the Faustis frequented Macchiavello’s and The Club, so I knew they were familiar with Mac Macchiavello. That meant he meant something to them. Time was precious to the higher-ups in Fausti famiglia. They only spent it on people they thought worthy.
It was Romeo Fausti who agreed to set up a sit-down between his brother and me. The thing about the Faustis, though, was that someone higher had to sit in. That high up, it was usually an uncle or an older cousin.
The Faustis had a different setup than we did. Even if we had men who were blood-related in each family, our families were not all related. The higher a man went up in the Fausti famiglia, the most likely they were to be blood-related.
They were the secret society of secret societies.
We had the commission. The entire world had them.
Another man had tried to be the middle guy back in the day, between them and us, but that guy didn’t last long.
In all truth, the Faustis never messed around with the families unless there was a problem that couldn’t be solved by the commission. They were an honorable bunch of men, bred to live and die by their family motto—my word is as good as my blood. Truth meant something to them.
It was hard to come by these days, that kind of honor, but their family still proved it could work. That was the old way I wanted to bring back. The golden age. The Faustis had never left it. Though, in fairness, they never had the scrutiny we had either, as far as the government.
That being said, I requested Romeo bring someone who outranked Rocco to the sit-down. Romeo was younger. Brando was older, but he was in and out of the life. I could never get a good read on that fucking guy, but as long as he was decent to me, I’d show him the same respect.
Romeo said he had someone and it wouldn’t be a problem, though.
A bunch of women walked up to our booth. Calcedonio looked each girl up and down, his eyes hungry. Nunzio looked at them but then poured himself another drink.
“You seem thirsty,” I said.
He drank it down without really tasting it.
“Ladies,” Calcedonio said, “if you’d wait over at the bar, the drinks will keep coming. On me. But if you don’t mind…” He made a shoo motion with his hand.
They smiled at him, and his eyes lingered on one longer than the others. He sent one of our men to keep an eye on them at the bar.
Nunzio poured another glass. He held it in his hand. “I want Michele Sorrentino.” He downed the glass.
I narrowed my eyes, trying to recall the name.
“The chef?” Calcedonio said, scratching his head. “What the fuck did he do? Give you shrimp instead of steak? I ate there last week with Adriano and Baggio, and it was off the charts.”
“He is on a date with your cousin,” he said, looking at me. “Brooklyn.”
“That’s it?” I said.
“Yes,” he said. “That is it. But I do not trust him. He looks like a fucking Lothario.”
“What’s a Lothario?” Calcedonio said, sliding his hands through his hair, trying to tame the sides down.
“Not what. Who.” I slid the bottle closer to Nunzio. “Lothario is a name. It means an unscrupulous seducer of women.”
Calcedonio and I looked at each other and grinned. But that still didn’t take away from the fact that Nunzio wanted to kill a man who was not a part of this life and had done nothing wrong.
“You know the rules,” I said. “No.”
Calcedonio squeezed his shoulder. “Stay away from her. She’s a real nice girl, but her ma got burned, and she’d set you up if you even tried to get close to her daughter. That woman has the longest fucking memory in history.”
Nunzio grumbled something into his glass and then downed it.
I checked my watch. Two minutes. Even though I’d been visiting The Club often, it wasn’t my fucking scene. But I went where Macchiavello’s business took him, and Romeo suggested it for the meeting place.
The three of us stood when Romeo started to make his way toward us. The crowd parted to let him through.
He held out his hand when he was close enough. We shook and then pulled each other in. Romeo and I enjoyed each other’s company. We occasionally shared drinks and cigars and some conversation.
Calcedonio and Nunzio shook his hand. Then he leaned in closer and told me how to get