Manhattan

For a second Caesar found himself pondering over whether it would be smarter to stay in the cell or face his father. He took one more look at Cassius and saw the vein popping out of his temple like it used to when Caesar was little and got in trouble. He got up quickly from the bench and left the cell. After the officer locked it again, Caesar followed closely behind the two men as they made their way down the hallway. His father didn’t say a word to him and instead directed his attention to the officer.

“I want the wire recordings destroyed, Larry,” Cassius said in a low tone.

“You don’t have to worry about that. It’s already done,” the officer said.

“I shouldn’t even be here right now. How did something like this even happen? With all the money I pay you to keep the Feds off my ass.”

“I apologize. This slipped through our fingers. You know I would never just let something like this happen or jeopardize our arrangement.”

“Then how did it happen?”

“That son of a bitch Gerald has been working with the Feds without us knowing. I think they know there are moles in the department, because we had no idea about any of this. That damn Detective Easley has a real hard-on for you. I don’t know what he had on Gerald to make him turn rat, but he was going to use him to take you down. Lucky for you, Officer Osborne was there. He blew the bust by jumping the gun and sending a unit in before anything too incriminating was caught on the wire. He’ll have some explaining to do to the captain, especially since the recordings are now missing. But don’t worry about that. Like I said, it’s handled, sir.”

“It better be.”

Caesar knew a lot about his father’s business dealings, but that was the moment he really saw Cassius for the powerful man he was. Caesar had been almost positive that he would have to do some kind of time, but in just a few minutes his father’s influence and money freed him.

Cassius and Caesar walked out of the precinct to an awaiting limousine parked out front. Once they drove off, Caesar waited for the lecture that he thought for sure was coming. He braced himself for his father’s tongue-lashing, but it never came. In fact, Cassius didn’t say a word. Instead, he just puffed on a cigar and looked out the window. Caesar should have been relieved, but the silence was driving him crazy.

“Aren’t you mad at me?” he asked, looking over at his old man.

Cassius was in the middle of taking a long, slow drag. He exhaled the smoke with his eyes shut and didn’t open them again until his lungs were cleared. When he finally spoke, his gaze seemed to pierce Caesar’s.

“I thought I would be. But no, I’m not mad. However, disappointed? Yes. Had you been anyone else’s son, they would have tried to throw the book at you.”

“I’m sorry, Dad.”

“Sorry doesn’t change the fact that you made what could have been the biggest mistake of your life.”

“I know, but I’m still sorry.”

“I know,” Cassius sighed. “You let a rat in on my operation.”

“I didn’t think he would do something like that,” Caesar said, trying to defend himself.

“Why not? You barely knew him. And he got the closest anyone has ever gotten to crushing everything I’ve built.”

“You heard the officer. They barely got anything.”

“Exactly. And that’s more than anyone has ever gotten on my operation. Do you know why I’m such a successful businessman? Go ahead, ask me why.”

“Because I know who to keep in my pocket in case something goes wrong. I also know that if I don’t consider them family, they have no place at my table.”

“I was just trying to give the man an opportunity. And he blew it up in my face.”

“Let this be a lesson learned. I don’t just welcome strays off the street, and if I do, they have to prove themselves for a long time before I let them in on the real happenings around me. I can’t afford for anyone involved with me to make the kind of mistake that you made tonight. I’m not ready or willing to lose everything. I thought you were ready. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe you aren’t after a—”

“I am ready!” Caesar interrupted. “I’m just . . .”

“Just what?”

“I’m still learning, Dad. I made a mistake! You want me to be, but I’m not perfect. Mama would understand that!”

Cassius’s eyes grew wide on his son’s last words, and the energy in the back of the limo shifted. Caesar leaned back into his seat and turned to look out the window. He was upset, and it showed all over his face. He didn’t like anyone telling him what he was and wasn’t. He had stumbled along the way, but that was what lessons were: hiccups that a person found a solution to. Cassius cleared his throat, and although unhappy, Caesar knew to face him.

“I don’t expect you to be perfect.”

“You could have fooled me.”

“Maybe I spoke too soon through my own frustration,” Cassius said, softening his tone. “I often forget that, although you’re a lot like me, you belonged to her as well. You have her heart, the kind of heart that wants to see some kind of goodness in everyone. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. But this business has no room for that kind of heart. Because some people have no good in them but will use the goodness in you against you. It’s a weakness, son, something to be reserved for only the ones you truly cherish. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Can I trust that this won’t ever happen again?”

“It won’t.”

“Good. Because I think it’s time for a promotion.”

“What?” Caesar asked, caught off guard.

“I don’t want you overseeing the streets anymore. I want you by my side. Really learning the operation. Is that something you’re interested in?”

“Ye . . . yeah!” Caesar’s voice was enthusiastic. “Of course. You sure, Dad?”

“Positive. I think this will sharpen your decision-making skills. Plus, you’re more than a knight. You’re royalty in my eyes. A king. One day all of this will be yours, so it’s time to start grooming you to take it over. But before then, there is one last loose end you need to tie up.”

“I’m already knowing what it is. I don’t like when people take my kindness for weakness.”

“The first lesson in your new position: always expect them to do that. Knowing they’ll do so will always put you in a position of power. Sometimes you have to kill a snake with its own venom for it to know to never mess with you.”

“But it would be dead,” Caesar said, making a confused face.

To betray the hand that feeds you means to be one with hunger.