Page 36 of Useless Love

I yank a suitcase from my closet. “Christopher, just get the damn total and pay them.”

“Too late. Satta already feels disrespected. He doesn’t believe it was stolen, then your father basically told him to fuck himself. This is bad, Carmine.”I hung up my phone and packed my shit, knowing I had to clean up the men or shit would get even worse. Dropping everything, I had to fly to Chicago and meet face-to-face with the boss, Leonardo Satta. It didn’t go exactly as I had planned, but I convinced Satta and his arrogant son Mariano that this was a misunderstanding.

“Misunderstanding my ass,” Leo snorted while we were in his office.

At least twenty men surrounded me. If I didn’t make this work, they’d surely shoot me.

Mariano took a puff of his cigar and blew the smoke in my face. “Sal disrespected my father, and now here you are begging. Pathetic.”

I raised an eyebrow. Glaring at him while trying to keep my calm, I replied, “I’m just stating facts. The goods were stolen. We have security proof of that.”

“Yeah, keep singing,” Mariano Satta said with a smirk I wanted to wipe off his face. However, the notorious bully might place a phone call and have my entire organization erased if I wasn’t carefull. Nobody fucks with the Satta, even Bencivenga plays nice.

Turning away from him, I faced Leo and said, “Look. My old man is dying. It could happen at any time. He’s not thinking straight.”

“Sal Gaudino is sick?” Leo asked, looking curious.

Holding my stance firm so as not to show any weakness, I nodded. “He’s dying, and it could happen at any time. That’s the truth.”

Leo Satta chuckled and said, “You’re a chip off the old block aren’t you.”

“I’m nothing like him.”

Satta leaned back in his leather chair. “No, you’re just like that bastard. I know for a fact Sal killed his father. I think you’re looking to do the same.”

I had heard those rumors, too, but I wasn’t going to let Satta know that. “Did you see it?”

A wide grin spread across his face, and he replied, “You have balls, Gaudino. Flying out here alone and talking to me like the guns in this room don’t all belong to me.”

“Fuck him,” Mariano cut in. “Either way, Gaudino insulted us.”

Satta only shrugged. “Dante says Gaudino and his remaining son move differently.”

I bit my tongue. Dante Salvatore is part of another New York organization. He and my oldest brother, Stefano, were thick as thieves for years before he got killed. Leonard Satta is his uncle, so naturally, he asked Dante about me before agreeing to meet. I didn’t like owing that Salvatore a fucking favor. However, I had no choice.

Hearing Dante vouched for me made Mariano’s chest relax. “Have it your way.” He said to his father.

Leo Satta got up to walk over to me. Every muscle in my body tensed, ready for a fight. He stopped a few inches from my face and said,“You’ll pay me what I’m owed and take control of your organization before the month ends. Then you’ll be off the hook. Got it?”

These assholes was really forcing my hand. I wanted my old man dead, but I was hoping he’d kick the bucket sooner rather than later. Less messy that way. But Satta wanted me to ensure it happened ASAP?

“Got it?” Satta asked again, his men all reaching for their guns.

Mariano smiled, as he waited for an answer.

I didn’t have a problem killing my old man, I had only wanted to wait until after I married Arianna. Her father might get suspicious if I killed Sal—try to back out of the marriage arrangement.

Arianna had grown on me, so that was no longer an option.

“Got it,” I confirmed and Satta backed off. “But I’ll do it my way. I may or may not kill my old man.”

“As long as you take control, I don’t give a fuck.”

That was this morning. Since then, Mariano Satta has been pretending to be my buddy, and I can’t figure out why. Since I’m already in Chicago, he has been taking me around and introducing me to some lesser organizations. He’s already introducing me like I’m the boss of the Gaudino’s; I only hope that news doesn’t get back to my old man before I get a chance to kill him. Outside of New York, my organization has connections in Nevada, Florida, and California, but Chicago has always been a fucking problem. I guess it’s a good thing Satta is taking me around and making me shake hands.

A week passes and I’m still stuck in Chicago metaphorically sucking Satta’s dick. I hate it, but he has more power than my. I need to play nice. But I haven’t talked to my Bencinvenga princess and I really miss her. I give her a call. Her sweet and innocent voice instantly relaxes me when she finally answers the phone.

“Hi, Carmine.”

---