23. ANTONIO
Talking to Enrico Sartori on the phone, I climb into the idling helicopter waiting for me on the designated helipad that doubles as a basketball court.
As soon as I’m seated, we take off, and I spy a glimpse of a small form standing on the balcony of my suite.
We're rising too far and fast to make out her features, but her long, brown hair blows in the wind stirred up by the rotors, and I realize she's only wearing my sheet, which also blows around her long legs.
She looks like a vision. Despite the soundproof cabin of the helicopter, I don't hear a word Enrico says.
My eyes are glued to Scarlet. For the thousandth time since I met her, I ask myself how it is possible to have my life turned upside down this quickly.
"Toni, are you still there?" Enrico sounds exasperated.
"Yeah, sorry. Got distracted."
"Well, get fucking undistracted and listen," Enrico shouts, more infuriated than I've ever heard him during our long friendship.
I turn away from the window. I need to focus on this conversation. Edoardo has Enrico all riled up. "The fucker has decreed that I cannot marry a woman outside the family," Enrico fumes. "Whatever you’re planning, I'm listening."
"Hold on, what? When did you decide to marry?" I stop him.
He’d told me before about a girl, Catalina, who was living with him and his family right now because she saved his sister's life. But I had no idea he was growing attached to her, let alone wanting to marry her.
"What are you, my goddamn bestie? Do you want to have a slumber party and have me tell you all about my fucking life?"
Well, sounds like Edoardo managed to rile Enrico up pretty good.
Enrico is usually more composed than this.
Whoever the girl is—and I have a feeling it’s Catalina—has driven her hooks into him deep.
A small smile plays on my lips. Enrico was always on my side, but he isn't the capo yet; his father still is.
If a vendetta were to break out, I'm not sure Enrico would go against his family. But if there is a woman in play…
And if that woman means to him what Scarlet does to me—yeah, I'm not going too deep into that one right now—anyway, my point is, I would do anything for Scarlet, even if it meant going against the family. If this is where Enrico is at, I just got myself a powerful ally.
I should be jumping in my seat in euphoria at his finally having fully seen Edoardo for what he is, a poisonous snake who sows unrest amongst his capos instead of supporting us.
Instead, my mind is filled with sapphire eyes and dark brown hair.
Avenging what has been done to her is nearly overshadowing my desire for revenge for my father.
Luckily, the two go together because otherwise, I'm not sure which path I would take.
"I haven't planned anything yet." I push thoughts of a certain brunette from my mind and focus entirely on Enrico.
"So far, I've been the only one standing up against Edoardo.
" Because I need him and don't want to piss him off, I add, "But if he overstepped with you, there is hope the others will follow. "
"We need to make that happen," Enrico snarls. "I'm going to marry that girl no matter what he says."
"Just to be clear, we're talking about Catalina?"
A growl from the phone tells me I'm right on both accounts; it's Catalina, and he's head over heels. I haven’t met her yet.
Enrico is keeping her close to him. All I know is that another capo, Giovanni Giordano—Donna Margarita's son—kidnapped Enrico's sister, Izzy, and that Catalina saved her.
There was a big blowout about it during the last meeting, and Edoardo is still pissed, but he can't do anything about Giovanni being dead, since Giovanni ordered the kidnapping.
I pour myself a coffee from the machine in the corner. Marrying someone against the Don's wishes is dangerous for everyone involved—especially the groom and bride.
"It's been a few months since I've talked to the others, let me put my feelers out and see where they stand. In the meantime, I suggest you postpone your wedding."
"Not happening, invitations were already sent," Enrico replies with his usual stubbornness. "Yours is on the way."
"I’ll need a plus one,” I say, then continue.
“Be careful. Edoardo is a snake. He'll strike when you least expect it and against whom you least expect it to happen to.
" I caution him. I know he already knows this.
As his father's second-in-command of the Sartori family, he has been carrying a lot of responsibility for a long time.
"You too; he's watching you. Especially with this Carlos business." Enrico warns me.
"Don't I know it."
"If you need anything…" Enrico trails off.
"I'm good, but thank you. And hey, congrats on the upcoming wedding."
"You'll be there, right?"
The last thing I want to do is attend a potentially explosive wedding, but I need Enrico on my side. "I'll be there." I'll have to up security, especially if Scarlet is going with me… "When is the wedding?"
"A couple of months, why?"
"Just checking." Hopefully, in a couple of months, Carlos will already be dead. Otherwise… I grin, imagining his face when I bring Scarlet with me to the wedding as my future wife.
"Don't forget to bring a gift." Enrico reminds me. “I'd love one of your choppers."
I laugh, "Those things cost ten million dollars apiece. That seems a bit over the top for a wedding gift."
"I always knew you were a cheap bastard," Enrico jokes.
"If anybody should get a gift, it's me, since I'm the one laundering your money.
" I throw right back at him. The Sartoris run the arms trafficking and gambling branch of our family.
For good measure, I add, "Not everyone can be as loaded as you.
" I’m enjoying our banter. It's been a long time since we’ve done this.
"You're flying in one of those choppers right now, aren't you?" Enrico is as observant as usual. Nothing gets by him, not even the slight, barely noticeable sound of the rotors above me.
"You got the money, buy one," I suggest.
"If I only had a cousin who makes these things and would give me a good deal," he laments.
I laugh. My helicopter production would be bleeding money if I didn't use it as a front for the money laundering operation.
The way I have them made, with luxury as the number two priority, second only to safety, they barely cover the cost of production.
But it works perfectly as a front, especially for international deals.
My business launders the money for the rest of the family, and it works for all of us. I receive twenty percent for every dollar I launder for them, and their money is clean when tax time comes around.
Next to the Capo dei Capi, I'm the most powerful man in our organization. It would be crippled if I didn't continuously find new ways to launder all the funds from our illicit enterprises. The work is satisfying; plus, I don't have to deal with drugs or sex workers.
"We're landing," the pilot advises unnecessarily. The Big Apple is hard to miss, even when my mind is occupied with other things.
The helicopter sits down on top of Enrico's skyscraper.
When I exit, I can see his terrace, complete with a small park and swimming pool.
It looks nice, but nothing can replace nature for me.
I love my mansion, and I loathe coming to The City, which is why I try to make my trips as quick as possible.
Now, with Scarlet waiting there for me, I have another incentive to make this one even quicker.
I straighten my tie and suit jacket and tell the pilot I'll return in a couple of hours.
Igio and Berto are already waiting for me by the door that leads to the elevators.
"Good morning, Mister DeLuna."
"Morning." I walk through the door they hold open. "Is everyone here?"
"They're gathering in the meeting room, boss."
The elevator takes us only a few floors down before it dings and lets us out.
Several men dressed identically to Igio and Berto, all wearing sunglasses and suits with conspicuous, gun-shaped bulges on their sides, stand in the hallway by the large two-door entrance to the meeting room.
Each one is wearing an earpiece that connects them with every other guard stationed throughout the building and entrances.
Security is tight when the heads of the New York Cosa Nostra get together for their quarterly meeting.
Only a fool would dare to come in and cause trouble—a very suicidal fool.
Two of the bodyguards—I have no idea who they belong to—open the doors, and I march in. Cigar and cigarette smoke greet me, as well as staring glances from the men already seated around the long conference table.
"Morning," I say, going straight to the buffet on the left.
"You're late," Edoardo scolds.
"Traffic." I wave my hand and tell the girl behind the buffet to make me an espresso.
"You flew in," Enrico remarks with a smirk. I send a quick, irritated glare at him, and he shrugs his shoulders. The twinkle in his eyes says, Got to play the part . He might be ready to go against Edoardo, but he's not willing to make it official yet. Understandable.
I take my seat, and Edoardo waves the buffet girl out of the room. This meeting is for family members only.
"Since we're all finally here," Edoardo begins, sipping from his whiskey as if it weren't only nine o'clock in the morning, "let's begin."