Page 101 of Assassin's Obsession

"Because you were different?"

He shrugs. "You know that diagnosis I'll never get? Henrico convinced my uncle, Don Caruso that I'm a psychopath without loyalty. It didn't take much to convince my grandfather in Sicily of the same thing."

"But you were only ten years old!" They couldn't have diagnosed something like that at such a young age.

"There were no psychologists involved. Just me and my lack of connection to the adults around me." He looks at my mom for the first time since he started talking. "My parents fired my first nanny after I called her mamma. She is the only one I ever allowed myself to care about, because losing her hurt."

His tone reveals nothing of his emotions, but for him to admit that it had hurt is huge.

"Your parents were not good people," I mutter.

"I'm sorry you suffered that neglect," my mom says with sincerity. "But whether they made you like you are, or you were born this way, you are what you are."

"And what is that, mom?" I demand. "A man whoisloyal. A man who is trusted by thecurrentgodfather so much he was made his top enforcer."

"Being trusted to kill people on demand is hardly a ringing endorsement for his character." Mom's words are harsh, but her tone lacks the conviction of earlier.

"He's more than just an assassin. Angelo has a lot more responsibilities than that." Okay, I might be exaggerating here a little because all I know is that Angelo told me he's more than a hired killer.

I’m not sure if that means he has more responsibilities or not. In fact, I don't honestly know what he meant by that at all.

But that doesn't stop me from standing up for him.

"Your daughter is right, Mrs. Czabok."

I love how Angelo pronounces mom's last name with a perfect Polish inflection. He cared enough to find out how and then practice it.

Doesn't that show he has depths other people don't see?

"I do have many responsibilities within the Cosa Nostra, especially now that my boss is the godfather."

"Like what? Are you trying to say you don't kill people for the mafia?" she asks, sounding almost hopeful.

"I do kill people," he disabuses her of the notion he doesn't immediately. "But protecting them is also part of my job. I am the ghost in the night our enemies fear, but I am also the man sent to dispatch justice on behalf of the innocent."

"What does that mean?" I ask because frankly that sounds more dangerous than the killing part.

"Do you think a mafia wife can go to the police when her husband is hurting her? What happens when an employee embezzles from the family businesses? Who enforces the laws that protect all members ofla famigliawhen not going to the police is the first rule everyone in the family learns?"

"What are you saying?" Mom asks point blank.

"An enforcer is a soldier. We enforce the laws. One of Severu's laws as a don was that none of the high-ranking officials in his organization could abuse their families."

"That should go without saying," mom says, unimpressed.

Angelo looks at her dispassionately. "What you might consider prosecution and punishment happen in 100% of discovered cases within the Genovese Family."

"Because of you?" This is so not what I expected Angelo's extra responsibilities to be.

"For those not directly under the don in the hierarchy, yes."

"But I thought…"

"In the last year, my team's remit has expanded to include assessment and intervention in domestic violence within the mafia."

"Oh. I don't know what that means."

"The don's enforcers have always been responsible for punishing those guilty of breaking our laws, but although protection of the family is a key precept of the mafia life, the accepted practice was that the don could not interfere in the domestic life of his made men."

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