I needed time away from Verona County. At least until I’d finally slayed the demons that haunted my every waking thought.
“Just promise me you’ll be careful. Something’s coming. I can feel it.” His expression darkened.
“Aunt Marcella giving you too much of that damn tea again?” She was as superstitious as they came.
“Don’t you feel it?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “That shit with Johnny Morello… It was a warning.”
“Nah,” I said. “It’s nothing. And even if it was, we’ll deal with it.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Matteo wasn’t like me. He didn’t revel in this life. Tolerated it? Sure, he had to. You didn’t escape the Family. If you were born into it, you died in it. It was that simple. La Famiglia prima di tutto. The Family came first, always.
Ever since I was a kid, I’d wanted it. I’d wanted to do the Family’s bidding. Back then, I’d wanted it so that I could be closer to my old man. I thought it would bond us, make him pleased. I thought if my father saw I was made for this life, he’d be proud.
Looking back, I’m not sure Vincenzo Marchetti was ever cut out to be a father. His parenting skills were lacking at best, but I’d never doubted his ability as a capo.
He was everything I’d ever wanted to be.
Fearless.
Merciless.
Unwavering.
But it was all a lie.
A sham.
He wasn’t fearless. He was a fucking coward.
The blare of my cell phone cut through my thoughts and I dug it out of my pocket. “Yeah?” I barked.
“Enzo, son, it’s me,” Uncle Toni replied.
“What’s up, Uncle T?”
“Change of plans. Gino is staying in Providence for a little longer. I want you to ride down there and meet him.”
“Today?”
“The sooner the better.”
“I’ll leave right away.”
“Good. I knew I could count on you.” A beat passed. “And pack a bag, you could be gone a while.”
“On it.”
“Good, call me when you get there.” He hung up and I pocketed my cell.
“You’re leaving?” Matteo let out a long, steady breath.
“Gino needs me in Providence.”
“Nicco isn’t going to like this.”
“Yeah, well, Nicco isn’t calling the shots anymore.” Not for me, at least.
“You don’t have to do this, cous.” Matteo smiled weakly. But not even one of his puppy dog smiles was going to change my mind.
“Yeah,” I said, grimly. “I do.”
Pulling off at a rest stop, I cut the engine and ran a hand down my face. My cell phone had been blowing up since I left Verona less than an hour ago, and I knew the news had got back to my best friend.
I dialed Nicco’s number and waited.
“What the fuck, Enzo?” he growled, the hostility in his voice making me bristle.
“I didn’t want it to be a big deal. It’s not like I’m leaving forever.”
“You left without saying a fucking word.” Hurt coated his words, making guilt snake through me.
“I need this,” I said.
“And I need my best friend to talk to me. But I guess neither of us are getting what we want.”
“Shit, Nic, I didn’t do it to piss you off…”
“No, you knew if anyone could persuade you to stay, it was me.”
“Maybe, yeah.” My chest heaved as I expelled a long breath. “If it’s any consolation, Matt gave me a pretty good talking to before I left.”
“It doesn’t,” he snorted, “but I would have paid to hear that.”
“You’re worried, I get it. But you don’t need to be. This is who I am.”
“E, that’s not—”
“We both know you’re destined to call the shots and I’m destined to get my hands dirty. I’ve made my peace with it, you should too.”
“Not like this though,” he said quietly. “Never like this.”
“Gino is good people. He’ll look out for me.”
“Damn right he will, or he’ll have me to answer to.”
“Hey, this thing with Morello,” I said, “do you think we need to be worried?”
It wasn’t uncommon for gangs or other organizations to try and make their presence known, especially in and around Providence. But the city had always been Marchetti territory. There was an MC, the Providence Phantoms, who rode out of their compound on the edge of the Woonasquatucket river, but they generally kept to themselves. Then there were the small-time dealers we let fly under the radar so long as they didn’t start making waves. The Cruzers controlled all of the heavier narcotics coming in and out of Rhode Island, but we had a good thing going with Santiago Cruze, their top guy. The Family didn’t usually get involved in narcotics, but