Page 211 of Vita Mia

“You know the state of things. How many times did I warn you after the fire in Melanzana to get Giovanni back on track with the clans? I told you that his power was slipping.”

Dominic shrugged. “The man’s daughter almost died. We lost family. Giovanni was crushed.”

“My cousin Tacchini was gunned down by Giovanni. His children are now fatherless. I had to rise above it and hold the family together. It’s what a Don in our position does. Giovanni took his hands off the steering wheel. I’m in the driver’s seat.”

“So you’re the new driver? Interesting,” Dominic said.

“The only reason I risked my life by coming to Palermo to meet with you Domi is because I see what you’re doing here, what you’re building. You’re not Giovanni’s consigliere or play brother anymore. Soon you’ll have the Mafiosi more powerful than the Camorra. It’s in both our interest that Giovanni never leaves that prison. Am I wrong?”

Dominic smirked. “Winning is never wrong.”

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BALLISTRIERI RUBBEDhis brow. He was sweating in his seat. He couldn’t have been wrong about Dominic. The plan they agreed too ensured power and wealth beyond either of their reach, which was still the goal. It had to be.

“Drago?”

Ballistrieri looked up and smiled. His wife had joined him. She had been his light in the darkest of moments.

“Is everything okay?” she asked. “The news says Giovanni Battaglia has been released. And—“

“It’s fine. Come here,” he said.

She walked over to him and he pulled her down to his lap. “We’re going to be fine.”

“But the news just said that Anastasio is dead, and Cardinelli. They’re both dead Drago. I don’t trust that Don Santoro. He’s not Camorra, he’s Puglia. He should have never convinced you to try to take down Giovanni. Those Russians are going too—“

The phone rang. His wife jumped in his arms. They both looked at the phone with dread. He sat up and patted her thigh. “You answer it, calmly,” he said.

She nodded. After the fourth ring, she picked it up.

“Pronto?”

“Yes?”

“Oh, hi Domi, how are you?” she glanced to her husband smiled. “Yes, Of course, one moment, let me get him.”

She passed him the phone and eased off his lap. Ballistrieri held the phone for a long moment and waited. He then nodded to her that he was okay and she walked out of the room and closed the door.

“Domi? It’s me?”

“Sorry, I didn’t call sooner. As you can see I’ve been busy,” Dominic said.

“What the hell is going on? Anastasio, Cardinelli, and Taccetta are all dead. That was never the plan!”

“I didn’t expect the dead to rise,” Dominic whispered in the phone.

“Who’s risen?”

“Lorenzo. He’s alive,” Dominic said.

Ballistrieri rocked back in his seat. He could feel the bulge of the vein on his forehead as his heart rate accelerated to an unfathomable rhythm. “He’s alive?”

“Changes everything.”

“How is he alive and you didn’t know?”

“Giovanni never trusts anyone, completely. A lesson he learned from our father.”

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