Roses & Ruin

Chapter 41 (Anthony)

        When we know of an immediate threat our families and mob members are put on lockdown. Our goons or soldiers are out on the streets in real time reporting back to us higher ups. When the heads of the five crime families and Dom, Elio, and Alessandro get involved that means it's gone past serious. That's when something needs to be Handled with a capital H.

I know Dom's orders were to keep the Russian's out of it, but I couldn't help but think of Lexi and how she wouldn't know if she were in danger. What if the Irish know she's going to marry an Italian. She could be a target too.

Enzo never mentioned it so I took it upon myself to privately text her. I know it's risky, but so is her not knowing there's trouble. She deserves to be safe.

        I couldn't give her details because that's business and we aren't meant to disclose that to anyone outside of our circle. Instead I just told her to be careful. I wrote, *Me: Look out for yourself today. Some rocky stuff going on in the background. Don't say you know a thing.*

*Lexi: What's going on?* She bothered asking.

*Me: I can't tell you mob business. I just wanted you aware if that makes any sense. Just take care of yourself, Lex, alright?*

It took her a couple minutes to text me back, but I quickly glanced at it while all of us guys were getting up to exit this meeting. *Lexi: You be careful too. Whatever that means.*

        "Benny, do a sweep outside" I heard Dom order one of our goons. With this many prominent members we don't wanna walk outside to a driveby or something. It's happened before. Benny grabbed for his gun and disappeared out there with another guy. Two minutes later the door was opening and we were given the all clear.

"Everybody checks their territory and reports back to me" was Dom's last order before we all parted. What he means is that each capo or head of the five crime families have their own 'territory' they run.

Of course the De Luca's own all of it in the grand scheme of things, but it's ours to take care of, to run the streets of, to do business at. Our guys, our neighborhoods. Everybody will know your crime family.

        If I had to guess, De Luca's and Rizzo's have the most to worry about. Because Dom gutted Conry O Riley and because Giana ended her engagement and then fucked Dom in front of a tied up Conry. Liam won't forget it. He wants revenge and he's a young ambitious guy on the rise to power. 

Those are the worst kind. They're less predictable and more likely to do something chancy. They feel they have something to prove.

        For that reason Enzo asked where Alessandro put his sister and he wanted to go check for himself that she was okay. I'm sure she's shaken. She has her and the baby's life to worry about. She's about ready to pop. Not an ideal time to give birth.

I followed Enzo out and we took the same car out to the address Alessandro gave us. We've got guarded safehouses all over. She was at one of them. On the drive over I decided to look at Enzo and say what had been on my mind since the start of this.

        "Hey man, you think you should've told your wife about this? If the Irish know you made a deal to marry a Russian, to be a future Mrs. Rizzo, wouldn't she be a target?" I asked him. He bit the inside of his cheek to think about it. "Fuck" was all he said.

"Call Dom, ask what he thinks of it" he told me. I didn't wanna be the one to call, but Enzo was the one driving. "Yeah, alright" I told him.

When I dialed, the phone only rang twice before he quickly picked it up. I told him exactly what I told Enzo. Dom muttered something to whoever he was with before answering me.