Page 27 of Crimson Fate

“Vincent.” Casaletto’s voice echoes off the high ceilings. He emerges from the gloom, a figure cut from the same darkness that shrouds this place.

“Anthony.” I greet him. I don’t need to look at him to know he’s wearing his habitual scowl, the one that seems etched into his craggy features.

“Isn’t this a little dramatic?” he asks gruffly, looking around at the dark warehouse. “Why couldn’t we just meet at your office?”

“Because there are enough eyes on my place, and the last thing I need is people questioning why we’re meeting alone twice in one week,” I explain.

“I’m a capo, so who would question our meetings?”

“Not that you should need an explanation, but I don’t really need the other capos questioning why they’re not being included,” I say, a sharpness to my words.

With a huff, he launches into the question that is clearly gnawing at him. “There wouldn’t be any question about us meeting anywhere if everyone knew I was set to become your father-in-law. So I guess the question is, when do you plan on making the announcement?”

I pause, allowing myself a moment to absorb the directness of his question. My father would have never allowed his captains to ask him a question like that, but I’m not my father, and I know I’m walking a tightrope these days.

I step closer to him. “What I do and when I choose to do it is my business, do you understand?”

He meets my gaze squarely, undeterred by my proximity. “You know how much weight I carry among the capos. Are you sure this is how you want things to go down?”

Eva’s words have been echoing in my mind since our fight at the penthouse. I’m not used to having people around me concerned with my happiness. I haven’t really stopped to consider if Gia would make me happy. Only if our union would make things easier for me to take over for my father as head of the family business.

“I don’t like feeling like I’m being pushed into something. I agree that marrying Gia is a smart move when it comes to unification, but I decide if I will, in fact, marry her and when I will share that information. Do you understand?”

Casaletto’s silence speaks volumes. He knows he’s overstepped, but the man’s concern is for his daughter—and his position.

“Patience, Anthony,” I continue in an attempt to put him at ease. “I’m not saying I won’t marry her. However, I would like to spend more time with Gia and make sure she fully understands what she’s getting herself into. Being the boss’s wife isn’t something anyone should enter lightly.”

“My daughter isn’t one to agree to something without considering all the ramifications,” he assures me.

My mind already races ahead, calculating, plotting. Every decision is a move on a chessboard, every announcement a potential gambit. “I understand, and it won’t be long. I think I at least deserve a little time, don’t you?”

He nods stiffly, the motion curt and controlled. “I’ve tried to be generous with you because of who your father was, but at some point, I have to know that my trust is well-placed.”

“Likewise,” I return evenly, recognizing his words as a veiled threat.

He gnaws at his bottom lip, and I can tell something else is on his mind. “What is it?”

He looks away apprehensively before looking back at me. “I’ve been debating if I should say anything, but maybe if you understand the stakes, you won’t drag your feet so much when it comes to Gia.”

“I’m not dragging my feet, and you would do well to remember who you’re talking to,” I warn.

He sighs. “Well then—boss—you should probably know that the DeLuca family—they’re making a move outside of Jersey.”

I lean back against a cold metal container, arms folded, feeling my annoyance simmer. “What kind of move?” My voice is flat; I need facts, not fears or rumors.

“The son, Lorenzo, has been seen cozying up to some of your capos.”

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“I know I’m not the only one he offered a piece of their drug trade to, promising protection in exchange for using our businesses for transportation.” Casaletto’s words hang heavy in the air.

“Bullshit! My fucking captains know we don’t touch that shit. It was that way under my father, and it will stay that way under me. There’s way too much heat from the feds when it comes to drugs,” I retort. “The risks aren’t worth it.”

“Hey, you don’t have to convince me. I always agreed with your father when he made the rule about nothing more than a little weed. The numbers Lorenzo is throwing around, though, have some of the guys talking.”

“And you’re certain some of our captains are actually listening to their shit?” I ask, studying his expression as he considers my question.

He nods. “Everyone seems to be playing it close to the vest, so I don’t know if anyone has actually taken Lorenzo up on his offer.”

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