Page 33 of Inherting the Mafia

"Damn it!" Vito snapped. "They are following us."

"What do you want me to do, Boss?" Boris asked.

Keep your eyes on the road? That would be my order.

"Pull off at Tortona," Vito said. "The streets are pretty narrow and winding. Maybe we can lose them there."

"Yes, Boss."

I started to turn to look out the back window again, but Vito diving past me pushed me back in my seat.

"What the hell are you doing?" he shouted. "Porca troia!" When he dropped back into his seat, he had a cell phone in hishand. He quickly powered it off. "Our phones are supposed to be off."

"Boss," Mateo began, "I didn't—"

"Idiota!"

"Boss—"

"How do you think they found us? Huh?" Vito held up the cell phone before tossing it back at Mateo. "If they kill Don D'Angelo, it'll be your fault."

Wait...kill?

"I was just updating Carmine," Mateo insisted.

"Did I tell you to do that?" Vito asked. "Did Don D'Angelo tell you to do that?"

"No, but..."

"But what?" Vito snarled. "And you'd better have a really good answer or I'm going to put a bullet in your brain. You're obviously not using it so why do you need it?"

"Carmine is theconsigliere."

"Yes,Carmine is theconsigliere," Vito replied. "He is not the boss."

Mateosquinted for a moment, the frown on his face wrinkling the skin between his eyebrows. "I thought this was all for show. I thought Carmine was really in charge."

"You—" Vito rubbed his hand down over his face. "Figlio di Troia!"

I wasn't sure what was going on here, but I was getting more confused by the second. "Didn't you tell me that theconsigliereposition was an advisory one?"

"It is," Vito stated. "Technically, he'd be third in hierarchy underneath you and me. Theconsiglierecan give advice, but they can't issue orders."

I shot a quick look to the front seat whereMateowas sitting. "Then why would he be in charge?"

"He wouldn't." When Vito glanced toward the front seat, the angry glare on his face clear to see. "Mateoknows that, which is why I am so confused as to why he thinks Carmine is in charge."

"Carmine has been giving orders since Don D'Angelo died,"Mateoinsisted. "Why would that change now?"

I was going to strangle this guy. I'd be doing the world a service.

"Carmine was never supposed to be giving orders and you know it. Until we found Don D'Angelo, I was in charge. If something happened to both me and Don D'Angelo, then Carmine would be in charge, but not until then. Do you get that? You take orders from Don D'Angelo, then me, and then Carmine. Not the other way around."

I didn't know if I had this power, but... "From this moment on, you don't take any orders from anyone but me or Vito. Is that understood?"

Mateo shot me wide, rounded eyes, swallowing hard. "Yes, sir."

"Get rid of your phone," I ordered. "Toss it out the window right now or I'll toss you out the window."

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