Chapter 2 - Three Rules of Steel
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Three days later, the locked room was closed once again. This time, the man standing before the council was Silvio Reneri, a veteran captain who had controlled the lucrative territory of Bensonhurst for over two decades.
Silvio stood with his arms crossed, an arrogant smirk on his face, believing he was merely receiving a routine reprimand.
"Where were you last Tuesday afternoon, Silvio?" Enzo asked from the head of the table.
"Bay Ridge," Silvio answered smoothly, chuckling. "Just checking on a flower shop owner. A widow. She was six months behind on her protection payments and kept begging for more time. I had to remind her how business works."
"Did reminding her require smashing her display window in front of her customers?" Enzo’s voice was disturbingly flat.
Silvio’s smirk vanished. "She needed a lesson, Enzo. People are starting to think they can disrespect the Marquetti name."
"She is raising three children alone," Enzo said, leaning forward. "The morning after you broke her glass, she brought a hand-woven bouquet to our front gate with a note apologizing for causing you trouble. She was terrified."
"So what?" Silvio scoffed. "She paid her debt!"
Enzo slowly removed the brass compass from his pocket and placed it on the table.
Click.
"When I took my father’s seat, I established three fundamental rules," Enzo stated quietly. "Don't touch women. Don't touch children. And don't touch anyone whose work is saving lives."
The captains around the table remained frozen.
"You violated the first rule in broad daylight," Enzo continued. "As of this moment, Bensonhurst is taken from you. Your name is erased from the ledger. You are stripped of your rank."
Silvio’s face paled. "You can't do this! I served your father! I carried you on my shoulders when you were a boy!"
"I remember," Enzo said, his dark eyes unblinking. "Which is why I am allowing you to walk out of this room alive. Tomorrow morning, you will return to that shop and apologize to her."
Silvio turned on his heel and fled the room in disgrace.
The moment the doors slammed shut, Bruno Castellano spoke up, his voice heavy with warning.
"You just cast aside a loyal soldier for a widow selling flowers, Enzo. New York will see this as weakness. When rival families sense weakness, blood flows."
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Enzo picked up his compass, turning it slowly between his fingers.
"I didn't cast Silvio out because of broken glass, Bruno," Enzo said, meeting his uncle's gaze. "I cast him out because he believed our name gave him permission to terrorize the weak. If anyone else in this room shares that belief... the door is wide open."
