Page 2 of Fixate
With those words, my fate was sealed.
CHAPTER 2
Ricardo
When I was broughtinto the Cosa Nostra, I figured they’d train me up to be a bruiser of some kind. I was pretty scrappy for my age, and I had enough anger to fuel me in those times I wasn’t strong enough.
Domenico had other plans though.
He wanted to mold me into his perfect image of a soldier. I trained day and night to be whatever he wanted. Not because I respected the man or anything. It was simply an understanding we had.
He kept me alive, fed, and off the streets.
I did everything he wanted without question.
Besides, growing up in such an environment wasn’t all that bad. Domenico’s son Dante was around from time to time, though he and I weren’t all that close. I knew him well enough, had even hung out a few times when Domenico had business we couldn’t be in on.
We were nothing like best friends or anything. Not like he was with Lloyd, the man some knew as Preacher, Dante’spartner in all things. Those two were inseparable. I’d noticed it the minute I first saw them together.
As time moved on, I also noticed their closeness was more than friendship or brotherhood. It was in the subtle touches; in the way Lloyd couldn’t keep his eyes off Dante anytime he was around. I saw it when Dante always managed to find Lloyd in a room full of his father’s men.
So honestly, it was no surprise when Mr. Romano called me in and declared the two needed separating. “We can’t let this go on. I know what those boys are up to now. It’s time to put a stop to it.”
For my part, I was assigned the task of ushering Dante away. We’d be going overseas for a bit to give him a chance to learn from the old families. Then, once he’d had some time to cool off, we’d be allowed to travel more, though never back home. He couldn’t be allowed anywhere he might run into Lloyd.
Those were Domenico’s demands.
Along with a fucking mile-long list of other shit.
It seemed the farther I got from my boss, the tighter his leash on me became. Over the years, I began to despise him. He spoke to me as if I were still the fourteen-year-old boy he’d spared.
I’d long since grown up. I’d earned my dues. Put in my time.
There was no need for his treatment. I had no claim to power, nor did I want it.
Those in power were always in danger of being taken out. I knew this as well as I knew my own name. Being at the head of the table was a temporary position in this business.
“Ricardo,” Domenico’s voice echoed over the line.
His call meant he had important news. Most of our conversations were via text and the very rare video conference.
“Mr. Romano.” I didn’t need to ask the reason for his call or anything. He’d get straight to the point. There was no fluff in Domenico’s world. Only hard edges, death, and ultimate power.
“I’m calling you first to ensure you coordinate the transition. Dante is coming home. It’s time for those in this city to see his power, to remember I have an heir to continue my work long after I’m gone.”
I nearly snorted at the notion. Dante was nothing like his father. Not in all the ways that mattered.
They might resemble one another; however, their personalities were on opposing sides of the coin. Dante was loyal, fierce, and a champion of the little man. Domenico was brash and violent, striking when he felt the need or simply to humor himself.
There would be no ‘continuing his work’ from Dante. If anything, I suspected the younger Romano would burn the whole fucking thing to the ground if given the chance.
Rather than talk back, I asked him, “When do we leave?”
“Tonight. You’ll pack what you can. The rest can be replaced. I don’t want to give him a chance to run.”
“You think he’ll run?” I was curious where his mind was at. If anything, bringing Dante home was a blessing in the young Romano’s eyes.
He thought I didn’t know about his obsession with getting back to the city. I wasn’t so foolish as to have forgotten how upset he was when we first left.
