Giuseppi rose and turned to Val, who also stood. He took Val’s hand, where the ring sat heavy on his finger. “You will do the things our family needs for you to do.”
Valentino inclined his head. Giuseppi turned to the man at his right, the one who had been there since he’d been a boy. Giuseppi took the man’s face between his hands and kissed each cheek and then slowly turned and walked from the room without a backward glance.
There was a long, heavy silence. Valentino allowed the silence to stretch out after the double doors had swung shut with a thud. He surveyed the faces looking up at him from around the very large oval table. The Saldi territory was extremely large. He had deliberately, long before he took over, cultivated men he was certain he could count on. Those Dario had placed in strategic positions in case the ones they suspect of being traitors had already conspired to assassinate him.
Twice he saw Parisi glance toward one of the capos to his left, an older man by the name of Pius Banetti. He didn’t make the mistake of looking at the man, but he also had been a friend of Giuseppi for years. Bernado had flagged him as suspicious simply because unexplained money had begun to show up in his account two years earlier. Small sums that had begun to increase monthly. Crews made their own money, but it was always accounted for. That money was not explained, nor could Bernado find a source from any of the businesses Banetti and his soldiers ran or were responsible for.
“First, before we get onto anything else, I want you to know what I expect of you. It will be business as usual. There will be no slowing down. I will expect reports from each of you, and regular payments. Anyone already behind has one week to catch up or you will present yourself to me when called on. Hopefully, you will bring the missing cash at that time with an explanation.” He let the threat hang for a moment. He already had a vicious reputation. He didn’t need to lay details out for anyone.
“Know that my people have been paying attention to the books and scrutinizing each business. There have been too many shortfalls lately. My mother was ill, and my father wasn’t paying as much attention as he could have been. His friends, ones he took care of for years, took advantage. I see this and it angers me. Any who have cheated him during this time of his mourning, when they should have been supporting him, had better bring to me what is owed.”
He kept his tone soft. There was no need to raise his voice. His word was law. He had cultivated his reputation over the last few years, working at Giuseppi’s side, doing the dirty work, showing no mercy, his features blank, eyes dead. That reputation stood him in good stead now. The capos, old and young, exchanged nervous looks or stared into their espresso cups.
“The Saldi family does not sell children. We have made that very clear to everyone in our territories. We do not tolerate the selling of children in our streets. We don’t take them from their parents and sell them. Any who have profited from this business is a traitor to us and will be considered so. You will be hunted, dealt with, and so will your families. Every single one of you swore an oath to my father. To the Saldi name. To me. You knew the rules of our business and understood them clearly.”
A ripple of unease went through the room at the reminder of not only what the betrayer would suffer but also the families of the betrayer. Out of the corner of his eye, Valentino caught the blur of movement as Alceu Regio, a longtime capo with Giuseppi, went for his gun. He was seated to the left, where they had placed the capos they were the most suspicious of. These were the ones who had frequented Miceli’s strip bars. They had been friends with both Giuseppi and Miceli, and friends with Parisi. The men had either gone to school together or lived in the neighborhood growing up.
Dario had deliberately seated those capos in between the men he trusted the most. He had done so carefully, just as a precaution, an added insurance, if in the event that he couldn’t get to anyone making an attempt on Valentino’s life, or one of the Ferraros couldn’t, those capos they trusted could.
Before Regio could pull his weapon, he was dragged from his chair by the two capos seated on either side of him, two of the men Val and Dario had cultivated over the last two years and had recommended to Giuseppi to be brought into the family as young capos. They had Regio stripped of all weapons and his hands bound with zip ties. He was escorted to the far side of the room.