Page 56 of Time Served in New York
“It’s the life, Dad. No sense in trying to deny that,” Luca chided.
“We didn’t kill him because making him live a miserable life with no power sounded like a more fitting punishment. That’s what Vicente and his brother did to their father, and we agreed that it sends a definite message to not only the men who work for us, but our other associates too.”
“He’s a problem that isn’t going to go away quietly,” I assured them. “He’s been in power since my father died after taking what would have been my place when I went to prison.”
“Yes. And now it’s our place,” Matteo said with an edge to his voice.
“We stripped him of everything. His money, cars, home, and the men who were loyal to him all those years,” Luca explained.
“And now he’s a desperate man who’s as crazy as a shithouse rat and always has been. I know I’m not part of this business, but if I were, I’d vote to put him down like a rabid animal and makethata lesson for those who aren’t sure of your power.”
“If he fucks up even the slightest bit, that’s what we’ll do. As it stands, he rarely ever leaves his apartment.”
“Apartment? He lived in a fucking mansion when my father was killed.”
“He currently lives in a one-bedroom walk-up in Longwood,” Matteo told me with a grin. “From what I hear, his car was stripped right outside the building a week after he moved in.”
“Oh shit,” I sputtered out through my laughter.
“Luca and I sat on the hood of his Bentley in front of his house while our crew packed his shit to be donated to a shelter. We left him with the clothes on his back and two hundred dollars in his wallet. His bank accounts were emptied, his holdings were transferred to our names, and every single thing of worth in his house was donated to a good cause.”
“What cause was that?”
“One of the women’s shelters where Cento Moretti’s mom volunteers,” Luca explained. “They had an auction and raised a staggering amount to go toward buying a larger building and hiring more employees.”
Matteo chuckled before he said, “Shy Campana is good with computer shit, and he set up an online auction and called it Don’s Closet. It was fucking hilarious.”
“We took Don’s phone and gave him a burner, and every now and then, I’d send him an updated link to the auction site so he could see the progress.”
“You boys need to make sure your own safety is covered. Fucking around with him is one thing, but he’s a crazy son of a bitch. It would be good that you don’t forget that while you’re having fun.”
“We know. That’s why we’ve got security on all of you, especially the ladies. He’s going to do something stupid someday and we’ll put him down, but until then, we want him to wallow in his own misery.”
“Just be careful. I know you’ve got the three other families to watch your back, but I still worry. There was a rumor back in the day that Don helped Sal Moretti kill your grandfather. I went to prison, so I never knew for sure, but I’ve always wondered.” Luca’s expression went from laughing and smiling to dark and dangerous in a split second, and when I glanced at Matteo, I saw his had done the same. “He’s a dangerous man. So’s Old Man Moretti. Don’t count either of them out of the game. I’d almost guarantee that both of them have something in the works to come back with guns blazing.”
“We’ll take your advice to heart,” Luca assured me.
“The Four Families are unstoppable now, especially with the help of our friends. Between all of us, we’ve got the whole Eastern Seaboard covered and on into the Midwest. Hell, we’re even working some things out on the West Coast. The world is our oyster.”
“Don’t forget about Vegas,” Luca reminded his twin.
“I’d like to give you some words of wisdom, but all I can really say is don’t end up in prison. It sucks there.”
Luca and Matteo started chuckling and the O’Sheerans and Moshe, who were sitting across the table from us, joined in.
“We’ve got systems in place to prevent that,” Declan O’Sheeran said with a grin.
“Good. I don’t want to have to plan a prison break,” I joked. “That’s not impossible, considering the firepower in this room, but I’d rather not.”
“We’ll take care of each other . . . Irish, Jewish, Italian, and even those Texans who are part of our family now.”
“That’s good to know.”
Moshe lifted his coffee mug and said, “Let’s enjoy our breakfast, gentlemen. To family.”
Everyone around the table lifted their drinks and, in unison, we repeated, “To family.”
I felt a little better when I saw one of the Romanos nudge a Moretti with his shoulder before they laughed and said something to Luca. I hadn’t been around to watch my sons grow up and was terrified of losing them now, but I knew they were surrounded by some good men.
