Page 50 of Niccolo (Mafia Kings #7)

W hen Aurelio finally called half an hour later, Fausto put him on speakerphone.

He sounded nervous, and rightly so.

“Look, Father, I know you’re mad – ”

“WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING?!” Fausto screamed.

“We needed to take decisive action – ”

“BUT INSTEAD YOU FUCKED UP EVERYTHING! Not only did you fail to kill Massimo, but now you have the richest family in the Cosa Nostra angry at us!”

Aurelio went from apologetic to surly. “It should have worked – “”

“But it DIDN’T!”

“How’d the hit on Dario go?” Aurelio asked snidely.

I was guessing from his tone that he already knew.

“Don’t change the subject!” Fausto barked – but now he was on the defensive.

“She failed, didn’t she?” Aurelio sneered. “If she’d killed Dario, you wouldn’t give a shit about anything else.”

“We got the money, at least,” Fausto growled. “That alone will destroy them.”

“Then it will be even better when I take care of Massimo and the Widow.”

Fausto frowned. “What do you mean, ‘take care of’?”

“I had one of my men blow up Massimo’s plane – ”

“Your men?” Fausto asked sarcastically.

“Yes, MY men,” Aurelio snapped. “Wagner’s following MY orders, so they work for ME. Anyway, Massimo’s trapped in Venice, and I’ll have the Widow’s granddaughter soon – ”

“Wait – what?” Fausto interrupted, his eyes wide.

“I’ve sent men to grab her. They’ll have her any second.”

“Aurelio, NO,” Fausto ordered. “You are not to – ”

“Relax, I’ve got it under control.”

“AURELIO – ”

“I’ll call when Massimo’s dead and the Widow’s under my thumb.”

“AURELIO!”

But he’d already hung up.

Fausto threw the phone against the wall, cracking the screen.

I sat there in silence as the old man huffed and puffed in fury.

“He’s going to undo all our progress!” he snarled. “I convinced the rest of the Cosa Nostra that my nephews killed the Agrellas – but after this bullshit with the Widow, the Council will never believe us!”

“Unless you disavow him,” I suggested. “If it comes to that.”

Fausto looked at me in shock. “What?”

“Your son went rogue. He went behind your back and disobeyed your orders. That’s the truth. If you tell the Council that Aurelio did all of this without your approval, maybe the situation can be salvaged.”

Fausto sounded more shocked than angry. “…but then they would target him for death…”

“I don’t know how the Council will react. Only you know that.”

“…no… I can’t… I can’t,” he muttered, though he sounded like he was trying to talk himself out of it rather than forcefully telling me No.

I shrugged. “Just a suggestion… in case things get really dire.”

Neither of us had any idea how fucking dire things would actually get.