Six Months Contract With The Mafia God

Dimitri’s voice shifted, became something harder and more focused.

”Here’s what I need from you,” Dimitri said. ”First, I need you to continue investigating The Covenant’s presence in Rome. Find out everything. Second, I need you to reach out to your contacts in the Russo family. I need to know if Lorenzo knows about The Covenant’s involvement with Dante. I need to know where his loyalties lie if this becomes an open conflict.”

”Lorenzo’s going to side with whoever he thinks will win,” Enzo said. ”He’s not sentimental about alliances.”

”Then we need to make sure he understands that siding with us is the winning move,” Dimitri said. ”Because if The Covenant succeeds in taking me down, the entire power structure in Italy changes. And Lorenzo’s position becomes vulnerable.”

Enzo understood the calculation immediately.

”You’re going to use the alliance threat,” Enzo said. ”Tell Lorenzo that his daughter’s fate depends on which side he chooses.”

”Not threatened,” Dimitri corrected. ”Explained. Lorenzo is a pragmatist. He understands power and consequence. I just need to remind him that Isabella’s future is tied to this outcome.”

”That’s cold,” Enzo said, though there was no judgment in his voice.

”This entire situation is cold,” Dimitri replied. ”The Covenant is using Dante to dismantle my operations. This is warfare at a level where sentiment doesn’t enter into it.”

Enzo was quiet, processing everything.

”Brother,” Enzo said, ”are you ready for this? For what happens if you come at The Covenant directly?”

”No,” Dimitri said. ”But I’m going to be ready. That’s the difference between winning and losing at this level. The Covenant thinks I’m going to react emotionally to Dante’s resurgence. They think I’m going to focus on him instead of understanding the larger threat. But they made a mistake when they thought I wouldn’t figure it out.”

”And now that you have figured it out?”

”Now I’m going to make them regret every investment they made in Dante,” Dimitri said coldly. ”I’m going to kill Dante. I’m going to trace everything back to The Covenant. And I’m going to make sure that when I’m done, there’s nothing left of their presence in New York or anywhere else.”

Enzo felt a chill move through him at his brother’s certainty.

”Okay,” Enzo said simply. ”I’ll get you what you need. But Dimitri...be careful. These people are not like the families we deal with. They don’t follow the same rules.”

”Then I’ll learn new rules,” Dimitri said. ”Starting now.”

The line went quiet, just the sound of their breathing on either end.

”I’ll call you in forty-eight hours,” Dimitri said finally. ”I want an update on The Covenant’s operations. I want to know every contact Dante has made since he got to Rome. I want to know if there are other proxies they’re backing. I want everything.”

”You’ll have it,” Enzo promised.

”Good. And Enzo?”

”Yeah?”

”Thank you,” Dimitri said. ”For confirming what I was starting to suspect.”

”We’re brothers,” Enzo said simply. ”This is what we do.”

The line went dead.

***

Immediately after dropping the call, Dimitri dialed Mike’s Number.

The call connected on the third ring.

”Yeah?” Mike’s voice came through, alert but not urgent yet. He was probably in his office, probably reviewing operations, probably already thinking three moves ahead the way he always did.

”I need you at the penthouse,” Dimitri said. ”Now. It’s important.”

There was a beat of silence on the line. The kind of pause that came before someone understood the weight of what they were hearing.

”How important?” Mike asked.

”The kind of important where we need to talk face to face,” Dimitri said. ”Not over the phone. Not in a message. In person.”

”Thirty minutes,” Mike said immediately. ”I’m heading there now.”

The line went dead.

Dimitri set down his phone and moved to the window of his office, looking out at Manhattan in the early evening. The city was beginning to shift into night mode, the light changing from gold to purple to something closer to darkness.

***

FORTY MINUTES LATER

Mike arrived exactly as promised, moving through the penthouse like he owned it, which in some ways he did. He’d been here enough times that the staff greeted him without question, that he knew the layout better than most people knew their own homes.

Nonna intercepted him in the hallway.

”Michael! So good to see you!” Nonna said, pulling him into a hug that was part affection, part checking to make sure he was eating enough. ”Dimitri is in his office. Go, go.”

”Hi, Nonna,” Mike said, kissing her cheek. ”How are you?”

”Worried,” Nonna said simply. ”There’s something happening. I can feel it. You take care of Dimitri, okay? You make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.”

”I always do,” Mike said, and headed toward the office.

Dimitri was standing at the window when Mike entered, still looking out at the city. He didn’t turn around immediately, which told Mike everything he needed to know about the weight of whatever was about to be discussed.

”Talk to me,” Mike said, settling into one of the chairs in front of Dimitri’s desk.

Dimitri turned from the window.

”Enzo called me from Rome,” Dimitri said without preamble. ”He found Dante’s physical therapist. The one treating his recovery.”

Mike’s expression shifted slightly. Understanding that this wasn’t casual information.

”And?” Mike prompted.

”And the doctor told him something interesting,” Dimitri said, moving to sit behind his desk. ”Dante’s recovery isn’t normal. It’s not possible through standard physical therapy. The doctor’s initial prognosis was six to eight months for full recovery. But Dante is already walking. Full mobility. Five days ago.”

Mike leaned forward slightly.

”That’s not possible,” Mike said.

”Exactly,” Dimitri confirmed. ”Which is why Enzo dug deeper. The doctor confirmed that something else is happening. Someone else is treating him. The night before Dante started showing dramatic improvement, the doctor saw someone leaving Dante’s estate. Tall, professional, carrying a medical case, moving like someone with military or intelligence training.”

Mike’s face went very still.

”The Covenant,” Mike said flatly.