Page 24 of Sins and Secrets

Or is working for the cops.

Though the cops in Atlanta tend to turn a blind eye — at least the ones I pay do — they are still a concern. The federal agencies have been after my family for a long time.

The women in the famiglia are rushing around the compound. Most of them are headed about their daily lives, taking care of children or on their way to their jobs.

When my great-grandfather first established the Marchetti mafia, he insisted that women would not be equal to the men. The pattern continued with my grandfather and my father. My brother, Enzo, had wanted to change the pattern.

Sadly, he didn’t have the time.

I’ve been trying to change the way things work, but each time I do, I’m met with more resistance. Paolo Marino being the biggest irritant.

I’m going to have to kill him sooner or later.

Enzo wouldn’t want me to kill Paolo. He would want me to find a way to save his friend. To make him see the way that things should be, instead of the way that things have been.

He would want me to do everything in my power to try and fix Paolo.

There is no way to do that, though. Paolo doesn’t want to see the world change. He doesn’t want a mafia where women are considered equal. He would rather kill people on sight and keep women silent — left at home to raise children and cook meals.

It’s not what Enzo wanted and it’s not what I want for my famiglia, but changing things is going to take more time. It can’t be done overnight, especially with a man like Paolo lingering around the edges of my territory and pushing the boundaries of my patience.

“Mason, you used to work for my father. What did you think of his leadership?” I ask, turning to him and crossing my arms.

“Your father was a brutal man. He was cold and detached with everyone. He killed first and never asked questions. He kept the mafia in line, though. When others tried to tear the famiglia apart, he kept it together.”

“That isn’t an opinion,” I say as there is a knock at my office door.

“Your father was a man who led with fear. While I may not have approved on all accounts, there is no denying that a few of his methods were effective.”

I nod, trying to digest that information to figure out what I think about it. Several times in the last few weeks, I have been told that I’m nothing like my father. The older capos like to throw it around as if it is some kind of insult.

I like to think of it as a compliment.

“Come in,” I say, looking toward the door. It opens and Billie walks in, still wearing her dress from the night before. “Good morning. If you want to take a seat with Mason, he’ll go over the contract with you.”

“Morning,” she says, her voice soft.

She makes her way over to the desk and takes a seat beside Mason. Their heads bend together, and he starts going over the contract with her. While Mason may be my lawyer, I know that he is going to make sure the contract is in her best interest as well.

He may have worked for my father, but he isn’t interested in taking advantage of people the same way my father was.

I head out into the lobby, closing the office door behind me seconds before my mother storms in. Her head is held high, and she looks like she’s ready to start a fight as she drops her purse on the couch and crosses her arms.

My father may not have held women in high regard, but my mother liked to give him a run for his money in the privacy of their home. She may be docile in public, but behind closed doors she has no problem pushing her agenda and running her mouth.

Some days, I think that I need to get my mother in line, but I’m the only one she has left now that Enzo and my father are gone.

It’s why I allow her to push and pull the way she wishes.

“Who the hell is the little whore that was walking out of your house in that slutty little dress this morning?” she asks, her voice raising. “Alessio, have I taught you nothing? You do not allow random people within your personal space, and you certainly do not leave trollops in your home alone.”

“Ma, what were you doing at my house? You’re supposed to call me before you come over. You know that I’m rarely there.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Don’t take that tone with me, boy. I’m still your mother.”

“And I am still the head of this famiglia. There are other people in this building and I’m only going to tell you once to remember your place.” I stand taller and look down at her. “Don’t worry yourself with who was at my home.”

If she didn’t recognize Billie, then she was still a good distance down the driveway. That’s a saving grace. I don’t need my mother to know that Arturo’s daughter was in my house. It would only lead to more questions that I would never be willing to answer.

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