Page 86 of Niccolo (Mafia Kings #7)

“ D on Vicari wants an arranged marriage with his youngest daughter,” I said to Dario.

We were up in the attic again, with Adriano standing guard down below. He’d been pissed off again – “I’m not a fuckin’ foot soldier” – but Dario had told him he was the only one we trusted to keep us safe. That had mollified him somewhat.

“Vicari what?” Dario asked, completely taken off-guard.

“He wants an arranged marriage with his youngest daughter,” I repeated. “In exchange, he’ll back us at the Council against Fausto – and he’ll supply us with men to fight him.”

“Vicari is a stone-cold psychopath,” Dario said.

“Which could come in handy fighting a traitorous psychopath,” I pointed out.

“And who, exactly, are you going to sacrifice in order to bring about this godforsaken partnership?”

“Valentino.”

“Niccolo – ” Dario began to protest.

“It’s the only choice that makes sense. You and Adriano are already married. It can’t be Massimo since he’s M.I.A. at the moment. Can’t be Roberto – he’s in Hong Kong for the foreseeable future. Plus, it would be stupid to put our money man in another don’s house.”

“And it definitely can’t be you,” Dario said mockingly.

I ignored his tone and treated the statement seriously. “I can’t be your consigliere if I’m in Sicily, and you have no one else to replace me. So Valentino is the obvious choice. Besides, he’s pretty. Vicari’s daughter will love him.”

“Caterina’s already in love with him,” Dario said.

“What, the kitchen girl? Yes, well, that sucks for her, but – ”

“And Valentino is in love with her, too.”

“WHAT?!” I exclaimed, then burst out laughing. “He’s banging the kitchen girl, yes; he’s using her, definitely. He’s not in love with her!”

“I think he is. Deep down, in a place he won’t even admit to himself.”

“Dario – ”

“Your gift is getting inside people’s heads, consigliere. My gift is seeing inside their hearts. And I’m telling you, he’s already in deep.”

“Well, he could’ve fooled me.”

“He did – but that’s because he’s fooling himself by thinking he’s not.”

“Whether he’s in love or he isn’t, I don’t see how that changes anything.”

Dario narrowed his eyes. “You realize that Caterina is Alessandra’s best friend.”

“Yes.”

“Caterina was there for her when I brought Alessandra here. She was the only person who helped her through those first few awful days.”

I didn’t point out that those ‘first few awful days’ were completely Dario’s fault. “I’m well aware.”

“Are you? Because I just got married two months ago, consigliere, and I don’t want to get divorced over this.”

“She’ll get over it.”

“Who?” Dario snapped. “Caterina, or my wife?”

“Both of them.” I paused. “Eventually.”

“No.”

The time for a light touch had passed…

So I took the gloves off.

“Massimo might be dead.”

Dario looked angry. “We don’t know that.”

“No, we don’t – but as consigliere, I have to come up with options to prepare for the worst. And the worst is this: not only could he be dead, but Lars could be, too.

“I put Roberto’s chances of getting our 50 million back around 10% at best. Which means we’re down three key players and we’re broke, whereas Fausto has all the money and a bunch of mercenaries at his beck and call.

“Valentino’s greatest contribution right now would be securing an ally who can help us beat Fausto. You’re worried Alessandra and Caterina won’t get over it? I’ll tell you what they definitely won’t get over: getting shot in the head because we can’t win this war by ourselves.”

“Watch it,” Dario warned me angrily.

“Then use your head instead of your heart,” I snapped. “I don’t like this any more than you do – but we’re playing chess against someone who has all their pieces while we’re missing three of our most important ones. Two might be gone forever.

“Not to mention we won’t be able to pay the pawns – our foot soldiers – to keep fighting much longer. Right now, Fausto can just wage a war of attrition; all he has to do is wait until our money runs out. Then we’re well and truly fucked.”

“You’ve never lied to me before this, consigliere,” Dario said.

“When did I lie?”

“‘I don’t like this any more than you do,’” Dario quoted me. Then he said accusingly, “You’ve never liked Valentino, not even when you were children.”

“Do I think he’s a pain in the ass? Yes. But do I still love him? Yes. Because he’s my brother. If I could send Massimo or Adriano, I would. But they’re not an option, are they?”

Dario ran one hand through his hair. It was his tell; I knew it meant his resolve was weakening.

“You know I’m right,” I said. “If the whole Alessandra-Caterina thing weren’t an issue, you wouldn’t have such a hard time seeing it.

I’m not saying it’s a wonderful choice. It’s terrible, frankly.

But we’ve been dealt a shit hand, and this is our least shitty option.

And it might just be the thing that helps us win the war. ”

Dario sighed deeply. I could tell he’d given in.

“Maybe if we keep Valentino and Vicari’s daughter out of sight…” he said glumly. “Give them a wing of the mansion all their own, so Caterina doesn’t have it rubbed in her face – ”

“Valentino has to go to Sicily,” I interrupted. “It’s one of Vicari’s conditions.”

Dario looked at me in irritation. “Since when does he make the rules?”

“He has the cards – we don’t,” I said. “We need the deal far more than he does. That’s why he gets to make the rules.”

Dario shook his head in exasperation as he stared off into the darkness.

“I’ll take the heat for the decision,” I offered. “I’ll be the bad guy here. Let Alessandra hate me – ”

“She knows the final decision is mine,” Dario snarled. “She’s not stupid.”

“Are you going to let your wife dictate what is and what’s not in the best interest of the family?” I shot back.

Dario stepped right in front of me and glared at me, eye to eye, without saying a word.

“Alright… that was out of line,” I admitted. “I apologize. But I can sell it. I can convince Alessandra – I know I can. I can be the one she hates, not you. Like I told you after you came home from prison, that can be my gift to you: to be the villain.”

“Your offer was to make it easier for me to lead my men,” Dario said sharply. “Not to make me look like a weakling who won’t take responsibility for my choices.”

Now I was the one who sighed in capitulation.

“…alright… fine. I’ll tell Don Vicari we’ve decided it’s not in our best interests.”

“No,” Dario said decisively. “No, you’re right. It’s a shitty option, but it’s the best we’ve got right now. Maybe the only one.”

“…so…?” I asked hopefully.

“So we’ll tell Valentino together. You take the lead, but if he refuses – ”

“I think you mean when he refuses.”

“When he refuses, I’ll step in as don,” Dario said grimly. “We have to make sure the family goes on. I’ll make him see that… and my wife will eventually understand.”

I nodded.

I knew how difficult this was for him…

And I knew his marriage might never be the same.

But that was what being the don was all about:

Making the hard choices.

I hated that his relationship with Alessandra would likely suffer as a result…

But the family had to go on.

No matter our own personal pain.

“Beyond securing Vicari as an ally,” I said, “there’s one more upside to the situation.”

Dario looked at me in irritation. I knew he was expecting a joke – and I was looking forward to surprising him.

“What?” he asked.

“I think I can use it to find the mole.”