Page 63 of Born into Mayhem

“She’s what? Sixty-five? Sixty-six?”

“She’s not dead, Dario. Don’t be such a fucking prude. She has needs, and she really wanted me to take care of them for her.”

“Too bad that enormous stash of condoms is just for me,” I say with a grin.

“Live it up while you can. Once we get back to America, she’ll be going back to Mommy and Daddy’s house. You know, because she’s only eighteen and still lives at home.”

“I haven’t forgotten how old she is, and her home is with me from now on.”

I can feel him staring at me, but I keep my eyes focused on the road ahead.

“You sure about this, Dario?”

My eyes quickly dart to his. “I’m sure. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

He reaches out to smack my arm. “All right then. I’ve got your back when you need me.”

“Thanks, brother,” I tell him.

“At least Sasha is okay with it. There’s a chance we can reason with Lev, but if his son was against it,” he says, letting his voice trail off. After a few seconds, he laughs and says, “Well, I guess it wouldn’t matter because you’d be dead.”

“There’s a chance I could win against him,” I say in my owndefense, remembering how Sasha had been damn sure I’d lose the fight too.

“There’s no winning against whatever the fuck Sasha is.”

“That’s true enough,” I say, knowing they’re both right. Even if I managed to escape him, he’s not the kind of guy who would ever let up. He’d follow me like a goddamn bloodhound until he got the job done.

“Here’s hoping he doesn’t change his mind,” Sandro says.

“Well, that’s comforting,” I tell him.

“I’ll try to save you if he does, but I’m guessing we’ll both just end up dead.”

“Stop talking, Sandro.”

He laughs but manages to keep his mouth shut for the rest of the drive. When we get back onto Alessi property, I bypass the house and instead drive down the path that leads to the guesthouses where our lower-level men live. A few of our unmarried capos also choose to live here, and the others have houses in the village.

Parking in front of the first house, Sandro and I get out and make our way inside. These guesthouses are more like barracks than mini vacation homes, but even with the bunk-style rooms and metal gun lockers, it’s still a beautiful home, complete with a veranda and an amazing view of the sea.

As soon as we step inside, we see a large map of the estate pinned to the wall, a rotation schedule with everyone’s names on it, and a line of radios that are fully charged and ready to go.

There are four men waiting at a table, and when they see us, they all stand and give a nod of respect. We invited the capos here for a meeting, knowing they’ll pass whatever information we give them down to the men they’re in charge of.

Gio and Bruno have held their positions the longest, but Uberto and Alfonso are quickly making a name for themselves within the family. I trust these men, so when I sit down and ask them to tell me everything they know, I’m confident I’ll be getting the most up-to-date information.

Gio takes the lead, filling Sandro and me in on the attacks wesuffered and the deaths of our men. We sit back and listen and by the time he’s done, I’m more convinced than ever that Leonardo is behind this. No one else would be this brazen or stupid.

“No one saw anything? No witnesses?” Sandro asks.

“No,” Gio says while shaking his head. “The hits took place late at night, and they made sure no one else was around to see.”

“Who do you think is behind all this?” I ask, watching the four men as they look to one another, no one wanting to be the first to speak.

It’s Uberto who surprises me by lifting his head and saying, “I think it’s the Fontana family.”

“Why?” I ask, keeping my focus on him. He may have been bold enough to speak up, but I can tell having my attention is making him nervous. He keeps his dark eyes slightly lowered while he fidgets with the Zippo lighter in his hand.

“The new don is the only one stupid enough to go against this family. Even with Don Alessi in America most of the time, his name still demands respect and fear.” Uberto glances over at Gio before adding, “There have been a few rumors.”