Page 46 of The Beast Who Broke Me
But all he says is, “Okay. You’re right. But if Big Gee thinks your loyalties have become divided?—”
“If that motherfucker is questioning my loyalty?—”
“Watch your tone,” Seb says immediately. “Anyway, it’s not just you. He’s been making noises about a whole bunch of people lately.” He sighs. “Between you and me, I think he could do with a fucking vacation.”
“I’ll leave it to you to suggest that,” I snort.
Seb is right, though. Recently my work has been focused more internally than externally, and Big Gee’s orders about some of the crews have been…odd. Some of them look genuinely surprised when I show up, and it’s hard for me to lean on them to do better in any particular area.
I always find something, because those are my orders. But it’s a stretch sometimes.
When dinner starts to wind down, I seize the chance. “Listen, I need to get some of my people into protection. We got anyone in Chicago who could help?”
“Depends what they did,” he says. “Chicago’s jumpy about things these days. You might be able to swing something with Sonny Vegas, though. He’s been taking in strays in Sin City. Long as you can pay, of course.”
“Money’s not a problem, and they didn’t do anything. I just need to get them away from the Morellis.”
“Then Sonny’s probably your best bet.” He pauses. “But if they didn’t do anything, why is D’Amato gunning for them?”
“Long story.”
“Make it short.” I hesitate again, and Seb sighs. “You know what’s wrong with this Family right now? Everyone’s being so fucking cagey. No wonder Big Gee’s so jumpy. You got a problem with D’Amato, Orsini, you need to tell me.”
“He’s not as convinced of my good motives toward the Clemenza as you are. So my people have become collateral.”
Seb stares at me. “Wait—your people, as in Rosa and Vito and Sammy?” He looks even more troubled now. “I can’t believe that. D’Amato wouldn’t be dragging innocents into something like this.”
“Or maybe D’Amato ain’t the fuckin’ messiah after all,” I snap, and Seb’s face darkens. “Look, I’m just telling you what I know.”
“Let me ask a few questions.”
He doesn’t believe me. But it begins to occur to me that I might be the one in the wrong, here. Because how doIknow this about D’Amato?
I heard it from a fork-tongued serpent.
“You know what,” I say slowly, “I’d appreciate that. Maybe I got the wrong idea. But be quiet about it, eh?”
He nods. “And I’ll tell Big Gee to take that vacation,” he says with irony. “Maybe there’s hope for the Giulianos after all.”
“You ever wonder how things might’ve been different if you…” I break off at Seb’s look of outrage. “Forget it.”
“You’re fucking right I’ll forget it—and you better, too. If I ever hear you finish that sentence, I’ll put a bullet between your eyes. Big Gee is the Boss.”
“Yeah, I know. I didn’t mean?—”
“No, you fucking didn’t,” he cuts me off heavily.
With Seb, some topics are just off the table completely. Him being a better leader than his younger half-brother is one of them. And any time he hears something that might suggest it, he’s the first one to squash it, hard. But there are still whispers. I talk to a lot of crews, and today wasn’t the first time someone raised it. They don’t usually ask so direct, but I know what they really mean when they ask after Seb Conti, want to know how he’s doing.
Seb would kill me where I sit if he thought I was suggesting he usurp his brother. But I’m not the only one thinking about it.
It doesn’t matter. Big Gee’s the Boss because he has the name, and Seb doesn’t. What I should be worried about isn’t the internal political bullshit, but the Morellis and the Bratva.
And the Clemenza.
CHAPTER 17
CALIGULA
