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He shakes his head with a smirk on his face. "Not at all. Will we be inviting Don Leone and his family?"
"No. This marriage needs to be legitimate and official, but it also needs to be done in the next few days. I need you to go talk to Father Pagano and set it up. Make a big donation to the church, and I'm sure it won't be a problem." I sit behind my desk.
"Father Pagano is always happy to be of service to you."
"Make the donation, anyway." If there is a God, perhaps this will be a mark in my favor to offset all the negative marks against me.
Bruno gives a single nod. "What about the other thing?"
"I want eyes and ears on Sabini and all his men for the time being. I have a feeling with his man gone missing, he’ll play it safe?—"
"I don't know. He's gotten pretty brazen."
I nod, acknowledging that Enzo Sabini is dumb enough not to take the hint. But he’s got a few smart men around him who’ll likely advise holding back or playing it safe. It’s time for me to start playing offense. “Sabini thinks he can fuck with my business, so let's go ahead and fuck with his." Although my Family and the Sabini Family have a long history of rivalry, my father and Enzo's father had a truce of sorts. In the political arena, it would have been called a treaty. But Enzo broke that, which means I can now take what I want from him.
"Let's start infiltrating his territories. Be discreet. I don't want him to see us coming or know that we're there until his ass is against the wall and I can finally end him and take what’s his."
Bruno nods.
Sabini is something I need to deal with, but he’s not my only concern at the moment. I also need to consider what Niko's next steps might be.
"I also need eyes and ears for any ways that Niko Leone might retaliate."
"He’s a bit limited on what he can do from New York."
"We’re talking about his sister here. I can't rule out that he’ll come to Italy. And of course, mine isn't the only business he's connected to here. I don't want to take any chances. Not until Aria and I are married and this is settled."
Bruno is quiet, but his stare speaks volumes.
"What?" I ask, sitting back in my chair.
"It's possible that all this is going to cause war."
I arch a brow. "Are you afraid of Niko Leone?"
Bruno's eyes narrow. "I'd be a fool not to be. His power doesn't stretch over here, but he's powerful in the United States."
He's right. I'm not afraid of Niko, but I'm not so arrogant to think that he can't find a way to hurt me. "At this point, I have the advantage. Aria is with me. What is that they say in the United States? Possession is nine-tenths of the law?"
Bruno gives a half-shrug. "What if he goes to Sabini for help?"
I let out a laugh. "Niko is not dumb enough to do that. He'll see Sabini as being as ineffective and stupid as I do. He's not going to put his sister’s life in his hands."
"And what about his sister? I get the feeling that she's not aware of the world we live in. Do you think she's going to choose you over her brother?”
"I guess we'll find out." A good man would give Aria a choice. I'm not a good man. But I also know that if I'm going to have the sort of wife my father spoke about, I need Aria on my side.
She won't do me any good if I keep her against her will, even as I know that I could absolutely do that. I need to tread carefully and give her the fairytale she wants if I'm going to keep her on my side.
Remembering that she's with Bianca Fontana, I ask Bruno about Gino, her husband. Bruno rolls his eyes because he feels about Gino the way I do. Gino is about thirty years older than Bianca. The marriage is all about sex for him and money for her. Admittedly, Bianca is a good trophy wife. She understands what being a Mafia wife means, something I hope she can help Aria navigate.
But Gino is one of the old guards of my father’s and I don't completely trust him. Not that he’d betray me because I don't believe he would. While he might not respect me like he did my father, he was devoted to my father and my father put his trust in me. So, Gino goes along in honor of my father. Still, I'm not convinced that Gino doesn't take a little on the side, or that his affinity for women and substances hasn't made him a liability.
"He's in Rome,” Bruno informs me. “He and his men are keeping an eye on Sabini's men there as well. At least when he's not off fucking that mistress of his."
"It's probably time we make a trip to Rome." It's not something that I want to do right now, but Gino tends to respond better when I deal with him in person than over the phone.
"Anyone else you want to be there?" Bruno asks.
