Prelude to Betrayal

After having been backed into a corner, Nico had no options left to him. Thus, he made a radical decision that would ensure his survival. He would be a fool to wait for his death, so he made a choice from which there could be no turning back.

He left his house and hopped into his car. He didn't ask one of his boys to drive him around; what he was about to do had to be kept tightly under wraps. He was already walking on a tightrope as is, and he couldn't afford to make any blunders.

After getting into the driver's seat, he drove toward his destination in an extremely somber mood. In order to make sure that no one was tailing him, he made a lot of detours, then finally left New York City on his way to Jersey.

He parked his car in a public garage, got out, and hopped into another car to throw off any possible pursuers. That just went to show his level of paranoia. And not just that, but also how important the thing he was about to do was.

After driving for another hour or so, he finally arrived at a factory district in lower Jersey City. He parked his car in the alley between two factories and patiently waited. All the while, he couldn't stop his leg from shaking.

A little under ten minutes later, a black sedan entered the alley from the other side and parked exactly ten meters away from Nico's car. He adjusted his seat as his grip on the steering wheel tightened.

A few moments later, the other car flashed its lights twice, then turned them off for a second, and finally flashed them three more times. Seeing the signal, Nico finally breathed a sigh of relief and flashed a signal of his own with the headlights. It was the secret signal that both parties had agreed upon.

Only after both had confirmed each other's identities did they get out of their respective cars. Dark clouds dotted the sky and thunder rumbled from time to time, an indication of an incoming storm.

Nico put his black fedora on and solemnly walked toward the other figure, who was similarly wearing a dark hat and a trench coat. Only when the two of them were just a couple of meters away from each other did they stop.

They intently stared at each other for a long time. But soon, the figure's lips curled up into a mocking smirk. "Imagine my surprise when a Rosetti capo called me."

Nico's eyes narrowed, but he didn't reply. The other person continued, "So, Nico Capputi, did you call me here to simply waste my time?"

"Tony, I'm regretful that I wasn't able to kill you the last time you bastards invaded our territory. But I guess everything worked out for the best, eh?" Nico showed a toothy grin.

Remembering the most recent flare-up in the ongoing war between the Rosettis and the Buccantis and how he had been outsmarted by Nico and nearly lost his life, Tony couldn't help but clench his fists. He glared at Nico and spat, "Bastard, do you have a death wish?"

Nico chuckled, but inwardly he was extremely nervous. He didn't know if Tony had his men surrounding his location. One wrong move could cost him his life. But he had to display a confident front, or else Tony would lead him by the nose.

He looked him deep in the eye and solemnly said, "I have a proposal for you. And if you choose to work with me, we'll both immensely benefit from it."

Tony grinned, "I could just shoot you in the fucking head right now. What's stopping me?"

Nico nervously gulped as a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead. "Power."

Tony's eyes narrowed and he gestured for Nico to continue. Nico, on the other hand, couldn't help but inwardly sneer. He knew Tony very well, and just how greedy the Buccanti capo was for power and control.

And that power and control was exactly what he was going to offer him.

"I'll lure important and up-and-coming members of the Rosetti Family into your ambushes. You can kill them and gain lots of attention. And that's not all—if our partnership progresses further, I'll even divulge key intel about the higher-ups." Nico laid down his cards.

"As I thought," Tony chuckled evilly. "You really are betraying the Rosettis."

Nico stayed silent and looked at Tony with a deadpan expression, waiting for his reply.

After thinking things over for a few moments, the Buccanti capo asked, "And what do you want out of it?"

Taking a deep breath, Nico replied, "Once the war between both families ends and the Rosettis are destroyed, I want the Buccanti family to take me in as a capo."

Tony stared into Nico's eyes for a long time. In the end, he nodded. "Very well. This is good enough for the family to accept you. I'll relay this information to the bosses."

Nico heaved a sigh of relief, feeling as if a heavy weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. He walked toward Tony and stretched his hand out for a handshake. Tony looked at him, then at his hand, but in the end, he firmly shook it.

"Still as sly as ever, eh Nico? Welcome to the family." Tony grinned on the surface. However, inwardly he thought, 'You think the family will ever accept a snake like you? As soon as you've outlived your usefulness, I'll personally blow your brains out.'

Nico, on the other hand, smiled brightly and replied, "Here's to a great partnership." But inwardly he sneered, 'Hehe, you little bastard. You think I don't know what you're thinking?'

He had long since thought of the possibility of the Buccantis killing a traitor like him as soon as he'd served his purpose. But he had also thought of a countermeasure for that. He just needed to play his cards right, and he would be the one to come out on top when the dust settled.

Both capos looked at each other with friendly smiles, but each of them were thinking about killing the other. After talking about the rest of their partnership in detail, they separated and each went their own way.

Just as Nico was about to start his car, his phone rang. He took out his phone and his eyes narrowed when he saw the person who was calling him.

"Why the fuck is this bastard calling me now?" Nico muttered in disdain. The one who was calling him was none other than the consigliere of the Rosetti family, Marcel Aubert.

Nico hesitated for a few moments, then finally picked up the call. "Yes, boss?" A few moments later, his eyes suddenly narrowed after hearing the underboss out. "…I see, boss…. Don't worry, it'll be done."

After he hung up the call, he mumbled, "So, the higher-ups didn't blame me for the Cosmopolitan mishap?" He looked ahead and saw Tony's departing car. "So what the fuck did I meet him for?"

He was dazed for a long time. Suddenly the corner of his lips curled up into a sly grin and a cunning gleam flashed in his eyes. "No… this is good. I can use it to my advantage."