“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.
“Now, it’s cool.”
“Why do you have to be an asshole?” Renato helped Sante stand, and I grinned.
“Take after my father.”
“Have you spoken to her at all today?” Sante grabbed the bottle of Ace of Spades from the back bar and popped it open.
“Who?”
“The McKayla girl.”
“Shit.” I reached in my pocket and took my cell out to call Enzo.
“You never checked in on her?”
“Was I supposed to?”
“You’ll make a terrible husband,” Sante said.
“I’m not getting an answer.” I hung up and pulled money out to pay Lucky.
“We’ll follow you,” Renato said.