Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“He’s right, Constantine,” the pope said. “The fate of Rome is in the hands of us three.”
I crossed the busy street and approached the outdoor terrace of the restaurant in Palermo, which had stunning views of the sea. At a table placed away from all the other guests, oblivious to who he was, sat Tommaso, putting out his cigar in the crystal ashtray.
When I entered the restaurant, he smirked widely at me but didn’t rise to greet me. “Look who it is . . . Emperor Constantine.”
I moved into the seat across from him, relaxed against the metal back of the chair, and rested one ankle on the opposite knee, the most relaxed I’d ever been in his presence, because he wasn’t my boss anymore.
Technically, I was his boss now. “Con is fine.”
“Wow, so humble.” He smiled, then gestured for the waiter to run over like an obedient dog. “A drink for my friend.”
“An old-fashioned is fine.”
“Right to the good shit,” Tommaso said in approval.
The waiter brought the drink and left. Didn’t ask if we wanted to order, like he knew this was a business meeting.
“So how’s business been?” I asked.
“Same. Bodhi got taken out.”
“Oh damn. What happened?”
“Friendly fire.”
“Who shot him?” I asked, my eyebrow raised.
“A new kid. Had to put him out to pasture. Can’t have a moron like that on the payroll.”
“Yeah.” I would have just fired him, but I wasn’t around to make that decision.
“Look, Con. I’ve already heard about the initiatives you’ve been implementing. The tariffs we have to pay and the rules we have to follow to be compliant with your regime. And I think you know exactly what my stance is on the matter.”
Tommaso had been more than a boss to me, a friend, but that familial comfort between us was displaced by tension. Now we sat on opposite sides of the table, two different players in a deal.
“You know we’re already compliant with your regulations. We’ve never dabbled in the violent shit you’re worried about. You know how much we love pussy, so women have never been our victims.”
“I wouldn’t have worked for you otherwise.”
“Exactly,” he said. “But if you think I’m paying you ten percent, you’ve got another thing coming.”
I smirked. “I knew you’d say that.”
“Then you also know I’m fucking stubborn and I’m not going to change my mind.”
“You know I can’t play favorites.”
“But you should honor loyalty. Con, you were nothing when you showed up in Palermo. Just a mama’s boy who made good arancini in the kitchen of his family’s restaurant. I made you into a man.” He gestured toward me across the table. “This. This is all my doing.”
“A little bit dramatized . . . but okay.”
“And you remember what I did for you with Edric. I could have let you die, but I didn’t.”
“And you already made me pay for that with your ridiculous request to consider marrying your daughter.”
“Well, I still think that’s a small price after what I did for you.”
I released a sigh. “If anyone finds out I’ve given you a free pass, it’ll be hell.”
“Then let’s not tell anyone.”
“I’m sure most people know Cosa Nostra are my roots. Might suspect it.”
“You know how I’m a good liar, Con.” He grabbed his wine and took a drink. “If they can’t follow the money trail with their own eyes, they’ll never know. And if someone becomes suspicious, we’ll do the dance until they look the other way. Sounds good?”
“I have a better idea. I can’t let you focus on your own interests here in Sicily but remain under the Roman Republic. So, you need to contribute, and if you don’t want to do that monetarily, then I have something else for you to do.”
He cocked his head. “I’m listening.”
“A lot of people want me dead, and a lot more people are going to want me dead. My whole world is here in Taormina. My ma, my aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, everyone. Protect them, and I’ll consider that your ten percent.”
He stared me down across the table as he considered what I asked, taking his time processing it. After a minute or two, he finally gave a nod. “I think that’s a fair compromise. We won’t let you down, Con.”
“Thanks, Tommaso.”
“I’ll never forget the way your mother cried at your brother’s funeral. She’s a good woman. And she makes a killer lasagna.”
“She does,” I said proudly.
“No one will touch a hair on her beautiful head. That’s my promise to you, Emperor Constantine.”
Chapter 10
Aurelia
When I watched the news, I saw the coverage of the Pantheon. Constantine and Rocco and their men were never shown, but I could tell it was their doing. Vladimir and his cronies who operated the black market transplant enterprise had been killed, and the others at the facility had been arrested.
A couple weeks ago, this would have freaked me out, but now I accepted it.