Not sure if this applies directly to the Tom-Vito relationship, but...
In real life, I'm pretty sure the consigliere would never be giving orders. That seems to be the Underboss's job. On Mafia position charts ive seen, the consigliere always branches off directly from the boss and has no one under him, as if he is a seperate entity from the family, and only a counsler to the Don.
The Don may have had Luca report to him directly out of tradition, or because Tom hadn't formally been made consigliere yet. Or he may have suspected that Luca wouldn't take orders from Tom (in the novel, he describes Luca as "a natural force, like lightning").
This quote incited me to think that maybe Tom would be giving orders to Luca whether he was official consigliere or not. correct if im wrong here.
