Savio, p.3
Savio, page 3
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
“It’s been awhile since I killed, and people think because I work at the Calabresi Holdings, I don’t handle other business.”
All the men followed me back to the front entrance and through the back exit to the corner of the dead-end alleyway. I saw Nevio on his knees with a bloody nose.
“Come on, Savio. You know I wouldn’t hurt the families.”
I gripped his chin and squeezed tight.
“You lost the privilege to call me Savio; it’s Boss to you.” I punched him in the gut.
“Aghhh!”
I punched him again in the left side of his rib.
“The moment you left without your watch, I knew something wasn’t right. How much did they offer? Huh!”
“Nothing, I promise!”
I kicked him in the chest. Renato pulled a gun out and passed it toward me. I clicked the safety off.
“All Five Families have a watch; you not wearing yours lets me know the police promised you freedom if you gave names. My concern now is if Maurizio was in on this deception.”
Blood dripped down Nevio’s face and nose.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Good, because you’ll be permanently silenced.” I held the gun up to his face and pulled the trigger.
Pop! Pop!
“Oh my God!” a voice screamed. I turned and saw a woman scramble backwards and fall.
“Grab her!” I shouted to Renato and my men.
“Please! I didn’t see anything.”
The voice sounded familiar, and I looked over my shoulder as Renato brought her to me.
“What do you want to do with her?”
“Kill her.”
Her eyes screamed in panic, with tears falling down her cheeks, begging to let her go. I could, but I didn’t trust anyone.
“Take her to the car.” I handed the gun back to Renato and bent down to Nevio. I patted the top of his jacket, flipped it over, and found his wallet with a photo of him and a woman. I turned it around and found a phone number on the back. I stood back up and walked in the direction of the limo and got inside as Renato sat across from McKayla with his gun trained on her.
“You can put the gun away. She won’t scream.”
He placed the gun back in his holster. McKayla wiped her cheek and scanned her eyes around the car.
“Where do you want to go?” Enzo asked.
“My condo.”
Renato’s eyes turned toward me in shock.
“Savio.”
I raised my hand to stop him from talking in front of her.
“We’ll talk later.”
“Diddd… you kill…”
“Kill him. I did, and now you’re a witness. What do you think should happen now?”
Her eyes lowered, and she fidgeted with her hands.
“I won’t say anything.”
“I don’t trust you, which means I don’t know you.”
“But—”
“You think because my father likes you, I should let you go.”
Fifteen minutes later, we arrived back at my condo. Enzo parked the limo and went to open the door and pull McKayla out.
“Renato, make sure everything is cleaned. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“You sure this is a good idea?” He pointed at McKayla fighting to get out of Enzo’s arms.
“No.”
I left him back in the limo and grabbed McKayla around her arm and headed inside. She tried to fight against me and scream for help.
“Please help!” McKayla screamed.
“No one is going to help you,” I whispered in her ear.
“You’re a monster!”
“I own this building, and everyone working here is a part of the family. Your screams don’t matter.”
Her head swiveled to the security guard. The desk receptionist’s head lowered, ignoring eye contact.
I pushed in the code for my penthouse. The doors opened, and I stepped on the elevator and pushed her in and shut it.
“Rena’s going to be looking for me.”
I stood in the corner and observed her pacing back and forth.
“Rena Clark, junior writer at Chicago Times. Tom and Missy Stanton at 3458 Naperville.”
“How do you know—”
“You’re not the only one who investigates their subjects.”
She charged at me, and I grasped her wrists, turned us around, pushed her up against the wall, and raised her hands above her head.
“I hate you!”
“Good.”
“Just kill me.”
I grinned.
“Don’t tempt me.”
When the elevator dinged, I released my hold on her and let the door open, motioning for her to step off. I locked it behind me. The lights popped on, and I set my alarm, removed my jacket, and went to my liquor bar for a quick drink. She stood in the same place, rubbed up and down her arms, and peered around the room.
“Once I don’t show up for work, they’ll come looking for me.”
“You can have the room in the back, near the bathroom.” I gulped the rest of the drink down and slammed it on the bar.
“I want to go home.”
“When you decided to be nosy in my business, you gave up the right to go home or make any more decisions.”
“Who are you?”
“Savio Calabresi, don of the Calabresi crime family.” I extended my hand for her to walk toward the guestroom. Before I could move, she raised her hand and smacked me across the face.
“Fuck you.”
“You wish.”
My cell phone rang. I grabbed it out of my pocket and saw it was Renato calling.
“Yeah.”
“I put some men outside in case she tries to run,” Renato spoke.
“McKayla doesn’t seem like the type that would run. But if she decides to, shoot on sight,” I said, stared into her eyes, and ended the call.
Standing under the shower, I let the water flow down my back and head, working out the kinks with the extra steam. I tossed and turned in bed all night, constantly checking to make sure she didn’t leave. Renato texted that they found her friend back at Sanctuary, searching for her, and had the police show up at the club. He was able to pay off one of the guys on the force to give her a fake story that her friend probably went home with a guy.
“Help me!”
I heard loud screams and turned the water off. I placed a towel around my waist and went to find out what was going on. I noticed McKayla fighting Enzo to get released.
“She tried to run out,” Enzo told me.
I ran a hand down my face, grabbed a hold of her waist, and tossed her over my shoulder.
“Let me go!” She hit me on my back, and I slapped her on the ass.
“Shut up!” I demanded, pushed the guest bedroom door open, and tossed her on the bed. I climbed on top of her, pushing her hands over her head.
“Please, Savio, I won’t try to run. Just let me call my family.”
“If you can be quiet for the next thirty minutes while I get dressed, I’ll think about allowing you to call your family.”
She nodded.
“Can I go home?”
“Don’t push it.” I climbed off her, shut the door, and went to my bedroom.
Forty-five minutes later, my housekeeper had breakfast on the table. I raised the newspaper, reading over it to see if anything popped up about Nevio.
“Hello, I’m Marilyn, the housekeeper for Mr. Calabresi,” Marilyn introduced herself and poured juice in the glass for McKayla.
“Hello,” McKayla replied, pushing the plate away from her.
“You should eat,” I said.
“Not hungry.”
“So, you plan on starving and think that will cause me to let you go?”
Marilyn glanced between the both of us.
“I’m not hungry,” she answered, but her stomach growled.
I picked up her plate, rose from the table, and gave it to Enzo.
“Breakfast on me, Enzo.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“As for you, I’d advise to do as I say, or you’ll find me unpleasant to be around.”
Marilyn went back to the kitchen to clean up. I grabbed my coat and keys to leave. McKayla jumped up to follow me.
“You can’t leave me here.”
“I can do what I want.”
“What about my job? Your father’s expecting me today,” she begged.
I walked up on her, grabbed a hold of her hips, and dug my fingers in her sides with a hard glare.
“You’re fired.”
She tried to smack me again. I grasped her hand.
“Not again, princess.”
She yanked away from my hold.
“You disgust me.”
“Something that I’ve heard many times in my life. Enzo, keep an eye on her.”
4
Savio
“Why did I just hear about you kidnapping a woman?” Senior questioned in a boisterous voice.
“Wait, what happened?” Sante asked.
“Is she still there?” Renato inquired.
“You know about this?” Elio inquired.
“I barely got five hours of sleep; hold off on the questions. Meet me at the house,” I demanded and hung up the phone as I zipped through traffic and made it to the gate of my parents’ mansion in Highland Park forty minutes later. The guard opened the gates, and I pulled into the roundabout, parked my car, and jogged up the stairs. Growing up in a ten-bedroom, fifteen-bathroom, mansion with our own indoor and outdoor pool and basketball court was normal. The amount of times we’d have parties when our parents were gone out of the country played in my mind. I went to the kitchen to see my mother talking with the head staff manager Elorna, an older woman who’d been with our family for over twenty years.
“Son, I wasn’t expecting you back so soon.” She reached out for a hug. I bent down so she could wrap an arm around my neck and kissed the side of her cheek.
“I need to talk with your husband.”
The front door slammed.
“Everything that happens needs to run through me!” Sante shouted.
“Take that up with him!” Renato shouted back and smacked Sante on the back of the head. Those two constantly fought, and I knew it was a little jealousy on Sante’s part because I was closer to Renato than him when it came to decisions of the mafia, but I spoke with Sante about more personal life issues.
“Boys, stop fighting and give me a kiss.” Mom placed her hands on her hips.
All three of them grinned, walked up to her, and planted kisses on her cheek and forehead. She treated all of us the same, but we still fought to be her favorite. She’d never answer that question.
“What did you cook?” Renato released her and went to the stove.
“We’re not here for that,” I said.
Sante opened the fridge and took out a beer. Elio stood at the island, facing me with his arms crossed.
“Why are we here then?” he questioned with that condescending tone.
“In the office. Where’s Father?” I asked.
“He should be finished with his workout,” she replied, grabbing a plate out of the cabinet for him.
“Let’s go,” I said to my brothers, and they dropped their arguing to come with me to the back office. I pushed the office door open and saw my father on the phone. He held his finger up, and I went to sit in the chair. Sante sat on the couch next to Elio, while Renato stood at the wall near the door. Renato, being a trained assassin and shooter, always needed to be near an exit, even in our family home. In case something broke out, he wanted to be able to know where all the doors were to get everyone out to safety.
“Damn it, Savio!” Father fussed and slammed the phone down.
“I assume it was Maurizio.”
I crossed my leg and sat back with my arm over the back of the chair.
“You sit back nonchalantly like what you’ve done can be forgiven.”
I pushed my tongue against my teeth.
“That was business.”
“And kidnapping a woman?” he asked.
“She witnessed me.”
“Who is she?” EJ called out.
“The journalist who’s writing my story,” Father informed me.
“Why didn’t you kill her?” EJ asked.
“When do you question the boss?”
“Just seems like you’re being sloppy,” EJ said.
If Elio weren’t my brother, I’d have my fist through his chest right now.
“Elio, no need to speak to your brother like that,” Father said.
“Yeah, I forgot he and Renato can get away with anything,” EJ mumbled under his breath.
“Silence!” I yelled, rising out of the chair.
Father whistled for us to focus on him.
“Back to what you’re going to do to fix this issue.”
“Why did Maruizio call you?”
“Because he knows my stubborn son,” Father answered and leaned back in the chair.
“I made a call as the don of this family, and the Five Families will understand.”
“Savio, I was in charge for years with no major problems. I understood the politics,” he explained, stood, and went to his cabinet of pictures. He held photos of us when we were younger with our grandparents.
“Maurizio must have something to hide for him to call you.”
“Possibly, but we don’t make enemies of the men in our circle.”
“Renato agreed with my decision.”
“But did you speak with Sante or EJ, your Consigliere?” His right brow hiked up.
“No, I found out afterwards,” Sante said.
“That’s the problem. If they find a crack in our foundation, our enemies will grow, Savio,” Father expressed with his fist clenched tight.
“I hear you and understand, Father.”
“Nevio might have sold us out to have the Colombos take over, but Maurizio would be stupid to make a move on us,” Father explained.
“Was he giving you a warning?”
“Maybe. If I were you, I’d look into the police station that he went to.”
I hated this part of being in charge, having to get the opinions of other bosses in the Five Families when I made decisions that I felt were best.
“I’ll speak with Maurizio.” I stood and prepared to leave.
“Bring McKayla over for dinner.”
“No.”
“Savio, I didn’t ask you.”
“Sometimes you have to let your pride go. I made a decision; she doesn’t leave my condo.”
The room grew silent at my statement, and his eyes grew darker.
“I’ve already had calls from some people who want to know where she is.”
“She’s alive.”
“What do you think Viviana is going to say about this?”
“Viviana was in the past, nothing more or less.”
“McKayla Stanton will be here for dinner tonight.”
“If I don’t?”
“Your position can always be replaced, Savio.”
I pointed behind me.
“By whom? Sante—the one who’s more focused on pussy, or Renato, the one who pops off in a split second if you look at him. Maybe your precious Elio who loves to compete with me, thinking I want your attention.”
“Fuck you, Savio!”
Renato laughed. Sante flipped me off, and EJ clenched his fists.
“Throwing a tantrum, son.”
“I’m in charge of them, not you.”
“According to the rules, if you don’t marry Viviana, you’re no longer going to be in charge.”
I tensed at his words.
“What are you saying?”
“The deal is that once I retire, you would be the don, only if a marriage were to happen between you and the Greco family.”
“You lied to me.”
“I protected you.”
“That’s bullshit!”
He stood in front of me, nostrils flared.
“The contingency is that you marry, otherwise the deal stands.”
“All Five Families know about this?”
“Only Gennaro, Viviana, and I. To get his blessing when I retire, it was agreed.”
“Shit. We don’t have an agreement like that, right?” Sante asked.
“No, only Savio, since he’s the oldest.”
“I’m out of here.” I stopped at the door.
“McKayla is not to be touched, Savio.”
“I hear you.”
I knocked back another shot of scotch at the bar in Sanctuary and turned my phone off after the conversation with my father. My plan was to talk about the Nevio situation, but to find out how they lied to me, and I didn’t earn the position that I thought I did, pissed me off more.
“Another one, Savio?” Lucky, the bartender, asked.
“Yeah.”
He held the bottle over and poured the scotch to the top.
“I knew you’d be here.” Sante slid up beside me. Renato came on the other side.
I tilted my head back and gulped down the shot. It burned my chest, and I closed, then opened my eyes.
“I don’t need babysitters.”
“According to Elio Calabresi Jr., you do,” Sante joked and slapped me on the shoulder.
I shrugged him off, and he held a hand up and backed away.
“How many shots have you had?” Renato pushed the glass away from me.
“Not enough.”
Lucky approached us.
“One more,” I said.
“He’s cut off, Lucky,” Sante said.
My lip screwed up in a scoff.
“Worry about your little dick not falling off.” I pushed him away and slammed my glass down on the bar for another shot.
“And you worry about what wedding ring you’re going to pick out for Viviana,” Sante replied. I jumped up and punched him in the face. He spat the blood out, tightened his fist, and sent a punch back at me. Renato got between us with security.
“That’s enough!” Renato shouted.
“Lucky you’re my brother, or I’d have you hanging up, bleeding out like a pig.” I picked up the napkin and wiped my lip.
“Get out of your feelings.”
“We have bigger problems to talk about. We’re family; shake hands and move on.” Renato put his arms around both our shoulders. I hesitated for a second, then nodded and reached out for his hand. I faked and punched him in the right jaw.
“It’s been awhile since I killed, and people think because I work at the Calabresi Holdings, I don’t handle other business.”
All the men followed me back to the front entrance and through the back exit to the corner of the dead-end alleyway. I saw Nevio on his knees with a bloody nose.
“Come on, Savio. You know I wouldn’t hurt the families.”
I gripped his chin and squeezed tight.
“You lost the privilege to call me Savio; it’s Boss to you.” I punched him in the gut.
“Aghhh!”
I punched him again in the left side of his rib.
“The moment you left without your watch, I knew something wasn’t right. How much did they offer? Huh!”
“Nothing, I promise!”
I kicked him in the chest. Renato pulled a gun out and passed it toward me. I clicked the safety off.
“All Five Families have a watch; you not wearing yours lets me know the police promised you freedom if you gave names. My concern now is if Maurizio was in on this deception.”
Blood dripped down Nevio’s face and nose.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Good, because you’ll be permanently silenced.” I held the gun up to his face and pulled the trigger.
Pop! Pop!
“Oh my God!” a voice screamed. I turned and saw a woman scramble backwards and fall.
“Grab her!” I shouted to Renato and my men.
“Please! I didn’t see anything.”
The voice sounded familiar, and I looked over my shoulder as Renato brought her to me.
“What do you want to do with her?”
“Kill her.”
Her eyes screamed in panic, with tears falling down her cheeks, begging to let her go. I could, but I didn’t trust anyone.
“Take her to the car.” I handed the gun back to Renato and bent down to Nevio. I patted the top of his jacket, flipped it over, and found his wallet with a photo of him and a woman. I turned it around and found a phone number on the back. I stood back up and walked in the direction of the limo and got inside as Renato sat across from McKayla with his gun trained on her.
“You can put the gun away. She won’t scream.”
He placed the gun back in his holster. McKayla wiped her cheek and scanned her eyes around the car.
“Where do you want to go?” Enzo asked.
“My condo.”
Renato’s eyes turned toward me in shock.
“Savio.”
I raised my hand to stop him from talking in front of her.
“We’ll talk later.”
“Diddd… you kill…”
“Kill him. I did, and now you’re a witness. What do you think should happen now?”
Her eyes lowered, and she fidgeted with her hands.
“I won’t say anything.”
“I don’t trust you, which means I don’t know you.”
“But—”
“You think because my father likes you, I should let you go.”
Fifteen minutes later, we arrived back at my condo. Enzo parked the limo and went to open the door and pull McKayla out.
“Renato, make sure everything is cleaned. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“You sure this is a good idea?” He pointed at McKayla fighting to get out of Enzo’s arms.
“No.”
I left him back in the limo and grabbed McKayla around her arm and headed inside. She tried to fight against me and scream for help.
“Please help!” McKayla screamed.
“No one is going to help you,” I whispered in her ear.
“You’re a monster!”
“I own this building, and everyone working here is a part of the family. Your screams don’t matter.”
Her head swiveled to the security guard. The desk receptionist’s head lowered, ignoring eye contact.
I pushed in the code for my penthouse. The doors opened, and I stepped on the elevator and pushed her in and shut it.
“Rena’s going to be looking for me.”
I stood in the corner and observed her pacing back and forth.
“Rena Clark, junior writer at Chicago Times. Tom and Missy Stanton at 3458 Naperville.”
“How do you know—”
“You’re not the only one who investigates their subjects.”
She charged at me, and I grasped her wrists, turned us around, pushed her up against the wall, and raised her hands above her head.
“I hate you!”
“Good.”
“Just kill me.”
I grinned.
“Don’t tempt me.”
When the elevator dinged, I released my hold on her and let the door open, motioning for her to step off. I locked it behind me. The lights popped on, and I set my alarm, removed my jacket, and went to my liquor bar for a quick drink. She stood in the same place, rubbed up and down her arms, and peered around the room.
“Once I don’t show up for work, they’ll come looking for me.”
“You can have the room in the back, near the bathroom.” I gulped the rest of the drink down and slammed it on the bar.
“I want to go home.”
“When you decided to be nosy in my business, you gave up the right to go home or make any more decisions.”
“Who are you?”
“Savio Calabresi, don of the Calabresi crime family.” I extended my hand for her to walk toward the guestroom. Before I could move, she raised her hand and smacked me across the face.
“Fuck you.”
“You wish.”
My cell phone rang. I grabbed it out of my pocket and saw it was Renato calling.
“Yeah.”
“I put some men outside in case she tries to run,” Renato spoke.
“McKayla doesn’t seem like the type that would run. But if she decides to, shoot on sight,” I said, stared into her eyes, and ended the call.
Standing under the shower, I let the water flow down my back and head, working out the kinks with the extra steam. I tossed and turned in bed all night, constantly checking to make sure she didn’t leave. Renato texted that they found her friend back at Sanctuary, searching for her, and had the police show up at the club. He was able to pay off one of the guys on the force to give her a fake story that her friend probably went home with a guy.
“Help me!”
I heard loud screams and turned the water off. I placed a towel around my waist and went to find out what was going on. I noticed McKayla fighting Enzo to get released.
“She tried to run out,” Enzo told me.
I ran a hand down my face, grabbed a hold of her waist, and tossed her over my shoulder.
“Let me go!” She hit me on my back, and I slapped her on the ass.
“Shut up!” I demanded, pushed the guest bedroom door open, and tossed her on the bed. I climbed on top of her, pushing her hands over her head.
“Please, Savio, I won’t try to run. Just let me call my family.”
“If you can be quiet for the next thirty minutes while I get dressed, I’ll think about allowing you to call your family.”
She nodded.
“Can I go home?”
“Don’t push it.” I climbed off her, shut the door, and went to my bedroom.
Forty-five minutes later, my housekeeper had breakfast on the table. I raised the newspaper, reading over it to see if anything popped up about Nevio.
“Hello, I’m Marilyn, the housekeeper for Mr. Calabresi,” Marilyn introduced herself and poured juice in the glass for McKayla.
“Hello,” McKayla replied, pushing the plate away from her.
“You should eat,” I said.
“Not hungry.”
“So, you plan on starving and think that will cause me to let you go?”
Marilyn glanced between the both of us.
“I’m not hungry,” she answered, but her stomach growled.
I picked up her plate, rose from the table, and gave it to Enzo.
“Breakfast on me, Enzo.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“As for you, I’d advise to do as I say, or you’ll find me unpleasant to be around.”
Marilyn went back to the kitchen to clean up. I grabbed my coat and keys to leave. McKayla jumped up to follow me.
“You can’t leave me here.”
“I can do what I want.”
“What about my job? Your father’s expecting me today,” she begged.
I walked up on her, grabbed a hold of her hips, and dug my fingers in her sides with a hard glare.
“You’re fired.”
She tried to smack me again. I grasped her hand.
“Not again, princess.”
She yanked away from my hold.
“You disgust me.”
“Something that I’ve heard many times in my life. Enzo, keep an eye on her.”
4
Savio
“Why did I just hear about you kidnapping a woman?” Senior questioned in a boisterous voice.
“Wait, what happened?” Sante asked.
“Is she still there?” Renato inquired.
“You know about this?” Elio inquired.
“I barely got five hours of sleep; hold off on the questions. Meet me at the house,” I demanded and hung up the phone as I zipped through traffic and made it to the gate of my parents’ mansion in Highland Park forty minutes later. The guard opened the gates, and I pulled into the roundabout, parked my car, and jogged up the stairs. Growing up in a ten-bedroom, fifteen-bathroom, mansion with our own indoor and outdoor pool and basketball court was normal. The amount of times we’d have parties when our parents were gone out of the country played in my mind. I went to the kitchen to see my mother talking with the head staff manager Elorna, an older woman who’d been with our family for over twenty years.
“Son, I wasn’t expecting you back so soon.” She reached out for a hug. I bent down so she could wrap an arm around my neck and kissed the side of her cheek.
“I need to talk with your husband.”
The front door slammed.
“Everything that happens needs to run through me!” Sante shouted.
“Take that up with him!” Renato shouted back and smacked Sante on the back of the head. Those two constantly fought, and I knew it was a little jealousy on Sante’s part because I was closer to Renato than him when it came to decisions of the mafia, but I spoke with Sante about more personal life issues.
“Boys, stop fighting and give me a kiss.” Mom placed her hands on her hips.
All three of them grinned, walked up to her, and planted kisses on her cheek and forehead. She treated all of us the same, but we still fought to be her favorite. She’d never answer that question.
“What did you cook?” Renato released her and went to the stove.
“We’re not here for that,” I said.
Sante opened the fridge and took out a beer. Elio stood at the island, facing me with his arms crossed.
“Why are we here then?” he questioned with that condescending tone.
“In the office. Where’s Father?” I asked.
“He should be finished with his workout,” she replied, grabbing a plate out of the cabinet for him.
“Let’s go,” I said to my brothers, and they dropped their arguing to come with me to the back office. I pushed the office door open and saw my father on the phone. He held his finger up, and I went to sit in the chair. Sante sat on the couch next to Elio, while Renato stood at the wall near the door. Renato, being a trained assassin and shooter, always needed to be near an exit, even in our family home. In case something broke out, he wanted to be able to know where all the doors were to get everyone out to safety.
“Damn it, Savio!” Father fussed and slammed the phone down.
“I assume it was Maurizio.”
I crossed my leg and sat back with my arm over the back of the chair.
“You sit back nonchalantly like what you’ve done can be forgiven.”
I pushed my tongue against my teeth.
“That was business.”
“And kidnapping a woman?” he asked.
“She witnessed me.”
“Who is she?” EJ called out.
“The journalist who’s writing my story,” Father informed me.
“Why didn’t you kill her?” EJ asked.
“When do you question the boss?”
“Just seems like you’re being sloppy,” EJ said.
If Elio weren’t my brother, I’d have my fist through his chest right now.
“Elio, no need to speak to your brother like that,” Father said.
“Yeah, I forgot he and Renato can get away with anything,” EJ mumbled under his breath.
“Silence!” I yelled, rising out of the chair.
Father whistled for us to focus on him.
“Back to what you’re going to do to fix this issue.”
“Why did Maruizio call you?”
“Because he knows my stubborn son,” Father answered and leaned back in the chair.
“I made a call as the don of this family, and the Five Families will understand.”
“Savio, I was in charge for years with no major problems. I understood the politics,” he explained, stood, and went to his cabinet of pictures. He held photos of us when we were younger with our grandparents.
“Maurizio must have something to hide for him to call you.”
“Possibly, but we don’t make enemies of the men in our circle.”
“Renato agreed with my decision.”
“But did you speak with Sante or EJ, your Consigliere?” His right brow hiked up.
“No, I found out afterwards,” Sante said.
“That’s the problem. If they find a crack in our foundation, our enemies will grow, Savio,” Father expressed with his fist clenched tight.
“I hear you and understand, Father.”
“Nevio might have sold us out to have the Colombos take over, but Maurizio would be stupid to make a move on us,” Father explained.
“Was he giving you a warning?”
“Maybe. If I were you, I’d look into the police station that he went to.”
I hated this part of being in charge, having to get the opinions of other bosses in the Five Families when I made decisions that I felt were best.
“I’ll speak with Maurizio.” I stood and prepared to leave.
“Bring McKayla over for dinner.”
“No.”
“Savio, I didn’t ask you.”
“Sometimes you have to let your pride go. I made a decision; she doesn’t leave my condo.”
The room grew silent at my statement, and his eyes grew darker.
“I’ve already had calls from some people who want to know where she is.”
“She’s alive.”
“What do you think Viviana is going to say about this?”
“Viviana was in the past, nothing more or less.”
“McKayla Stanton will be here for dinner tonight.”
“If I don’t?”
“Your position can always be replaced, Savio.”
I pointed behind me.
“By whom? Sante—the one who’s more focused on pussy, or Renato, the one who pops off in a split second if you look at him. Maybe your precious Elio who loves to compete with me, thinking I want your attention.”
“Fuck you, Savio!”
Renato laughed. Sante flipped me off, and EJ clenched his fists.
“Throwing a tantrum, son.”
“I’m in charge of them, not you.”
“According to the rules, if you don’t marry Viviana, you’re no longer going to be in charge.”
I tensed at his words.
“What are you saying?”
“The deal is that once I retire, you would be the don, only if a marriage were to happen between you and the Greco family.”
“You lied to me.”
“I protected you.”
“That’s bullshit!”
He stood in front of me, nostrils flared.
“The contingency is that you marry, otherwise the deal stands.”
“All Five Families know about this?”
“Only Gennaro, Viviana, and I. To get his blessing when I retire, it was agreed.”
“Shit. We don’t have an agreement like that, right?” Sante asked.
“No, only Savio, since he’s the oldest.”
“I’m out of here.” I stopped at the door.
“McKayla is not to be touched, Savio.”
“I hear you.”
I knocked back another shot of scotch at the bar in Sanctuary and turned my phone off after the conversation with my father. My plan was to talk about the Nevio situation, but to find out how they lied to me, and I didn’t earn the position that I thought I did, pissed me off more.
“Another one, Savio?” Lucky, the bartender, asked.
“Yeah.”
He held the bottle over and poured the scotch to the top.
“I knew you’d be here.” Sante slid up beside me. Renato came on the other side.
I tilted my head back and gulped down the shot. It burned my chest, and I closed, then opened my eyes.
“I don’t need babysitters.”
“According to Elio Calabresi Jr., you do,” Sante joked and slapped me on the shoulder.
I shrugged him off, and he held a hand up and backed away.
“How many shots have you had?” Renato pushed the glass away from me.
“Not enough.”
Lucky approached us.
“One more,” I said.
“He’s cut off, Lucky,” Sante said.
My lip screwed up in a scoff.
“Worry about your little dick not falling off.” I pushed him away and slammed my glass down on the bar for another shot.
“And you worry about what wedding ring you’re going to pick out for Viviana,” Sante replied. I jumped up and punched him in the face. He spat the blood out, tightened his fist, and sent a punch back at me. Renato got between us with security.
“That’s enough!” Renato shouted.
“Lucky you’re my brother, or I’d have you hanging up, bleeding out like a pig.” I picked up the napkin and wiped my lip.
“Get out of your feelings.”
“We have bigger problems to talk about. We’re family; shake hands and move on.” Renato put his arms around both our shoulders. I hesitated for a second, then nodded and reached out for his hand. I faked and punched him in the right jaw.
