Page 14 of He is Poison
“Do you want to live,Villani?” whispered Domenico, loud enough for the driver to hear. “Shut yourshitspilling mouth.”
Seth swallowed and wasready to say something back, but the words wouldn’t come to him, and in theend, he looked back at the window. Seth didn’t understand his own position. Washe above Dom in the food chain or not? He was a Villani after all. Then again,he didn’t know much about the crime world, when Acerbi was… well, Seth knew whohe had to be in the Family hierarchy, and it wasn’t a ‘bodyguard’. He was mostprobably in the body disposal business. Seth’s insides curled in fear at whatpeople like him were capable of. Those skills would be a lot more important forthe Family than Seth’s communication studies degree.
The silence carried onfor the next fifteen minutes, until he could finally leave the stuffyatmosphere of the car and run. He would hide in the garden, or maybe gostraight to his own room, where he was least likely to be bothered. But no,Domenico wouldn’t let him.
“Meet me here in half anhour, we have a plane to catch,” said Domenico, already opening the door to thepassenger seat.
“But… the reception… andmy hand hasn’t healed,” Seth muttered, even though spending even more time withhis father and aggravated brother was the last thing he wanted.
Domenico silenced himwith a single gesture. “You want to live? I can make sure of that. Meet me inhalf an hour.”
Seth sighed. The lastthing he wanted was even more uncomfortable silence around Domenico. Only thescenery changed. This time it would be a plane, not a car.
Seth didn’t have a lotto pack, but he wanted to get as much alone time as possible, so he rushed tohis room, without wandering to the rooms where the reception was held. He randown the empty corridor and went right in, freezing in place when he saw a tallfigure at the window.
“Fuck,” slipped out atthe sight of his uncle. He didn’t mean to swear, but his nerves were in tattersalready, without having another thing thrown at him. If theconsiglierewas here, there had to be a good reason. Wishing his nephew a safe journeywouldn’t be it. “I mean, good afternoon.”
A small smile ghostedover the narrow, permanently serious face. “Tough day?” Frederico had the samehandsome features as his brother, yet was much slimmer and reminded Seth of astarved wolf.
“Yes, I was close withmy mother.” Seth nodded and started packing, even though most of his thingswere already in the travel bag.
“I remember. It’s ashame a woman as remarkable as her left us. At least now you will be busyenough not to think too much.”
“Yeah, Acerbi issupposed to be training me,” Seth pushed in his leather jacket and zipped upthe bag.
Theconsiglierenodded with a small frown. “You’re in good hands. He’lltake care of you properly.”
Seth rolled his eyes andwent over to his desk to pour them both a drink. “Sure. You remember how hewanted to ‘take care of me’ when we were kids.” Though Seth’s mind keptwandering off to visions of other ways in which Dom couldtake careofhim. He really needed that drink.
Theconsigliereshook his head at the alcohol. “Just do as he tells you. Heisour best man.”
“Yeah, I suppose he’scapable.”Seth let the smoky flavor of the whiskey linger in his mouth.
Theconsiglierewas silent for the longest moment, but eventually went on with a slight cough,“You aren’t afraid he’d go for it again, are you? Your father assigned him toyou precisely because he thinks you may need someone like him now.”
Seth took a deep breath,courage stemming from a good whiskey. “He’s a killer, isn’t he? He’ll do anydirty job?”
Theconsiglieresnorted. “He will negotiate.”
Seth wanted to stop thestream of horrific imagery rushing through his mind, but it was no use. “And hedoesn’t like me. He could get rid of me and say it was an accident. No onewould know.”
Theconsigliereshook his head and after a sharp intake of breath said, “Hewould not betray his own blood.”
Seth crooked his head tothe side, unsure of how to interpret that. They weren’t exactly ‘blood’ justbecause Domenico worked for their family. “I don’t understand…”
Theconsiglierefrowned, stepping back. “You never heard the rumors?”
“What rumors?”
The slow bob of theconsigliere’sAdam’s apple wasn’t reassuring, but his next words made Seth’s hair bristle.“Your father is visiting his mother.”
“Hismother?”Seth’s heart started a ferocious rhythm.
Theconsigliere’snose flared, and he gave a curt nod. “You can’t let himknow you’re aware of this. But you need to know what’s going on around you.”
Seth’s body went rigid,and his voice turned into a whisper. “And it’s been going on for years?” Theanswer was obvious, taking into account Domenico’s existence, yet he needed tohear it.
Theconsiglierenodded.“Villani blood. You can practically smell it on him.”