Page 13 of Keeping Kasey
Cam:I think we both know you’re not in a position to make threats. But you’re right. I have done my research, and you interest me as well.
Me:And?
Cam:And if you can beat my game, I’ll send you a time and place.
“As if I haven’t been trying.” Ford huffs from beside me.
He’s right. This isn’t an ordinary Pac-Man game.
Me:It’s impossible to win.
Cam:Who said anything about winning?
“What is that supposed to mean?” James asks, but before I get the chance to type the question myself, the text box is gone, and Pac-Man is back.
I slam my hand against the desk with a curse, and as soon as it makes contact with the wood, it’s like a switch has been flipped, and the power is back on.
After a long, wary silence, Ford is the first to speak. “Why would he turn the power back on if we didn’t beat the game?”
“He never said we had to beat it to get the power back, just to meet him,” James says, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Still,” Ford muses. “What was the point?”
“To screw with us,” I say. “He wants us to know what he’s capable of.”
“What now?” James asks, gesturing to the screen.
“We beat the game,” I tell him. “Cam works for us, or we kill him for what he knows. Either way, we need to meet him.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Kasey
Screwing with any visitor is fun enough, but hacking two of the most prominent crime families in the country is an absolute blast. And forcing them to play a children’s game for hours?
Best. Day. Ever.
I know the Consolis and Morenos are dangerous, but my skill set makes me just as much of a threat. Still, I can’t just walk into a meeting with them without taking the proper precautions.
Step one: research.
Knowing what I’m up against isn’t just about their resources—of which there are many—but also about their dynamics.
Gabriel Consoli led his family for nearly three decades. Logan replaced him after he and his youngest son, Mason, died unexpectedly three months ago. This is interesting for two reasons.
The first is that Logan isn’t Gabriel’s oldest son; Damon is, and traditionally, that’s who should be named heir. The second is that—though I can’t find a particular reason why—the alliance between the Consoli and Moreno families immediately followed Gabriel’s death.
It seems unlikely that it’s a coincidence, and it makes me wonder what kind of foul play was involved.
The only other notable discoveries regarding the Consoli family are that their mother, Maya, was murdered seventeen years ago, and the youngest of the children, Elise, shared the same fate as a teenager.
And then there’s the Morenos.
Unlike the Consolis, who have ruled in their respective territory for decades, Joshua Moreno created the fifth major American Mafia family only a few years ago. His father, Marcus Marsollo—known as the West Coast Conqueror for how many bases he established in his reign—led the Marsollo family for several years.
Upon his death, the family broke in two, with half of them following Joshua to become Morenos and the other half remaining Marsollos.
The fact that the majority chose to follow Moreno—the youngest boss ofanyfamily—is evidence enough that he is not someone many would want to cross. He has quickly become one of the most feared and respected leaders in the country.
