Page 37 of Memento Mori
The others shifted in their seats looking to me to see if I would stop whatever Aaliyah had planned. I wouldn’t. If she decided to kill him, that was her right. He disrespected her. If she let him live, then he would learn of her mercy.
“But let’s make one thing clear,” she continued. “I’m the only reason some of you in this room are still breathing. Be grateful, because I would love nothing more than to watch the life leave the eyes of many of you by my hand. So, you’re welcome for my generosity. But my generosity only goes so far, gentlemen. So, remember that when you think of speaking against me. To speak against the one who allows you to live.”
She returned to her seat beside me and placed her gun on the desk. Dante’s shoulders slumped as he let out a long, relieved breath. He should be thankful she allowed him to keep breathing.
The looks of hatred, awe, and fear crossed the faces of the men we called to this meeting, the men who were supposed to be family. Pride swelled in my chest at my wife’s words. Rarely didshe speak in authority with the men, leaving that to me. But whenever she did, satisfaction filled me, and turned me on all at the same time.
She was right. They should all be grateful, because she was the only reason they still lived despite the disrespect many of them had shown her, since I announced our engagement and our marriage. She really couldn’t care less how they felt about her. The only reason she spoke now was because their disdain for her went to a new level only because she was allowed to participate in something no other Donna had been allowed to.
“Now that you all know where your Donna stands, let’s get down to business, shall we?” I held up the folder Aaliyah slid to me. “One of our client’s shipments has been seized by the Feds. I want all eyes and ears open. I want to know who is sharing information about Rizzo business.”
“Which client?”
The exact person I needed to start asking questions.
“Which client isn’t important, Giuseppe. However, when I find out who the traitor is, his entire family will be made an example of, capisce?”
The surprise throughout the room caused me to inwardly smile. The code of the mafia strictly forbade going after women and children. I still held true to that, but they didn’t need to know that. I needed the traitor to squirm. I wanted whoever it was to feel fear at what they had done.
“Their family?” Giuseppe asked, his brows shooting up towards his non-existent hairline.
I nodded. “Sì, la loro famiglia per la mia famiglia.”
“Their family for your family?” Dante repeated my words in English and in disbelief.
“Always,” I responded looking him in his widened eyes. “My famiglia will always come first.” Aaliyah tapped my leg, and I understood immediately. Dante seemed extremely nervous.
“Which shipment?”
Another good question from Giuseppe. Although he didn’t know when to shut the fuck up, I never believed he spilled the secrets of this family. I didn’t trust him as far as I could see him, but he’d plant the information needed to flush our little ratto to the surface and deal with them accordingly.
“Our shipment of RPG’s, AK-47’s, and other Russian surplus munitions that was extremely difficult to come by and was to be delivered in two days’ time. To which client is not important, but they are not pleased that this situation has brought attention on us therefore possibly them. I want everyone’s ear to the ground.”
“Do you think it’s one of the other families?” Dante asked.
“No.”
“No?” he asked, as if he wanted me to go into a more detailed answer.
“No,” I repeated. “They wouldn’t be stupid enough to go against me.”
“Do you have any ideas of who it is then?” Dante asked.
Dante continued to ask questions he wouldn’t get the answers to, while his right leg bounced.
My eyes drifted to his nervous movements, which stopped immediately once he noticed I observed it. I focused back on him with a neutral expression.
“Dante, at this moment who I think is responsible, isn’t important because I need to know who’s responsible.” I took a puff from my cigar savoring the taste and calming my anger. “I want to know every tip, every conversation, every accusation. I want to know every fucking thing that’s said about my shipment. I don’t care who it’s from or where you get the information. Then we can talk about who. But until then, I want all the information I can gather before names are given.”
While Dante squirmed in his seat, Aaliyah tapped against my leg, again. I agreed with her observation. Dante’s nervous fidgeting caused him to move to the top of the list.
Franco hurried into the office and made a beeline for my desk, amidst the chatter of everyone trying to figure out the information I needed, except for Dante, who kept his gaze fixedon me. But I wasn’t tipping my hand no matter how much he wanted to know where my head was. Yeah, he had something to do with it, but I refused to acknowledge that I knew he did.
“Boss, Agent McGuire and Agent Grasso are at the gate,” Franco whispered to me when he arrived at my desk.
I let out a groan as I slid my hand down my face. This wasn’t the time for the Feds to be popping up. “Inform the guards to let them through the gates, Franco. When they reach the house, escort them around to the back office, and I’ll be there shortly.”
“You got it, boss,” he said, rushing back out of the room.
