Page 79 of The Brigadier

Which could mean the attempted assassinations had been planned for a long time. That certainly didn’t make me feel any more comfortable.

Luciano was a formal man, completely from the old school. He’d had Raphaella when he was older, the girl’s mother his second and much younger wife. I couldn’t care less. He seemed fit, eager to talk with us, and likely the kind of man who preferred keeping the shock and awe of a conversation until the very end.

Vadim and I stood back, waiting as our brother took the lead.

While I loathed wasting time, it was fine as long as he had something useful.

“Aleksander,” Luciano said as he stood, his accent thick.

They clasped hands before Luciano pulled him into a bear hug. The man had four soldiers with him, likely more shifting between the front and the back of the restaurant. The drivers remained behind, but I had both Danny and Maxim with me. Both seemed amused at the exchange. Russians weren’t usually so hospitable.

No, we were considered barbarians, which always made the three of us laugh.

Given his status and the fact he had information to offer, we allowed him to take some time greeting Aleks. “La vita e l’amore sono stati buoni con te.”

I leaned over, whispered in Vadim’s ear, “Life and love have been good to you.”

And in truth it had. I’d never seen Aleks so happy.

“Mmmm… Yes.” Vadim didn’t seem that impressed. As required, Aleks made a response.

“Ottsovstvo, vino i khoroshiye druz’ya sokhranili tebe molodost’.”

Fatherhood, wine, and good friends have kept you young.

Luciano burst into laughter. “You train your men well, Vadim. A true delight. Please, sit down and we will break bread, further solidifying our strong alliance.”

The table was meant for five, which allowed us some room. Two waiters appeared within seconds and offered drinks, chips and pouring cold water.

“Well, the three of us have been friends for a long time,” Vadim said as he made himself comfortable, taking the menu even though we hadn’t come for the food.

Luciano already had a drink in front of him. He folded his hands and leaned forward. “Friendship, sadly often like family, provides far too many targets and chances for betrayal. I know that better than most men.” He lifted his arm to the point he could. It had almost been severed by a man he’d grown up with in Sicily, bringing him here and becoming his second in command. Luciano had been completely caught off guard, millions stolen from under his nose. He’d almost lost his arm completely. As of now, he had limited usage.

“Duly noted, Don Bernardi,” Vadim said. Showing respect was good business. “We are careful.”

He glanced at the door leading to the main part of the restaurant. “When drinks arrive, we will talk. Dante, make certain we are not interrupted until we’re ready to order.”

“Yes, sir.”

The drinks arrived seconds later. Luciano lifted his glass. “To a continued powerful alliance. In the face of adversity, even an oldman has realized having additional ruthless associates can be very beneficial.”

“Agreed,” Vadim said. “And to our continued business acumen.”

We toasted, clicking glasses and I still felt uncomfortable. There was no real reason why other than perhaps what the man had said earlier. Trust was difficult in our world. The single time you laid your guard down, you could easily get fucked.

“Now, not to push things but what do you have? You heard about our attacks.” Vadim always liked to be direct and to the point. All three of us did.

Luciano grinned. “I assure you on the same day, there was a similar attempt at my house in the Hamptons. Oddly enough, my wife and I weren’t there. We had talked about going.”

That was odd. “Had you changed your mind?” I asked.

“No. It was discussed a couple months ago but with everything going on, I didn’t feel it prudent to leave the city. There’s too much at stake.”

“What do you hear in your grapevine?” Aleksander piped in. At least he had a very good rapport at this point with his father-in-law, which always hadn’t been the case.

Luciano seemed reflective, taking another sip of his drink. “That what we’re dealing with are the Italians. Giovanni Rossi is old school but younger, his father more brutal than mine. He’s expected to take over this year, a demand made from what I understand. If he makes headway, then he will have not only his father’s blessings but the man’s entire business empire. Including his diamond trading business.”

We’d heard rumors but nothing more. “Where?”