“You look like shit, Nova,” Aldo finally said. “Have you shaved in the past three days?”
“I—” Nova arched an eyebrow and had to admit, “No, Don, I haven’t.”
“Okay, Carlo, call Gino. Have him go to Frankie’s place. Pick up Nova’s shit—his shaving kit, a fucking toothbrush, and some cologne. Make sure he gets Nova’s best suit. The Versace with the shoes to match. Black shirt. Gold tie. I want it to be gold. If he doesn’t have one—”
“I have one.” Nova kept his arms folded rather than betray his nerves. “It’s in my closet. My shit’s on the right side. Tell him not to fuck with Tino’s stuff on the left. He gets weird about that.”
“Don—” Monte whispered.
“It’s temporary,” the don assured him. “No one has more to lose than Nova. It’s his brother. If he fucks up, it’s on him. Let him cut his teeth.”
“You’re replacing me with this bastardo?” Monte asked him in disbelief.
“Like he said, it’s temporary,” the don repeated calmly. Then he turned around and knocked on the window until it went down. “Call the other car. Nova’s taking my spot.”
For one brief moment, the driver, Rocco, looked shocked, considering the don had held the commission seat since he was capo bastone to his father. Then Rocco called the other car and worked on finding a place to pull off.
“If we’re at war, it’s time to start acting like it,” Aldo decided for all of them. “Monte, you go with Nova. Be a mature voice for him. This isn’t a bad thing. Hard blood is always good. Change is good too.” The don reached out and patted Monte’s cheek when the car stopped. “It’s okay.” Then he leaned over and kissed Nova’s cheek. “Call me after.”
Nova nodded. “Have fun in the Hamptons.”
“I think I can get used to this war merda.” The don grinned as he opened the car door. Three soldiers stood there waiting for him like human shields. When Carlo tried to slide out after him, the don pointed to Nova. “Get him a fucking cup of coffee before the meeting.”
“Yeah, okay.” Carlo moved back in because it had obviously been automatic to follow the don, but he was the commission enforcer for the Moretti Borgata. He was supposed to be there too. “Be safe, old man.”
“Old man, my ass. I’m gonna be happy to get rid of you.” The don was smiling as he said it. “Always a smart-ass. Like your ma. She was a smart-ass too.”
Carlo smiled. “Probably why you liked her.”
“I like girls who bite,” the don agreed and held up his hands to the limo. “Look at this. A real Moretti administration. We’ll put some life in the commission. Shake things up a little. How fucking Sicilian is that?”
“Really fucking Sicilian.” Monte sighed when the don closed the door. Then he glared at Nova and said, “I hope you’re happy, you little shit.”
“No, I’m not happy.” Nova finally unfolded his arms and ran a hand through his hair. “Not yet.” Then he turned back to Monte and glared. “But the next time you speak to me, you call me Zu, motherfucker. You make me seem weak at this meeting, and we’re gonna have a fucking issue. So you better get over your shit right now.”
Monte snorted. “You think you’re tough?”
“Yeah,” Nova said sardonically. “I think I’m tough.” And then, just because he was feeling frantic and miserable over Tino, he decided to channel his father’s sadistic side. “I wanna hear you say it. I think we should practice.”
“You’re gonna make me say it?” Monte asked him incredulously. “You steal my title, and then you’re gonna make me say it?”
Nova looked at the roof of the limo for a second and then nodded. “Yes, I’m gonna make you say it.”
“You can’t make me say it.” Monte laughed in disbelief. “No fucking way.”
Carlo pushed his jacket back, showing off the gun in his holster as he glared at his cousin. “I can make you say it.”
“You protect the administration,” Monte reminded him.
Carlo just raised his eyebrows. “Yes, I do.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Nova stopped brushing his teeth and spit again, fighting to stay alert enough to pull this off. Someone on this commission knew where Tino was. They wouldn’t have called the meeting without someone coming forward to say they knew something. All the families were getting nervous with the raids.
Nova had single-handedly wrecked ten marriages since yesterday, and he should probably feel really fucking bad about it. Considering those bitches had been paying to rent his brother, it gave him a sick sort of thrill instead. That sadistic side his father had gifted him with was going full throttle. He made sure everyone knew why he was ripping apart houses, which was something Tino might not appreciate if they got him out alive.
But Nova didn’t consider this shit Tino’s sins.
It wasn’t something his brother should be ashamed of.
He considered it the Brambinos’ sins.