Revenge (46 page)

Carlo let out a roar and lunged for Enrico.
Before anyone else could react, Ruggero had Carlo in a headlock.
Ruggero’s eyes flicked up to Enrico’s, and Enrico could see it on
Ruggero’s face. One little twist, and it would all be over. But
Enrico was not, after all, suicidal. He gave an almost
imperceptible shake of his head, and Ruggero let Carlo go.

Enrico turned to Benedetto. “Are we
done?”

“What about my nephew?” Carlo choked out.
“You stole his wife, then helped her kill him.”

A hush settled over the room. This was
certainly a more serious charge. He had to tread carefully.
“Vincenzo had beaten her and was threatening to kill her when I
took her under my protection. The night he died, he’d broken into
my home and attempted to rape her and then murder us both. She
killed him in self-defense.” He paused. “If that is how the
Andrettis treat their women, I will stop it every time.” Enrico
looked at the faces around them. “Protecting the women and children
under our care is one of the oldest rules of the ‘Ndrangheta.
Keeping them out of disputes is another. And you have failed to do
both.”

“So you deny me my right to vendetta, to
avenge my nephew?”

“He broke our laws. Not once, but twice. I
had the right to help her.” Enrico paused. “I take that back. I was
obligated
to help her.”

“Did that include getting her pregnant with
your child?”

Enrico heard a collective intake of air from
the men surrounding them, along with a few whispered curses. “She
is no longer married. She is free to choose the man in her
bed.”

“Do you deny you gave my nephew the
horns?”

Enrico paused. Sleeping with another
‘Ndranghetista’s wife was strictly forbidden. “I don’t deny it. But
that happened only after he’d forsaken any claim to her. In fact,
he told me I could have her.” Enrico turned to Ruggero. “Isn’t that
what he said?”

Ruggero nodded. “He said that. But not so
nicely.”

Laughter broke out again.

“Silence.” Benedetto’s voice sliced through
the air.

After some shifting in the chairs around
them, the room grew quiet. “Is there anything else?” Enrico
asked.

Benedetto turned to Don Battista, who cast
Enrico a somber look. “There is one more thing,” Don Battista said.
“Some in your
cosca
have questioned your recent decisions.
The involvement with this woman, for example.”

“As I have explained, I was obligated to help
her. If a relationship developed from it, well….” Enrico shrugged.
“I am after all, a widower. Not a saint.” He hated putting it that
way, but it was the thing these men were most likely to
understand.

“You have always acted in the best interests
of your
cosca
?” Don Battista asked.

Enrico’s mouth went dry. This was the
toughest question put to him yet. “I have not. I should have
remarried sooner. I have been without heirs this entire time. Yes,
my cousin is prepared to take over should something happen to me.
However, there is some risk because I have no direct heir. I am
trying to correct that oversight.”

Carlo’s glare cut into him. “Are you saying
you should have left my Toni?”

“I stayed with her for twenty-six years.” He
held Carlo’s gaze. “There is your answer.” He hated to make it
sound like love didn’t enter into it. But everyone understood their
marriage was a business arrangement, more or less.

He turned to Don Battista. “Am I free to go,
or must I continue to answer for every woman I have taken to
bed?”

Don Battista started to talk, but Carlo cut
him off, addressing the men around them. “Are all of you happy,
truly
happy, with how Lucchesi has run things? He controls
your money. He decides how much each of us pays to wash it. If he
doesn’t like the business you’re in, you pay more. And more. Tell
me, are you satisfied with this arrangement?”

When a chorus of angry voices sounded around
them, a frigid blast blew down Enrico’s spine.
Merda
. He
glanced at Don Battista, then gazed around him, trying to look into
every face. “All of you have unfettered access to your money. I do
not control it. You are free to put it wherever you like, to use
any bank you wish. But only
I
guarantee that outsiders won’t
get hold of it, that the government won’t steal it from you. Need I
remind you what happened to Cosa Nostra when they used outside
banks?” He looked around again. “Any of you are free to start your
own banks, to launder your own funds. If you wish to do so, I can
do nothing to stop you.”

The men sitting in judgment were silent, but
many were nodding. Enrico continued. “As for what I charge, that is
also my right. Drugs, pornography, and prostitution are blights on
our communities. Our ancestors recognized this; they forbade such
dealings over a century ago. The drugs are worst of all; the money
is for the taking, yes, but the price that comes with it is
enormous. Who among you has not lost someone to drugs or to the
violence that accompanies them? If my charges encourage you to
pursue other avenues, isn’t that in the best interests of us
all?”

“You would make us weak,” Carlo hissed. “We
need the money we make from drugs to fight off the others who would
take our territory.”

“I’m not preventing you from pursuing many
other highly lucrative avenues. And I’m not preventing you from
pursuing the ones that are against our codes. Am I not free to
determine my rates? Would you put price controls on all of our
dealings? What’s next, trade agreements and tariffs? Shall we
charge each other VAT as well?”

The crowd broke out in laughter. Benedetto
called again for silence. Enrico took a deep breath, then addressed
the men surrounding him. “What say you? Am I free to go?”

A chorus of assent greeted him. Benedetto cut
in. “We are agreed. You may go.”

Enrico bowed his head to Benedetto and Don
Battista, then took in the group. “I thank you for your support.”
He paused and looked at Carlo. “Perhaps you should listen to your
betters.”

He walked out, Ruggero at his back. Yet he
still felt the daggers of Carlo’s eyes piercing him. If they were
at war before, it had just escalated to out-and-out nuclear
annihilation.

They were in the car, heading back home, when
Ruggero spoke. “I could’ve made it look like an accident.”

Enrico laughed. “I doubt anyone would have
been convinced.”

“Shall I plan it then?”

“Yes.” There would be no more waiting for
Carlo’s next bomb to come hurtling at them. He held Ruggero’s gaze.
“Thank you for earlier, in the car. It made all the
difference.”

“You reminded me of your father. How he was
before.”

Enrico leaned forward, unable to keep a smile
off his face. “That’s what I’d hoped for.”

“They were in the palm of your hand.”

Enrico felt energized, light, his body
humming. Ready for a fight. It was so alien to how he’d felt an
hour ago he could hardly believe it. He thought of Kate with a
strange determination. He’d win her back, somehow. Certainty
sizzled in the marrow of his bones.

But first he had to crush Carlo. It was past
time to give up the high road. If Carlo wanted a street fight, he’d
give him one hell of a rumble.

Carlo and Benedetto were finally alone,
heading to the villa for the night. Carlo could barely speak.
Enrico had made him look like a fool, more so than Rinaldo ever
had. He turned to his brother. “You did not support me.”

Benedetto straightened his tie and shot his
shirt cuffs. Even though he was balding and running to fat, he was,
as always, immaculately dressed. He spent the GDP of a small
third-world country on his wardrobe. “I’m supposed to be
impartial.”

“What a fucking farce! I was supposed to
bring
proof
? Since when is my word not enough?”

“Lucchesi had the right to demand it. It was
a trial, after all.”

Carlo ground his teeth together. “You
could’ve prepared me.”

“I suspect Vittorio coached Lucchesi.”

“And that excuses you? Why didn’t I get the
same help from you, my own brother?”

Benedetto smoothed his hair back. “You’ll
recall I advised you against such a course.”

“You’d let the Andrettis be laughingstocks
just to teach me a lesson?”

His brother looked him full in the face. “The
only one who looks like a fool is you. As always, your breathtaking
arrogance has gotten you into trouble.”

“My arrogance is exceeded only by yours, dear
brother.”

Benedetto chuckled. “I’ve earned mine.”

A great thundering roar invaded Carlo’s head
and chest. “
Vaffanculo
! You haven’t earned a fucking thing.
Everything was handed to you. I had to fight for everything I have.
And never, not
once
, did any of you acknowledge what I’ve
accomplished.”

Benedetto studied his fingernails. “If this
is about our father, you can stop now. Poor, poor, little Carlo.
Always overlooked.”

“You will get yours. You’ve raised a nest of
vipers. Do you think your sons don’t plot your death daily?” Carlo
was gratified to see the tightening in his brother’s shoulders.
He’d scored a hit.

Benedetto lowered the glass that separated
them from the driver. “I won’t be staying the night. My jet,
please.” He raised the glass again. “I pity you.”

“You
pity
me?”

“You are the smallest man I know.”

His family. How Carlo hated them all. Toni
had been the only exception. “I’ll crush you, Benedetto. When I
finish with Lucchesi, you’ll be next.”

“I’m trembling.”

“I know how much you’ve lost at the gaming
tables. I wonder, is it only
my
money you’ve borrowed?”

Benedetto’s eyes snapped to his. He was
right; Benedetto was in deep. He couldn’t keep the smile off his
face. “You’ve stolen from La Provincia, haven’t you?”

Benedetto held Carlo’s eyes. “Try to prove
it.”

Triumph flooded through him. “Don’t think I
can’t get to you.”

Benedetto shifted in his seat, leaning toward
him. “Out of respect, Father and I have allowed you to operate
without direction. That can change.”

“Respect? Out of
fear
.”

“Remember what happened to our dear
brother.”

Carlo’s gut tightened.
Remo
. He could
almost hear the echoes of Remo’s screams, almost smell the burning
of his brother’s flesh, all these years later. He pushed the memory
from his mind. “I remember.”

“See that you do. Father would be happy to
remind you about loyalty.”

“No matter how big you think you are,
Benedetto, you will always be under Father’s thumb.”

Silence fell between them as Benedetto turned
away.
Good riddance
.

Carlo had just left Benedetto at the airstrip
and was headed back to the lake when he got a call from Domenico.
“You’d better have good news. Where’s Rinaldo?”

He could hear the smile in Domenico’s voice.
“I know where he is. And I’ll soon have the American in my hands.
Let me know where and when you want her, and she’s yours.”

Laughter bubbled up in Carlo’s chest. He
wanted to shout out loud. Lucchesi would regret every minute of the
rest of his short miserable life. “You’ve gone up in my
estimation.”

“Will you renegotiate our terms?” Domenico
asked.

“After I’ve dealt with Rinaldo and the woman,
we’ll see what you’ve earned.”

He listened as Domenico told him where to
find Rinaldo. After they hung up, Carlo sat back, considering.
Perhaps
this
Lucchesi might be worth bringing into the
organization. Domenico had several sons who needed wives, and there
were certainly daughters in the Andretti family who needed
husbands.

It would be nice to have someone to help with
the dirty work.

Domenico smiled when he hung up with Carlo.
As if he’d let the old man dictate everything. Carlo would never
see him coming. Neither would Rico.

Fools, the both of them.