Page 12 of Dark Breaker

It’s actually quite lucrative, considering our costs are maybe sixty-five percent of what we’re paid, and during the money-collecting phase before building starts, we can lend out the deposits at high interest rates. The returns are almost as high as the more illicit sides of our business.

I’ve left behind the lambo today. I only use it on special occasions, where the need to impress is paramount. For example yesterday, before my little incident with Ms. She-Demon, I was meeting a real estate agent to scout out potential oceanfront property twenty kilometers outside Palermo. I’ve never dealt with this agent before, and I had to prove to him I was serious by dressing the part of the rich land developer.

The agent wanted to impress me as well, because he was seeing dollar signs whenever he looked at me and he couldn’t wait to close the deal. The fool couldn’t stop talking—he revealed that his client was “motivated” to sell, and I was able to knock the price down by almost thirty percent. The real estate agent still earned a hefty commission of course, but not as much as he would have if he’d kept his mouth shut. In any case, I’m sure he’s happy.

Next time I deal with him, I might still bring the lambo, but I’ll forgo the tux and fedora. A T-shirt and jeans, with a pistol poking up from the waistline of my pants, can have almost the same effect.

When I arrive at the construction site the foreman comes rushing over to meet me.

“You said there was some small damage.” I survey the burned out wreckage of a good portion of Building One behind him. “That looks like a lot more than ‘small damage.’”

My foreman, Donato, shakes his head. “It’s the Jackal again.”

I frown. “How do you know?”

“He threatened some of the men when they were relaxing at Garibaldis last night,” Donato tells me. Garibaldis was a bar near the construction site.

“What were his words, exactly?”

“Tell Fabio if he doesn’t agree to my terms soon, you’re going to start losing buildings,” Donato replies. “Starting with the uninhabited ones, but eventually, some of our finished condos, too.” He must see the anger burning in my eyes at his words, because he raises his hands defensively. “Don’t shoot the messenger.”

I shake my head, and say through gritted teeth: “I don’t intend to.”

The Jackal. Another problem. I already paid him what he asked for, and now he wants more. If I give in, he’ll only increase the price again.

I haven’t talked to my father about this yet. He was the one who gave in to the Jackal’s demands last time, and look where that got us. He’ll want me to give in again. No. I’ll have to find another way.

See, this is more proof that my father doesn’t own me, not really. He can’t tell me what to do if he doesn’t know there’s a problem. Unfortunately, if I don’t marry Rosa, a lot of people will tell him so that rules out that option.

Anyway, back to the Jackal. He leads the Tunisians, and they’re becoming a thorn in my side. We might be forced to wipe them out. This is another reason why my father wants to align himself so badly with the Amatos and Morettis. If we’re forced to go to war with the Tunisians and their leader the Jackal, we’ll need all the men we can get.

“Clean it up,” I tell Donato. “And start building again.”

Donato nods. “We’ll get on it.”

I call my younger brother Nicolo on the way to my next stop.

“CiaoFabio,” Nicolo says. “Come va?”

“Shitty,” I tell him with a half-restrained chuckle.

“Yeah, I heard about the arranged marriage from the men,” he replies. “That’s gotta suck.”

“It is what it is,” I tell him.

“It’s got me worried that pa’s going to do the same thing to me,” Nicolo says.

“He might,” I agree. “But listen, I just got back from theMare Ventanosite.” That was the name of our future condominium complex. It meant Sea Wind. “The Jackal burned down a good portion of Building One.”

“Fuck!” Nicolo replies. “Have you told pa?”

“No,” I tell him. “He’ll only want to give in again.”

“Building Two?” he presses.

“Still intact,” I reply.

“So what do you want to do?”