Page 50 of His Dark Vendetta

“Top earners aren’t kicking up what they used to,” he continued. I opened my mouth, but before I could comment, Vinnie shot me a look. “I don’t want to hear a single fucking word about the goddamned economy.”

I clamped my mouth shut. He refocused on his hand and threw down a card.

“This business doesn’t run on the economy. I want my capi to do their fucking jobs. I wantearners.” He slammed his fist on the table, and the chips rattled.

Gio threw down a card.

Vinnie eyed it, lips tight and nostrils flaring.

Gio leaned back in his chair and watched him.

“Eh, cazzo,” Vinnie said and tossed his cards onto the table—“Porca puttana”—and grabbed his drink.

“I met with Richie and Matteo yesterday,” I said. “The Source funnel to Terme is in place. We’re ready for traffic, but we need to move slow. The feds have been coming around more than usual. Even Vito’s twitchy. But we should see profits start to climb over the next couple months.”

“Couple of months…” Vinnie swiped his hand down his face. “I want this shit turned around.” He jammed a thick finger into the card table. “Now.”

Gio leaned forward. “As your consigliere, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out—not all your capi are underperforming. Richie and Johnny Lam are doing fine.” He turned to me and cocked an eyebrow. “You could be doing more.”

I folded my arms. “In the month I’ve been in this crew, I learned this place, figured out how to run it more efficiently, and set up the bridge between us and the DeVitas.” I showed Gio a thin smile. “In a month.”

“Giusto,” Gio said and nodded.

“But yeah. Now that’s done, I can do more.”

“See,” Vinnie said and pointed a finger at me. “That’s the attitude I need. From my capiandtheir earners.” He focused his sharp attention on me and struck the card table again with that same finger. “I need you here on time, milking this place for every penny, and I need you running jobs. I need you earning.” He drained the whiskey from his glass. “The Playground is next. I’m done with this shit.”

He pushed his big frame out of the chair and buttoned his suit jacket. I was tall, but Vinnie had bulk. We were around the same height, but he had about fifty pounds on me, give or take, and I wasn’t exactly a small guy.

He clasped my shoulder with his meaty paw. “Marco never used you to your full potential. I’m not making that mistake.” He flashed his wolfish smile. “You’ve got that ruthless streak in you. Same as your father. Isn’t that right, Gio?”

Gio leaned back and gave me a knowing smile. “I’d call that shit he pulled on Marco pretty ruthless.”

My stomach lurched.

“Time to use it.” Vinnie squeezed my shoulder. “I gotta call from my guys down at the docks. There’s a warehouse full of those—come si chiamano? Video games systems…” He waved a beefy hand through the air and glanced at Gio, who shrugged.

“The new Playstation?” I asked.

“Sì. Playstations. Five hundred units. Get a crew together and make the lift.”

Anticipation flew through my body. A job. And not just any job, a half-million-dollar haul. Finally.

The jobs I ran under Marco were safe—shakedowns, fixing books. Easy stuff. One of the ways he held me back. But this? This was a chance to make a name for myself separate from Marco and separate from my father. A chance to be a top earner in my own right. I was hungry for it. Hungry to prove I deserved to be a capo in the Mafia. Hungry to make the Moretti name mean something again. Hungry for my turn.

“Ho capito,” I said, determined and eager. “Quando?”

“Tomorrow night. The truck leaves the warehouse at the start of second shift—around eleven.” He released my shoulder and headed for the door. “Do it on the turnpike outside the city. Pick your crew. Two, three men tops. All soldati demoni del sangue. I don’t need anyone breaking omertà over stupid shit, capisce?”

“Capisce.”

Vinnie grabbed his fedora off the coat rack and set it on his head. He pulled the brim low. “Don’t fuck this up, Luca. I want that cargo, and I want you earning. You do this right, there’s more where that came from.”

“I’m a Moretti. It’ll be done, and it’ll be done right.”

He opened the door and leveled me with a no-nonsense stare. “It better,” he said and walked out the door.

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