“It’s been quite a while since our last encounter, Raffaele. To what do I owe the pleasure?” I say calmly into the phone, keeping my tone cool and composed.
“I’d like to collect my favor,” his deep voice replies.
“Fair enough. Before you ask, I want to remind you that we’re all looking for peace between our families,” I state as I recall our parting words. They were the last words spoken before his man, Ivo, picked up Raffaele’s dead brother’s body and they left together.
“No reminder necessary, Alessio. I’m looking to create formidable alliances. We all stay in our territory. I do my business and you do yours. If we can find common ground and work together, all the better.”
“Works for me. Should I get Reno and Marco on the line and we can conference? I assume this debt you’re collecting is from all the families.”
“No need. I trust that you will relay my request.” He chuckles.
I laugh along with him. “Then lay it on me.”
“I would like a wife.”
There’s a pause before I respond. “I’m sorry. I think I misheard you.”
“No mistake. Based on the current marital arrangements between Reno and Anna and Sebastian and Olivia, I see that there seems to be merit in connecting families through marriage.”
“You’d like to connect with Il Destino?” I ask, unable to contain my surprise.
“Not necessarily. Whether it’s Il Destino, La Famiglia, or Nostra Casa makes no difference to me whatsoever. But, I do have my preferences,” he says.
“Of course. Don’t we all.” I laugh. “Let me guess. Beautiful. Smart. Obedient.”
“Yes. Yes. And yes. But I believe I will know her when I see her.”
“I’ll call the others, and we’ll be in touch.”
“Excellent. There seems to be a matter of urgency. As you’re well aware, there are certain demands placed upon a capo, one of which is producing an heir,” he says. I know it all too well. I’ve felt the same pressures when my father died. That’s the main reason I agreed to the engagement with Angela. Although there was no great love between us, she didn’t deserve to die.
My enemies murdered my fiancée and made it look like a hit from Reno and his men. Once we waded through the weeds, we discovered the true culprits and made them pay. It also meant that I had to make things right with Nostra Casa. A mutual respect developed between our families, making us stronger.
“I can see it now. The great Raffaele Di Morte holding a baby in his arms,” I kid.
We both share a laugh before hanging up. I look over to Niccolo, who sits in the chair on the other side of my desk with a smirk on his face. He only heard one side of the conversation, but he clearly got the gist of it.
“Raffaele wants to be a daddy.” Niccolo says with a sly grin.
“And he wants to marry into one of the families,” I add.
Niccolo raises his brows. “Interesting.”
“Smart,” I say. “Based on the precedent set by previous unions, we have no reason to refuse.”
“We’re actually thinking of giving one of our women to Ultimo Morte?”
“We are obligated to repay a debt. But, there will a discussion on how his wife will be treated in his care. At least, if she is one of ours.”
“One of ours?”
“Raffaele isn’t picky. He’s open to marrying into any of our families.”
“I can’t wait till you tell the others.”
“Might as well let them know.” I dial and connect with Marco and ask him to hold the line until I get Reno connected. I’m a little amazed that Marco doesn’t react the way I expected.
All he says is “I’m glad that Grazia’s married.”
Reno, on the other hand, is stunned speechless. When he finds his voice, he says, “Christ, I can’t object seeing that I made the same demand.”
His brother Sebastian, who is more abrupt and says what’s on his mind, isn’t quite as cool. “Does he want us to hold a fucking beauty pageant? We’ll parade our women in gowns and have a swimsuit competition. Hell, he can be the judge and the runner-up can marry the next available bachelor in our family. I hear that Zano and Elio are available.” When Sebastian goes off on a rampage, it takes a while to rein him in. Reno finally points out that Olivia came from La Famiglia. “That’s different—” he starts.
“It’s not,” Reno insists, and his tone is such that his brother shuts his mouth very quickly. Brother or not, Reno doesn’t allow anyone to get out of hand under his rule.
“What’s the plan? Apart from a beauty pageant,” I ask.
“I’ve got a thought,” Marco says. “Cara and Emiliano are having a Jack and Jill.” I can hear the exasperation in his voice. He continues, “What’s wrong with an old-fashioned bridal shower or stag, I’ll never know. But of course, our youth need to be different.”
“Dad, you’re losing them,” Nero butts in, getting his father back on track.
“Anyway, it might be a good time to invite the women we intend to introduce at one affair. It will be a collaboration of our forces, and we can all move forward. I suggest you approach your underbosses and explain the situation. In many ways, the woman who Raffaele chooses will be one of the most powerful women in our midst, as all capos’ wives are considered,” Marco says.
He’s correct. There are pros and cons in every union. In this case, the girl will have to leave her family and cross states and give her loyalty to Ultimo Morte and to her husband. Yet, the title alone holds many perks. She will be the one woman every underboss’s wife will want to get close to and befriend, with the hope of catching Raffaele’s ear.
“I believe we need to make it abundantly clear that whomever he chooses needs to be treated with the utmost respect. No harm is to come to her,” Nero says.
Reno laughs. “I got that talk.”
“We can have that conversation, but let’s be honest, once this woman belongs to Ultimo Morte, she belongs to him. If we find out she’s being mistreated and want to take her back, there will be war,” I tell them.
“Call it a gut feeling, but I do believe Raffaele is sincere in his search for a wife. And let’s face it, he holds a lot of power in his area. Financially, he’s a powerhouse, and his business dealings can be a benefit to our own,” Niccolo says. In some ways, Niccolo knows Raffaele better than any of us. It was Raffaele who saved his life, killing his own brother in the process.
“You don’t mind extending this Jack and Jill invitation to the rest of us?” I ask.
“The more the merrier,” Marco announces. “Right, Luciano?”
Marco defers to Luciano, who also happens to be Cara’s older brother and head of their family, as well as Marco’s son-in-law, married to Marco’s daughter, Grazia. He’s also Nero’s second-in-command and will be Nero’s consigliere once he takes over from his father. Marco and Luciano’s father were best friends, and he has been a second father to Luciano.
“It’s a good opportunity to find Raffaele a wife and to celebrate. Much better than a beauty pageant,” Luciano agrees.
With all in agreement, each man has the task of speaking to the most prominent members of their family with daughters to marry off.