Page 39 of Sinister Savior

I've made my decision and spoken with Ervine, Thomas, and Alice about it. Each of them have different opinions and thoughts, but all of them respect my leadership now, even the priest. Even after all he’s been through and the life he escaped. Under my leadership, things will change, and this city will become a safer place for those who simply want a good life.

Men are gathering, filling the pews of this church. I stand behind the baptismal, watching them mill about and speak to one another. Ervine is running tactical, making sure no weapons slip into this safe place. Never again will we allow God's house to be desecrated the way it has been. Never again will our Family bring shame upon the Gatti name. My father's name will be associated with power and authority, yes, but in a way that makes the citizens of Los Angeles proud to call it their own again.

"Are you positive this is what you want?" Father Thomas stands behind me. I don’t turn to look at him, but I know he is wearing his robes. After telling him my plan, he had serious reservations and spent the past week in prayer. I've sucked him back in, and he isn't so pleased with it, but he, like me, wants to do what's right for the city.

"I am certain." I have no way of knowing which of these men will continue to remain loyal to me once my ways are established, but I have to push forward. I have a family now, a child to one day take over where I leave off. My legacy will be one I can be proud of on my deathbed.

"Then we should begin. There is no amount of time spent in waiting that does any good when the race is already running. Time is of the essence in all of your decisions now, and as our leader, we look to you to make those decisions quickly before things sink further into the darkness your brother set in motion."

Thomas is right. There are helpless women and children enslaved to my brother's ways still out there, being used as tools for his profit. It's time to overturn his rule completely and wage a war against his legacy. I nod and turn to face him, reaching my hand out. He grips my forearm and I his, and then he pulls me in for a hug, and we officially change places.

Once my leader in this new life I thought I wanted, he becomes my follower. And once the man who sought to find protection in his church under his leadership, I become his master, the one who will lead him to true and lasting peace here in his beloved city.

"Let's go," I tell him, and he leads me down the stairs, winding around to the entrance to the dais.

Father Thomas enters first, and I hear the creaking of pews as men begin taking their places. They wander in from the foyer out front and the vestibule in back. From where I stand, I watch Thomas take his place behind the pulpit and Alice seat herself in the front row. She's stunning in her delicate ivory blouse and black slacks. It's only been a few weeks since she told me she was having my child, but the glow on her face is unimaginable. Motherhood already looks good on her.

When the men are seated and the room is quiet, Thomas reaches for the microphone and bends it toward himself. He is a man of fewwords on most occasions, and this time will be no different. He is also a man of faith, though I know it takes a different expression through him. He has found absolution and redemption in changing his life entirely. I, on the other hand, have found it in retaining my position with the purpose of uprooting the system and bringing revolution from within. Both are noble pursuits, and we will do them together.

"Thank you all for coming." Thomas clears his throat and addresses the crowd. This gathering is only my Family, men who will be loyal to me, men who will tonight choose to forsake their oath to my brother and forge a new path. This church will no longer be simply a church, but it will become the hub of everything I do, everything my Family needs.

"We have had quite the excitement lately, haven't we?" Thomas asks, and the men chuckle. Alice, the only woman in this room, squirms a little. She still is uncertain about it all, but I'm not one to leave her in the lurch. I will aptly and promptly convince her of my trustworthiness and that she has made the right choice. Thomas continues, "It's time to settle down and it's time for our new leader to emerge. He needs no introduction, but he does need our gratitude for what he's already done."

The priest raises his hand in my direction, and the men stand to their feet with uproarious applause for me as I walk onto the dais and shake the priest’s hand. I take the place at the pulpit that he vacates and wait until the men are done cheering. I spy a few who are not so animated with their thanks but understand their apprehension at the change of regime. The others are well on their way to a new life under my authority.

"Men, and lady," I say, winking at Alice. She smiles at me and looks down, embarrassed that I've pointed her out directly. "You have all fought hard, some of you against others of you, in the midst of this war we've been enduring. My brother has had an iron grip over your lives, over our lives, and today, we stand liberated from that iron grip."

My eyes scan over their faces as they again take their seats to listen to what I'll say. Having all eyes on me today feels no different from any time I gave a message at a similar pulpit on a similar dais. Except, the messages given to inspire hope and faith in God were never truly me. Today, I stand as my truest self, ready to start this new journey into real redemption.

"You are on the brink of greatness." A cheer goes up, and when it quiets I say, "I will lead us all into a peace this city has never known, under the close watch of all of us." My leadership is different. I won't punitively demand loyalty. I will earn it by being genuine and walking in authority. "You don't have to tell someone when a lion walks into the room. The truth is like a lion… let it out and see who follows it."

Another cheer goes up, and I am in awe of their seemingly unanimous support as I go on.

"What my brother destroyed, we will rebuild. What my predecessor damaged, we will restore. The wars he started, we will end, and the pain he inflicted, we will heal—together!" I raise my voice, and they again shout and cheer, clapping and standing to their feet until the roar is so loud I can't hear myself think. I extend my arm to Alice, who also stands with them, teary-eyed and focused on me. She walks toward me, passing where Father Thomas sits, and ascending the dais to stand next to me.

We wait together, hand in hand, for the men to quiet down and take their seats, and when the roar is over, I begin again. "My heir will be born." I raise Alice’s hand to the sky, and she boldly grins at all those who are in attendance. Her pride in our son or daughter is my pride, and my legacy. These men will only watch our baby grow and mature. Together as a tribe, we will raise him or her to be the next leader—a pure leader who can reproduce what only I will be able to establish.

"This woman will be my wife and my equal partner and will keep us all in line." Another round of laughing echoes around the sanctuary, but these men understand I'm not joking. Alice will be my equal inevery way, to balance us, to make sure what happened to her doesn't happen to anyone ever again.

I kiss Alice on the cheek and nod at the front pew where she was sitting, and she returns. Afterward, I lay out my plan in detail—how the church will become a safe haven for all men who serve me. How we will have food and medical care for them, as well as the homeless of this city. How we will be responsible for arming small militias around the city to combat the violence incited by my brother and his lingering few followers.

The drug trade that is happening will be tightly controlled and the money will be shared. We'll run drug lords out of town to produce a superior product. This city will be turned on its head. The corruption in the government will end, and I will pull all the strings, only in the best ways. My leadership and authority will branch out until everyone knows the Gatti name is synonymous with true virtue, and all will respect me.

When the meeting ends and I've fielded dozens of questions, the men begin to disperse. Alice waits patiently, seated in the front row, where a lot of the men greet her and show their respect. It pleases me that she wants to support me when she's had so many reservations about the entire thing. And when the last man is gone, I sit by her and put an arm around her. This is my kingdom now, my sanctuary, and I am proud to call it my own. I've found myself with her help.

"Rousing speech you gave, Father Clemmons." Alice's cheeky smile and the way she playfully leans her shoulder into my side make me grin.

"Father Gatti…" I correct her, and then I pull her closer. "And I'd rather just be Mario to you, if it's all the same. Unless we're doing some fun roleplay."

She chuckles and smiles at me as she rests her hand on my thigh. "Did you mean what you said?" Her eyes sparkle again with emotion, and I know exactly what she means.

"I did. I fully intend to make you my wife, and we will lead together." Offering her the same authority that I have in this Family is a means to make her feel safe and at peace. She can make decisions and be respected too, and I will keep her name clean, just as I do my own.

"All of it?" she asks, and she bites her lower lip.

"Every single word. Alice…" I slide off the pew and kneel on one knee in front of her. I don't have a ring, but it will come. I take her hand and kiss it and say, "I never thought I'd do this in my life. When I left my Family and came to the priesthood under Father Thomas's lead, I believed myself to be a eunuch of men. I put my desire for a family aside to serve the greater good, as do all men who take up the cloth. But you came into my life, and I knew I had to have you. I want to marry you and put babies in your belly and have a huge family. Say you'll marry me for real, be my partner in life and in business…"

"And in crime?" she says, smiling with a sassy tone of voice.

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