I swallowed the giant knot of guilt in my throat. “To die?”
Frank smiled sadly. “For you to live.”
We didn’t rush as the bosses all shook hands and made arrangements with each other. Numb, I watched as each boss kissed Tex’s right hand. We’d done the right thing. In the end, order had been restored.
At the cost of Luca’s life.
CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE
Maybe, just maybe, the ending isn’t all bad. Which isn’t to say it’s happy… but perhaps not being bad is all we’re given.
Tex
SHOCK COURSED THROUGH me as I rode home with Mo. She gripped my hand and said nothing. It terrified me that she’d witnessed that side of me, yet I was comforted that she was alive, breathing, okay.
We all decided to let the associates go back to the hotel while the bosses met. It was only four now. It should have been five.
I sent Mil and some of the De Langes to take care of the body, knowing full well that because of their interesting background, they’d be able to keep it on ice while we planned the funeral.
When I walked into the house it was to find Nixon beating the shit out of a wall.
Chase pushed Nixon towards a chair and yelled. “Calm down, man.”
Nixon pushed Chase away and jerked out the chair, sitting in it and crossing his arms.
Sergio and Phoenix were discussing amongst themselves, Frank stood near the kitchen.
“Enough,” I said softly.
All eyes fell to me. Mo squeezed my hand and walked down the hall.
“That was your plan all along,” Nixon whispered. “Why?”
“It was my fault,” Phoenix said. “Luca, Frank, and I… we knew that Tex had to make a stand, we knew it had to be in front of the entire family.” His shoulders slumped. “Luca wanted to use words. Sergio slipped me an invitation to Alfonso and his men. They thought they were coming to The Commission to celebrate gaining control of The Family—officially.”
Sergio groaned. “Actually…” He coughed and looked around. “Luca knew talking wouldn’t work.”
“What?” Phoenix hissed.
With a curse, Sergio slumped into one of the chairs and spoke in a wooden voice. “He knew Phoenix needed to prove himself again, in order to gain back the self-respect he lost. He knew you—” Sergio glanced quickly at Phoenix. “Knew that you wouldn’t like the idea of Tex walking into a room only to most likely be shot… along with the rest of the Family. Luca discovered that Alfonso meant to make an example out of Nixon, Chase, the wives, Frank…” His voice broke. “So he gave Phoenix the choice, do the job you’ve been told, or make the call, only the call a boss could make.”
Phoenix paled. “But, what if I hadn’t told Tex?”
“Then we wouldn’t be here,” Sergio said quietly. “He trusted that in the end you’d do the right thing, redeem yourself, find your soul, and finally find peace. He knew it was a risk, he knew he may die in the process, knew that we’d all die if Tex didn’t do something. He knew you, Phoenix, better than you knew yourself.”
Nixon exhaled loudly and leaned back in his chair. “Why not tell us?”
“If things ended badly,” I said finally. “It would get traced to everyone but you…” I swallowed. “The Abandonatos are the most powerful family in America, we needed you guys clean, alive, and in the dark.”
“You shouldn’t have made that call,” Chase said.
“We did what was best,” Frank said. “You’re family has taken the brunt of things for the past twenty years, it was time we protected you, it was time to do the right thing.”
Shaking, I finally sat down. “What happens now, do I move back to Sicily, run the Family from here, make a second in command?” I groaned. “Marry into the Nicolasi family still?”
Frank hesitated briefly before drumming his fingers across the table. “Well, that all depends…”
“On what?” I barked, my patience was officially gone.
“On Phoenix.”
All eyes turned to Phoenix, his eyebrows knit together in confusion. “What do you mean, it depends on me?”
Frank stood, with shaking hands he pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and read. “On the terms of my last will and testament, I leave all of my earthly possessions, listed in detail within my will, to Phoenix De Lange.”
My mouth dropped open as Phoenix made a noise that sounded a hell of a lot like a whimper.
“I understand that The Nicolasi family will be in need of a leader, I also understand that in rare times it is allowed to choose someone who is not blood, someone who has within them the heart of a warrior, the loyalty of a true family member. Blood does not always win. After all blood is a part of the human heart, and I deem this heart ready to lead. I name the next boss of the Nicolasi family: Phoenix De Lange.”
Frank set down the paper and wiped his face with a cloth. “So, as I said, I guess it all depends on, Phoenix, what will be your first act as Boss?”
Phoenix had grown so quiet I was afraid he’d died of a heart attack, or at least shock.
His face had gone completely pale. “But I’m not his son, I’m not—”
“You were more his son…” Frank’s voice shook. “Than you will ever know.”
“I…” Phoenix’s voice cracked. “I need… some time.”
“And a drink.” Nixon exhaled loudly and knocked on the table. “Someone get him a drink.”