Page 25 of Luca

“Is my sister in her room?”

“Yeah.” At least, that’s where I’m assuming she stormed off to.

“There’s going to be some changes around here happening a hell of a lot sooner than I planned,” Carlo tells me while taking a drink of his scotch.

“I’ll say. Did the lawyer give you any insight?”

“Nah. He won’t know much more than what the warrant says until the arraignment on Monday. It’s a hell of a thing. I was hoping we still had some sway in the US attorney’s office. We should have known something.”

The fact they had any sway at all is news to me. Though not surprising. Considering all the shit Francesco’s been responsible for, I’m shocked the man wasn’t put away years ago.

“Giada being here is gonna be a headache,” Carlo tells me. “Too bad the old man didn’t marry her off years ago. Now I’ll have to deal with that shit, and let me tell you, finding anyone that wants to take her on is going to be a pain in my ass. Who’s going to want a wife with a father in jail and what looks to be a crumbling organization?” The way he sighs and looks into his glass of scotch, as though somehow the liquid will hold the answers to his question, is laughable. He truly expects me to sit here and feel sorry for him that he’s going to be the one to deal with it.

“No matter,” he says, straightening. “When we have more details after Monday, I’ll see if I can persuade the attorney in the case to lose some evidence. Shouldn’t be too hard. Usually, a little threatening goes a long way with those guys. Fucking pricks.” He sips his drink again, and I take a healthy swallow of my own.

“What do you need from me?” I ask.

Carlo tilts his head back and forth, considering my question. “I want you to keep an eye on Giada. Make sure she doesn’t get herself into trouble.”

“Any trouble in particular you’re concerned with?”

He shrugs. “She’s too headstrong. Did you see the way she demanded answers from me? She would’ve never dared with our father, especially with cops all over the place. I need her to stay out of my way. If the wrong people see her mouthing off to me, they’re going to think I’m not fit to lead if I can’t even handle my own sister. The truth is, Luca, my father wasn’t going to be head of the organization for much longer as it was. This moves up the timeline and actually may work in our favor when all is said and done.”

“I didn’t know the boss was retiring.”

Looking like the cat that ate the canary, Carlo leans in with a grin on his face. “My father is dying, Luca. No one knows except me, him, and his doctors. So if he gets convicted, the feds will think that’s the end of the Cataldi organization. And he won’t be in prison long before the cancer finishes him off. If he doesn’t get convicted, then he’s dead in the next year anyways. And the feds will think the same thing, at least for the next few years. He’s always been the face of the family, and they’ll assume we’ll be in shambles. It buys us time for me to take the organization in the direction I’ve been working on without raising any red flags with the law.”

There’s no way to hide the surprised look on my face at Carlo’s admission. The old man is dying. It also makes sense now why Carlo isn’t worried about him being in prison. He knew he was going to be taking over sooner rather than later. Too bad it won’t be my bullet that wipes his father from this earth.

“I had no idea he was sick.”

“No one did.”

“Not even Giada?”

“He was going to tell her after he secured a marriage contract, though that plan has been put on hold until we see what side he falls on after his trial. There are a few things up in the air until we see whether or not he beats the charges.”

I consider everything Carlo’s just told me, but he seems to take my silence as disappointment that I’m not more involved.

“Don’t worry, Luca. I’ll make sure to bring you in once everything is set up. We’re doing this how my dad wants, for now, so keep your mouth shut about the cancer, yeah?”

“Of course, Carlo. My lips are sealed.”

He nods and finishes his scotch. “Think I’ll head out for a while. Work off some of this stress.” His lascivious grin tells me he’s going to visit one of the brothels. “I’d like for you to stay on the property until shit gets sorted. It’ll make it easier for you to keep an eye on Giada. If she needs to leave the estate, I want you on her at all times.”

“Is there some sort of threat we should be worried about?”

“Not yet. But the last thing I need is the feds trying to talk to her or another organization vying for power and trying to use my sister to do it.”

That would certainly ruin his plans to do the same shit. I suppose, in his mind, he has the right since she’s now going to be his property, along with everything else his father is sure to give him control over.

Taking that control may be a bit more difficult than Carlo realizes. Part of my job for my cousin is to keep my eyes and ears peeled for anything he can use. I’ve heard the whispers from other capos about Carlo. I’ve seen the eye rolls behind his back. If I were a betting man, I’d put money on the other capos wanting to take over in the power vacuum that’s sure to come with Francesco no longer heading the organization. They’d never dare with the old man at the helm, but Carlo? Yeah, I’m damn sure he’s in for a fight.

“Alright. I’ll head over in the morning and grab a few things before Giada gets up.”

I stand to leave, but Carlo stops me before I make it to the door. “Things are going to be changing around here, Luca. All the assholes that thought we were dying out are in for a rude fucking awakening.” His smile is so damn smug I wish I could punch it off his face.

“Can’t wait.” Things are going to change, and I, for one, am looking forward to watching the entire Cataldi organization crumble from the inside out.

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