Chapter 9
The midnight toast happened at two in the morning.
Late.
Deliberately.
I wanted everyone tired enough to stop performing.
The entire inner Falcone family gathered inside the ballroom.
The black chair sat in the center.
Not hidden now.
Valerie stood on one side.
Nicholas on the other.
Harper was upstairs asleep with Daniel’s wife and two guards.
Children did not need to watch adults argue about power.
I looked around the room.
“Who knew this chair was coming back?”
Three hands.
“Who knew Nicholas planned to sit in it?”
Two remained.
“Who knew my elevator had been redirected?”
None.
Good.
I looked at Valerie.
“This is your coalition.”
Her jaw tightened.
People shifted.
Raymond spoke first.
“I supported a discussion about restoring advice.”
Stephen nodded.
“I supported Nicholas getting more responsibility.”
Another capo said:
“I thought Adrian approved the toast.”
Different agreements.
No shared consent.
Valerie had built apparent unity by hiding disagreements from the people supposedly united.
I turned toward Nicholas.
“You still want the chair?”
He looked at it.
Then at Valerie.
Then at the room.
His ambition had not disappeared.
Good.
I preferred honest ambition to fake repentance.
“Yes.”
Several men inhaled.
Valerie stared.
I almost smiled.
“Good.”
Nicholas frowned.
“Good?”
“Now say why.”
He stood straighter.
“I think you centralize too much.”
Fair.
“You trust Daniel more than family.”
True.
“You cut older captains out before younger ones understand what those relationships are worth.”
Sometimes true.
Better.
This was finally a political disagreement instead of a hotel trick.
I nodded.
“Those are arguments.”
Then pointed at the elevator beyond the ballroom.
“That was cowardice.”
Nicholas looked away.
He knew.
Valerie tried to interrupt.
I stopped her.
“No.”
I looked around the room.
“If Nicholas wants more authority, he argues for it in front of the men who would have to follow him.”
Silence.
“He does not need my daughter frightened, an elevator redirected, or an empty chair filled while I’m trapped downstairs.”
That distinction changed the room.
Not Adrian versus tradition.
Argument versus manipulation.
Several older capos understood.
May you like
Valerie did too.
That was why she looked furious.
