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Raffa removed his glasses as if he wanted to see me clearly without them. His eyes had taken on a grayish hue and, it used to be when he did this, it was to intimidate. To let the person know he could see right through them despite his blindness. But I stared right into his soulless eyes. Finally, he put his glasses back on and said, “What do you need from me?”

“You’re going to back me up when I announce to the other crime families that I’m the new don.”

After we got rid of the cocaine, the weight on my shoulders eased. I was a quick fixer. I got rid of threats. Negotiations weren’t my thing, but I could learn it. I could learn it as long as Bianca was at my side and that was the only way to keep her.

“Really?” His brow hiked up. “You’re not planning to hand it off to Tommy?”

“No. I’m the only one who deserves that position. Not even Gian.”

“Gian said you played Russian roulette with his head.”

His tone sounded serious, but I detected a hint of amusement, even pride. It’d been years since Raffa had been my ally. He’d been one of my staunchest supporters after I got rid of Kaz Doku. I fell out of favor when it was clear I had no plans to be more involved in the family business. Sometimes I wondered if his ridiculous impositions on my marriage to Bianca were not only to get back at Cesar, but also at me for resisting his attempts to mold me into the next boss. Vindictive bastard.

“It was an expedient way to get my answers,” I told him.

“He’s my son.”

“Your adopted son. I’m more your blood than he is.” I didn’t have to point out that if his men had inflicted lasting trauma on Bianca, I would have razed the entire family to the ground.

He leaned back in his seat and steepled his fingers over his protruding belly. “So tell me. Where do you expect to take the family? You have no club to launder the money coming from drugs. Oh wait, you don’t even have the drugs. Protection rackets are not making enough money. You have the smuggling of goods, but you’re in competition with everyone else.”

“Put the Rossi mansion up for sale. It’s our biggest asset.”

Naked anger contorted Raffa’s features. He leaned forward in his seat. “Are you out of your goddamned mind? You grew up there. I grew up there.”

“Doesn’t hold fond memories for me. It’s where Frankie was gunned down.” Where I chose Bianca over my half brother. “I’m sure there’s going to be some rich schmuck who’s gonna drop a obscene hunk of cash for the notoriety.” Maybe even make it into a museum, but that wasn’t my scene. “We’re gonna get around a hundred fifty mil easy for those structures and the property. The basement vault contains artwork that would fetch another two hundred million at an auction.”

“You’ve given this a lot of thought. What about your legacy?”

“What legacy? My mother—real mother, was kept captive in that mansion,” I gritted. “Repeatedly raped by Carmelo until she gave birth to me. Then he had her killed. You think I wanna stay there? You think I wanna raise a family haunted by the memories of his despicable acts?”

I couldn’t even call Carmelo Rossi Pop anymore. He was nothing but a sperm donor.

Raffa averted his face as if he couldn’t stand the anger I was radiating. It took me years to come to terms with my origins. I was a product of a heinous crime kept in secret by the Rossi leadership. But I didn’t want to dwell on the past because I saw a future with Bianca.

“We will use the money and build new infrastructure,” I said. “Gambling and gaming. Real estate.”

Raffa faced me again. “Who put these ideas in your head? Luca?”

“You never liked him, did you? But he’s at the top of the food chain now, even when people try to tear him down,” I said. “My club remains mine. I don’t intend to use Rossi money to rebuild it. It has insurance.” And I had my own money. I wanted full autonomy in the running of it. “It should be readyin two months. Leave Manhattan, Raffa. Spend your miserable last days in Italy. Be a gangster there if you want to. But in my organization, you will cease to have a say.”

“Not everyone is going to be happy with this.”

“The only one left with discontent is Gian. And I think I made it clear what will happen to anyone who defies me by going after Bianca.”

A slight sneer curved his mouth. “You’re going to become a puppet of the De Luccis.”

“I didn’t become your puppet, Raffa.” I smiled grimly. “Are you saying they’re more ruthless than you?”

I stood, leaving him fuming in silence. “This meeting is over. Have a comfortable retirement.” It was more than he goddamned deserved.

Bianca

“They’ll come around.” Aunt Lottie glanced over at where Uncle Paulie was saying goodbye to Dad and my brothers.

Mom threw an impromptu dinner and I considered it a success. Most of my immediate family opposed to my marriage didn’t make any derogatory comments about my husband or try to talk me into a divorce.

Aunt Lottie was the only one who was giddy with the situation. “Paulie was the same when Dom announced he wanted to go intothe familybusiness, but see, they come around.” I remembered the agreement was that Dom had to finish college first.