Chapter 28

She kept the security system on for her next visitor. For this one her assistant prepared a doppio with a shot of very good scotch. "Hey Johnny." She said as her next visitor came through the door.

"Hey, Stel." He was a tall man, a good build for his height. He wore an expensive dark suit, expensive shoes, an expensive shirt in a dark, stylish color without a tie, and watch that was made to impress. He wore no rings, but then neither did she. And he walked on her carpet out of confidence instead of ignorance. "What's going on?"

"You tell me." She waited until he had his drink in hand. "I had a visitor this morning. Tommy Dong."

"What did that little pissant want?"

"The deal you promised him." She settled back in her chair, her hands around her mug. "We spent twenty years trying to get control of the LA docks away from the Triads and when we finally get the chance you try to piss it away for what?"

Johnny was trying to find an answer in the dark liquid in his mug. "To teach that bastard his place."

"Who?"

"You know who. Jack." He smiled slowly. "And you knew I would, too. That's why you gave me the name of that little faggot he's been fucking. I always knew you were on my side Stel."

"Why Johnny?" She leaned forward, an aggressive move. "What has Jack done to you? You haven't spoken in fifteen years. He's stayed out of our business. Hell, he even helped, if it wasn't for him we wouldn't hold the business in Chicago and Denver we have now."

Johnny was getting restless. "He's a Fed."

"So? He's not bothering us Johnny. Let him chase the chinks and the Cossacks around if it makes him happy."

Johnny slammed his mug down on his desk. "That fucking little pissant bastard doesn't deserve to be happy." He hollered out as he got up and started staling around, screaming curses.

Stella waited until he'd run down enough to let her break in again. "So you got the Asian Boyz involved in our business over something personal."

Johnny stopped and turned on her, hands on his hips. "Yeah. I got the Asian Boyz involved in our business over something personal."

"And risked our position with the Feds."

"Yeah."

"Without telling Poppa."

All of a sudden Johnny looked guilty. "Yeah."

"Because you knew that Poppa has given strict orders that Jack is untouchable."

"Doesn't mean his little faggot boyfriend is. Now every time Jackie looks at him he'll remember."

"Remember what?"

"That he only has until the old man dies." Johnny said. "Which can't happen fast enough."

Stella looked at her older brother in feigned shock. "Are you wishing Poppa dead Johnny?"

"Yeah, I am. How about that, huh? That old cornuto can't get out of my way fast enough."

This time she really was shocked. "Johnny!" You never said that about Luca Diamante. Ever.

"And when he dies and I take over we'll see some changes. The first thing that's going to go is that stain on our family."

"You're going to kill a Fed."

"Yeah. Personally. Watch me." With that Johnny gave her a grin that was less than sane and stormed out.

Stella sat back in her chair.

A few moments later she shut off her security system again. Then she opened the latest file in video editing software. Thankfully it was easy to use.

She had a flight to catch.


"And when he dies and I take over this family we'll see some changes. The first thing that's going to go is that stain on our family."

"You're going to kill a Fed."

"Yeah. Personally. Watch me."

It was 7pm. Stella Diamante was sitting in a very plush meeting room, tucked into the back of a very well-regarded old-school steakhouse in San Francisco. She had just played the tapes of her meeting with Tommy Duong and her brother Johnny for the men assembled. About two-thirds of them were old friends of her father; the remainder were the sons of friends long since gone. These were her father's associates, his trusted allies, his capos. She was here to brief them on the situation down in Los Angeles. Thankfully the only thing she'd had to edit out of the video was the moment where Johnny mentioned that he'd received Spencer Reid's name from her.

After she turned it off there was silence in the room. Then one of them spoke up. "Johnny's gone crazy."

"I know."

"Were you able to do anything?"

"I muddied the waters. The Feds won't be able to connect this hit to us. And I took care of the Asian Boyz. The Feds are clearing out the last of the Black Dragons. We will have control of all shipping on the west coast by Friday."

The men around the table nodded. "You do good work Stel." One of them said.

She smiled and bowed a little. "Thank you, Marty." She knew he was going to say that. And she knew what he was going to say next.

Marty slowly stood and addressed the room. "Which is why I think we need to break with tradition here. I know tradition is sacred, that the family is everything. But we have to face the matter. Luca, god bless his soul, isn't long for this world. Now I personally hope that he lives many years yet, but sooner or later we all go home to God. And when he does we have to ask ourselves, where will our loyalty lie? By tradition his business will go to his eldest boy. But Johnny is insane, getting outsiders into our business, causing trouble with the Feds over this personal vendetta...it's crazy...so I have to ask myself at least, do I place my loyalty with a crazy man? Or do I place my loyalty with someone who has quadrupled our territory in ten years, increased our profits fivefold and made a deal to keep the feds off our back? Even though she is a woman she has proven her careful and responsible leadership time and time again. Which is why I think I must pledge right here and right now, that Stella has my support as leader of this family on the passing of her beloved father." With that Marty came around the table, went down on one knee, and pressed a kiss to the ring Stella had worn to the meeting tonight.

"Marty." She pretended to be shocked, surprised. "I...I don't know what to say. I am honored by this."

"Marty has a point." Another man said, standing. "We can't trust Johnny. We can't support him. No matter what tradition says, Stella here is the best person to lead this family." And he too came around to kiss her ring.

"Thank you. I hope I can continue to deserve this honor. Thank you." She said as another man and another and another stood and came over to her. She looked to be near to tears.

She wasn't. Things were going exactly as planned.

This was why she'd worn her mother's ring to the meeting.


Spencer slowly opened his eyes. He was looking at a very blurry hospital ceiling. And his legs hurt over there somewhere. Okay, so something had happened, but what? Last thing he remembered was going to bed.

All of a sudden Jem's handsome face swam into view. "What happened?" Spencer croaked out.

"You began your transformation to cyborg." Jem replied. "High-tech ceramic knees."

Spencer slowly smiled. "Awesome."