear, he had powerful friends. I prayed Obi’s contacts outweighed his.
Sandrini cleared his throat. “I would rather not rot away in federal prison for the rest of my life.”
I rolled my eyes. “Shut up, Sandrini. The adults are talking.”
His cheeks turned red as he worked up some kind of reply, but one hiss from Ryuji and one glare from Wynn had him closing his lips.
“I am not an unreasonable man,” Greco said.
“When we absorb you, you’ll notice there are plenty of benefits to being in collaboration with the Camorra.
This deal will only make the mafia stronger.
You will have access to our drug production, our gun production, and our protection from law enforcement.
We all stand to make a lot of money from this deal. It is only smart business.”
The possibilities flipped through my head, but we were already using the Russian drugs and we had already partnered with the Chinese for the guns. Both resources proved we didn’t need the Camorra to stand on our own.
But this wasn’t just business. This was family. Future.
Greco was slimy and conniving. Even as he stood from the table and braced his fingertips on it, I couldn’t help the feeling that by submitting, it would be a slow death, but death all the same.
We had no choice but to fight.
“This can be cordial. A seamless transition. All I require is your cooperation.” He straightened and buttoned the front of his suit in one smooth motion. “Oh, forgive me, signorina, there is one extra condition for you if you were to accept this generous offer.”
My eyeballs would roll from my face by the time this meeting was over. “Which is?”
“When you submit to me, you will also hand over Maximiliano.”
My crossed leg bounced. “For what purpose?”
“He has failed me, and he must face the consequences.”
“That is not happening—”
Greco cut me off with a hand and looked down his Roman nose at me.
“Let me reiterate so your options are clear. Submit to the Camorra, or we will run you over. Death, prison, whatever means necessary, your life as you know it will be over. However, if you submit, you will live. You will still make money. You will simply do as you are told. It is a good deal.”
He nodded to each of the Heads. Sandrini stood, followed reluctantly by Rossi.
I stayed seated, with my leg still crossed over the other.
“I will give you time to consider. Three days.” He held up three fingers. “I will expect your answer by then. Thank you for your attention. I look forward to working with all of you.”
He and his men swept out of the room.