Chapter 17
Vincenzo
Nicolo is talking when I reach his office, but it’s going in one ear and out the other. All I can think about is what Anna recalled of the arrangement between her father and Barcelo.
So the Gallinis think they have a contract.
A fucking dead man’s contract, with no proof that we know of that any of its kind exists.
If he had a fucking contract, he’d have shown that hand long before now.
But I can’t have any missteps on this thing.
Not with my family name on the line. Credibility, our word, upholding the laws of the families even when we don’t agree, that keeps the family’s power intact, not to mention their safety.
Deviate and the smaller groups rally, growing in force if they feel injustice. We stay the course, under the radar for now.
My attention comes back to his conversation when he mentions the Gallinis and Sarones.
As if we don’t have enough trouble down at the docks with their constant meddling. Always trying to sneak a rat in the back door of some warehouse job, loading-pen work or anything else our dock managers need help with.
Nicolo gets off the phone and looks at me from his seat across the desk. “Word on the street is it’s official. The Sarones have officially joined the Gallinis, which means the territory adjacent to ours is now owned mutually.”
“Fuck. This close to shutting the Sarones down before they joined with the Gallinis.”
Nicolo takes a pull of his coffee, gesturing for me to get something from the bar in the corner. “You’re not wrong. Word on the street is the Gallinis are infusing the Sarones with money.”
I scowl, pouring myself a drink. My mind ticks off the reasons for aiding the Sarones but nothing comes to mind except getting to the DeLucas.
No other family in our area has the kind of green needed to pour money into washups like the Sarones.
Especially after they tried to hit our strip club and lost most of their street men.
And we have everything the bigger families want, the casinos, all the money that comes in from the gambling, hotels, back-room card games, payments from all of them to keep them safe from the thugs, and connections with the sex club because men like to stay close to the people who hold their darkest secrets and the docks.
They may not be like New York City, but there’s enough under-the-radar boat traffic to keep the perfect cover.
Nicolo is thoughtful. “I can’t think of one family in the area that has enough money or would be so foolhardy to go against us knowing the Sarones are on our shit list. The only ones that would take money are the Sarones.”
Something’s not adding up. I take a seat and lean back in my chair.
“Rumor on the street six months ago was the Gallini ventures here in the States had dried up and without the merger of the Cassones they weren’t going to have enough distribution channels, which was one of the reasons they fled back to the old country after Barcelo died.
To the ports they grew up in and still command. ”
He nods. “Yeah, doesn’t matter how much money your family has, if you can’t bring in your share in your venture, you get pulled back home. No doubt his papa wasn’t too happy with his business savvy or the fact that they lost Barcelo.”
But yet, now they’re scouring Jersey City and Atlantic City and giving money to our fucking enemies to merge into a territory that sits right next to ours.
I don’t answer the question running in both of our minds, but it sits between us because we both fucking know what changed. Until then we had almost wiped out the Sarones and they didn’t have a chance in hell. No Gallini help was there then.
Anna Cassone being alive is what changed, and now Papa Gallini lets Bastian come back to the US and dump money into the Sarones.
It’s gotta be the fucking contract. Somehow Anna being alive means monetary gain for the Gallinis or no one’s papa in Italy would condone the investment that they must have made.
The Gallinis don’t have squat in this state, not without the property and estate that old man Cassone left.
“The thing that puzzles me is the Cassone property isn’t that large.
I mean how many acres do they have? Sure, old man Cassone had a great handle on the distribution centers and that would be valuable, but it’s not like they couldn’t pay someone off for distribution or fucking take it for that matter. ”
No, whatever it is, it’s bigger than this. “We need to find out the legal aspects of that estate and I know just who can help us with that.”
Nicolo’s eyes narrow. “Anna’s friend?”
I nod, contemplating as the Dalmar settles into my veins.
“Addie will want to do anything possible to help her friend. We need this, Nicolo. She’s in the perfect position to find out, has contacts who owe her.
Especially the men she’s gotten off with a slap on the wrist who should have served hard time.
I want you to take a drive up there. Go visit. Feel her out.”
Nicolo groans. “Why not the phone. I’ll use a secure line.”
I shake my head. “In person. You’ll know if she’s lying or if she needs some convincing to do the right thing for her friend.”
“Fucking great.”
I smirk. Sometimes it’s fun being the boss.
“Get that smirk off your face before I shoot you.”
I laugh. “Take Agosto. It will give him some time with you. Gianni is always too busy for our younger brother. We need to spend more time with him, mentor him more, Nicolo. He fucked up bad this past year, but he’s learned his lesson.
He sees what the mistake cost us. Take him with you.
Show him how you handle things with finesse.
Some of the hotheaded cousins we’ve paired him with maybe aren’t such good role models for our youngest brother. ”
He nods. “Fucking Agosto. If he hadn’t made that deal, we wouldn’t even be in this shitstorm. It just never ends. You wouldn’t have owed Massimo, he wouldn’t have asked for your help to get Anna, and you wouldn’t have recognized her in your casino.”
My eyes darken. “You say it like me rescuing and meeting Anna was a bad thing. Tread carefully, Nicolo.”
His dark eyes meet mine. “I think Anna means more to you than you even know.”
“I told you, she’s fucking mine.”
Nicolo swallows the last of his drink, stands, and puts his coffee cup on the bar. “My fucking life.” He slaps me on the shoulder on the way out. “Don’t worry. I’ll take a drive to Jersey City and see if I can find out anything from her friend.”
“Take Agosto,” I call out.
“Fuck you, Vincenzo!” The door slams shut leaving me alone in his office.
A picture of our entire family hangs on his wall.
Papa, Ma, me, Nicolo, Gianni, Agosto, and Lanah.
One fucking mistake and Dad has to keep his distance.
Hopefully not for long. My mind reverts to the beautiful dark-haired beauty not too far away.
I head back to my own penthouse and to the shower with one thing on my mind.