Page 40 of The Secrets We Keep

“Yes,” Luca replied, though none of them had been particularly upset to bury the bastard.

Restivo sat and gestured for the staff to serve lunch. A group of them stepped forward and set down plates in unison before moving out of sight again. Luca heard Matteo’s barely audible snort. This meeting was a show of wealth more than anything else. Luca was over it already.

“What can I do for you? My friend here wasn’t very forthcoming when he asked to have lunch today,” Restivo said.

Matteo offered a charming smile. “I’m afraid we didn’t give him many details ourselves. The truth is, we enjoy a number of mutually beneficial relationships with men such as yourself. Men who understand what an important role people like us play on this island.”

“People like you?” Restivo asked, glancing at Luca and then fixing Matteo with an even stare.

“Don’t play coy, Fausto,” Bonacci chided. “You know what they’re talking about.”

Restivo spooned up a bite of risotto and then dabbed at the corner of his mouth with a perfectly pressed napkin. “The Mafia is an institution older than the government in Sicily. I believe institutions should be respected. But I’m not sure why you would want to speak to me specifically. Surely there are influential men closer to home.”

“There are.” Matteo’s gaze slid to Bonacci, who inclined his head. “We’ve done business with a great many men in Palermo. But we’d like to become more well-rounded. It never hurts to have more friends.”

“And what do I receive in return for my friendship?”

“More than what you’re getting now,” Luca promised.

Restivo’s brows inched higher. “How much more?”

“Four. Per month. More when the occasion calls for it.”

Bonacci nodded when Restivo looked to him for confirmation. The Bianchis are good for it. Settling back in his chair, Restivo took a drink of wine, studying them over the rim of the glass.

“I already have deep ties to Catania. Nero Gallo and I go back a long way. Loyalty is a precious thing.”

Matteo shrugged. “Loyalties change as often as parties. I’m offering a mutually beneficial relationship. And my terms surpass Gallo’s.”

“What terms are those?”

Luca produced the envelope he’d tucked beside him and set it on the table next to Restivo’s plate. The man took another sip of wine before carefully setting his glass on the table and reaching for the envelope.

Luca had to give the man credit. Not a single muscle twitched when he opened it and calmly flipped through each photo. Evidence of his meetings with Gallo where cash changed hands, images of him in various states of undress with multiple women, sometimes multiple women at once, several photos of him balls deep in Bonacci’s wife in more than one location. And position.

He closed the envelope, sealing it at the top, and laid it gently on the table. “I’m interested in your proposal,” he said.

His voice was calm, but his eyes snapped fire. Sicily’s president didn’t like being outsmarted. If Bonacci found out Restivo was fucking his wife, their friendship would end, and Bonacci would run for president. And with Bianchi backing and their growing control over the island, he was sure to win.

“But?” Luca prompted.

“But I’ve known Gallo for a long time. If I abruptly cut ties, he might be suspicious.”

Matteo waved a hand in the air. “I’m not asking you to sever ties with Gallo. You can take his money as long as you let me know what he asks of you when he asks it.”

Restivo’s eyes dropped to the envelope again, and a muscle pulsed in his jaw. “Agreed.”

Bonacci leaned forward and clapped his friend on the shoulder. “Welcome to the fold, Fausto. Here’s to a long and fruitful partnership.”

They toasted, Bonacci smiling affably, Matteo grinning in triumph, and Restivo with a tight grimace on his face that almost passed for a smile. They finished the meal in feigned camaraderie, and Restivo walked them to the door.

“That was a clever play,” Restivo said once Bonacci had climbed into his car and driven away. “How long have you been watching me?”

“Long enough to know we would rather be friends than enemies.”

Restivo scoffed. “You blackmail all your friends?”

“Only the ones who require the proper motivation,” Matteo replied.

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