Page 218 of Made in Love and Blood

“A pleasure doing business with you recently,” Big Mike told Salvatore.

“Same. It certainly worked to our favor, didn’t it?”

“Never been a problem between us in sight.”

“How’s the wife?”

“Due any day.”

Salvatore smiled. “A girl, right?”

“Mmhmm. All these girls, and one boy. God’s not fair to me, boss.”

“Well, they’re all healthy. Seems fair enough to me, Mike. I’ll be seeing you.”

“Sure thing,” Big Mike replied.

Then, to Nico, the capo nodded. Nico did the same back.

After the New Jersey capo cleared the room, that just left the two at the end. Nico cleared his throat, eyeing Salvatore from the side whose gaze focused on the hands he folded in his lap. Like he needed to hide his fingers from himself lest he lift them to be visible at the window.

“Thank you for listening even when I didn’t explicitly tell you to remain seated,” Salvatore said then.

“Did you need to?” Carmine asked.

Salvatore laughed under his breath. “Ah, Carmine...I’d like to make this as painless as possible, but that’s just not going to happen. And you know why.”

“Chicago’s making us a lot of money,” Nico said to Salvatore then.

“I know. And you, and Big Mike. However, that’ll be your responsibility to correct once this is said and done. You’re the underboss, Nico. If I deem a faction unworthy to continue business with, then you will handle the ramifications of said choice. If that means you do the talking and explaining for me, and handle the brunt of the frustration, so be it. You can make new deals. With people I don’t want to kill daily.”

He blinked at that comment. It wasn’t like Sal.

“So, what does that mean?” Davido asked behind Carmine. “You’re cutting us off? This family started in Chicago.”

“Don’t you care why I’m doing that?”

Carmine patted Davido’s hand on his shoulder. “Stop.”

“Tell him why, Carmine.”

The capo’s jaw tensed, muscles twitching. “I’m not sure it matters at this point.”

“So, he doesn’t know.”

“He knows the big picture.”

“Details are important, too,” Salvatore replied, tone chilled.

“I don’t agree.”

“Remember, you asked for this, Carmine.”

“I—”

“You fucked my wife,” the boss said.

Every word came out louder than the last. Nico felt his whole body go numb as he looked down the table to Carmine. The hand on the man’s shoulder drifted away, back to Davido’s side, although it trembled on the way.