Page 9 of The Fixer

All of my brothers’ faces whip around, vacillating between JC and me. They know I just hit a major sore spot. He gets up from the table, slamming his hands down in pure anger. He’s spitting mad, like a riled-up bull that broke free from its pen. That name is a huge red flag, and I’m not afraid to wave it to prove a point.

“You shut your fucking mouth,” he growls.

Franco walks over to JC, then pushes down on his shoulders so he’s forced to sit down again. He leans down, so they’re eye to eye. The murderous look on his face is enough to make anyone in this room piss their pants.

I would not want to be JC right now.

“No, you shut your mouth and stop disrespecting our sister,” he cooly orders his younger brother. “You only brought that embarrassment on yourself, you hot-headed pagliaccio.”

Papà shakes his head in obvious disappointment. JC’s face falls, because he’s all about appearances and gunning for the favorite child position.

And my job here is done.

“Maddie has a point. You need to take their safety seriously to avoid issues down the road. There needs to be a reporting system,” Maximo chimes in. He glances at me briefly, letting me know without words that he has my back.

“We’ll see if Angelo is free for a consulting meeting, and devise an employee safety plan and reporting system,” Papà decides. “Maximo, how’s the portfolio? Franco said the returns look great this month.”

Maximo is a tech and financial wizard. He’s a genius, honestly. He oversees the famiglia’s business investments and the majority of our personal portfolios. Anything involving the web is his domain, whether it be breaking into encrypted government databases or setting up digital markers to track people of interest. Our work overlaps often, which is to our benefit. We always work better as a team.

“Everything looks good, and we’re over our projected growth by eight percent because of a bullish crypto investment I made last quarter.”

“Good job.” He leans back in his chair, a sly grin spreading across his face. “I have a job for you and Maddie.”

Do you know anything about this? Maximo asks me with a glance. We’ve always had this twin ESP bond between us and can guess what the other is thinking. We know each other like the back of our hands.

No, but I can’t wait, my smile replies.

“Your friend French came by to see me last week. You never told me he was a member of The Brigade.” He levels us with a cryptic look.

Some of the other capos gasp. The Brigade isn’t known for being friendly or playing well with others. They’re in a league of their own, and us mere mortal criminals can’t even begin to get close. They’ve carried out brazen hits and jobs that most mafias won’t even touch.

“That’s because we didn’t know,” Maximo jumps to my aid. “I’m not even completely sure The Brigade is real… They seem too mysterious to be tangible at all.”

“They’re real,” Luca assures him. “They’re just secretive and dangerous, with loyalty to no one but themselves. I don’t trust them. The fact that Maddie is besties with one of them makes me uneasy.”

“To be clear, French has never once mentioned being a member of The Brigade. I assumed he was a mercenary for hire because I’ve hired him for jobs before.” I turn my attention to Luca. “And besties is a strong term. He’s a friend.”

Papà clears his throat to get our attention and keep us all on topic. “He came by to broker a deal. Fox Hughes, their leader, wants to enter into an arms partnership with us. He requests we demo some of our best at their warehouse tomorrow to solidify the deal. I want you and Maximo to represent us.”

“Thank you for the opportunity, Papà,” Maximo and I both say at the same time.

“Should someone more experienced go with them?” Zio Roberto suggests. “It’s not safe to send Maddie into a den of ruthless criminals, and this is a huge deal to trust to your youngest children.”

This is the type of shit I battle every day. She needs protection. It’s too dangerous. She’s too new. Despite earning my place here, I’ll never be taken as seriously as my brothers.

“Maddie can sell water to fish, and they’ll have guards with them. Sounds like you’re questioning the way I run this family, Roberto…”

“No, Don, of course not,” he blubbers, averting his eyes downward.

Papà shuts him down with a punishing glare, then swings his attention back to us. “I’m counting on you two to forge an alliance. They’re one of the biggest players in the city. Having them on our side will keep the Russians in their lane.”

“You can count on us,” I assure him.

The meeting goes on for another half hour, but I only partially pay attention. I’ve busted my ass to become a capo, living and breathing nothing but the famiglia. The day I turned eighteen, I decided to join the business and follow in Papà’s footsteps. I never got to have the typical college experience, because all my free time was spent rising through the ranks. Any chances at a serious relationship, or dating in general, fell by the wayside because I couldn’t divide my attention. I wanted to be taken seriously, and having a man at my side would be as helpful as a gag in my mouth.

Aligning us with The Brigade is an accomplishment no one has ever dared before. They’re like TNT—deadly, volatile, and handled only when necessary. Most mafias are scared to contact them, let alone partner with them. Forging an alliance with the most notorious mercenary society on the East Coast is the perfect way to prove that I belong here.

“Franco, Luca, John Carlo, Maximo, and Maddie hang back,” Papà orders us after the meeting is done.

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