Chapter 39

39

Luca

"You want to do what?" I scowl at Michael. He lounges deeper into his chair behind the massive desk in his study. My oldest brother is every inch the Don of the Cosa Nostra as he places his elbows on the table and touches the tips of his fingers together.

"This shouldn't come as a shock to you, Luca. After all, we have been talking about legitimizing our businesses for some time now," he replies.

"So, we become like the pigs and the politicians who pretend to be on the right side of the law but take bribes on the side and grant contracts only to those who'll offer them kickbacks. At least, in our line of work, we make no bones about where we stand."

"I understand your anger." Michael fixes me with a steady gaze. "Of all of us, you are the most committed to the Cosa Nostra 's way of life. It's in your blood?—"

"And yours." I cross my arms across my chest. "You were groomed to become Don of the Cosa Nostra . This is what you always wanted. And now, when you have it, you're ready to leave it all behind? Have you thought about what your identity is going to be once you legalize the businesses? Once you are no longer known for the power and influence you wield... Once you become a member of the normal populace, all you will be is a man?—"

"And a husband and a father." His gaze softens. "Now that you're married, I'm sure you understand that my family comes first. I will not endanger their lives by becoming the target of our rivals. I will not risk painting a target on my back when I know they need me. I want to see my children grow up. I want to grow old with Karma. Surely, you understand that?"

"All I understand is that you're a coward. You're ready to give up the legacy that you were born into, that all of us strove for so long to nurture. You're ready to leave behind everything that we've built this far. You'll never be happy when you give up your title and your power, Don."

"Are you talking about me or you? Are you worried about what your identity is going to be when you are no longer the Capo ? Or maybe it's something else entirely?" He tilts his head. "Maybe you're frustrated about your decision to get married. Maybe you decided to rush your wedding and are regretting it already. Maybe?—"

I close the distance between us and slam my fist on his desk with so much force that the wood cracks. Pens and papers roll off. A glass of water crashes to the floor and shatters.

Silence blankets the room. Behind me, I sense my other brothers stiffen. The tension in the suddenly tiny space ratchets up.

"You've been through a lot in the last few days, so I'll forgive you this indiscretion." Michael's voice is nonchalant. "Nothing you say or do is going to change my mind in this regard. We will legitimize our businesses. I will move from being the Don to the Chairman of our new group of companies. You will learn to be CEO instead of Capo . As will your brothers."

I straighten, then spin around and glare at my brothers. "So that's it? All of you are on board with Michael's plan? None of you want to even discuss an alternative to this?"

Christian narrows his gaze. "I've been wanting to go legit since Xander's death. His dying could have been avoided if we'd been in a legitimate corporate business instead of the Cosa Nostra ."

"If you think our father would have held back from rigging that bomb if we'd been in the business world, you're delusional," I say through gritted teeth. "He would have simply transferred his murderous instincts to the corporate arena."

Christian winces. "You're right. And you're only confirming what Michael said. There's not much difference between the world of organized crime and that of any cut-throat business. Guess we'll do well there, too."

I dig my fingers into my hair and tug. Goddamn it, this is a losing fight. It's me against all of my brothers. None of them seem the least bit upset about leaving the world of the Cosa Nostra behind. None of them realize we're shedding our heritage, our history, a way of life propagated by our ancestors. I've never seen myself as a traditionalist. But I spent my entire life training to be in a position of power within the Cosa Nostra . And now, when I'm Capo , Michael decides to pull the rug out from under me?

"What about you, Massimo?" I scowl at the one man whom I can depend on to give an impartial response. He and Adrian are the most level-headed among us. They're the ones I turn to for back up. The ones who I can expect to have my back, no matter what kind of battle I go into guns blazing, a particular tendency of mine. I shoot first, ask questions later. And with Massimo and Adrian behind me, I can always count on them to smooth over any problems that arise from my hotheadedness. I'm never going to change what I am at my core, but I'm sensible enough to put checks and balances in place to stop me from going overboard; and those checks and balances take the shape of Massimo and Adrian.

"Massimo?" I widen my stance. "What's your take?"

Massimo straightens from where he's leaning against the door frame. He flicks his gaze to Michael, then back at me. "You're putting me on the spot, fratello, " he chides me.

"But you'll speak your mind, as always," I state with confidence.

He rubs his jaw. "Michael has a point here. While we're the Cosa Nostra , well known and feared around the world, our influence has been dipping in recent times. Thanks, largely, to our asshole father."

The rest of my brothers nod. I don't disagree with him, either, so far.

"Michael's idea of reinventing ourselves by moving our assets into the corporate world and legitimizing our businesses is solid."

I open my mouth to speak, but he holds up his hand. "Let me finish. The talents we have honed being Mafioso will come in handy when we swim with corporate sharks. After all, board games are no less than games we play in the battlefield. As Sun Tzu said, to subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill. And skill is what we have in boatloads. I specialize in finance. Christian is a lawyer. Axel's background as a cop means he knows how to navigate bureaucracy and red tape."

Axel winces. "Thanks, ol' chap."

"You're impulsive and lead with your gut, and normally, your instincts are right. So, you'll make a great CEO—able to take risks when no one else can. Adrian comes across as quiet, but put him in a room full of opponents, and he'll defeat them at their own game. As for Michael?" He jerks his chin in the direction of the Don. "His strength is being able to command respect. He's proved himself to be a visionary over and over again, exactly what a chairman's role is. To watch out for the long game and be strategic in how we get to it."

"So, you're with Michael on this plan?"

He pushes away from the door and walks toward me. "Think about it, brother." He pauses in front of me and grips my shoulder. "It's one way to ensure the longevity of our lives. We've taken a lot of risks and managed to survive this far. But Xander's death was a wakeup call. None of us want to go before our time. By legitimizing, we're moving into less murky waters. The corporate world is not dissimilar to the field we play in. Once we learn the rules, we'll beat them at their own game. And we increase our chances of going back to our families in the evening."

"Not even married, and you talk as if your balls have been chopped off and placed in your hands."

His features tighten. "This is the right thing. When you cool off and think about the situation with a rational mind, I'm sure you'll agree."

"What else can I expect from a man who doesn't have the balls to consider an arranged marriage with the Camorra princess for the sake of the family?"

"The two are completely different," he growls.

"How is that? Michael wants me to agree to a plan that benefits all of us. Yet when he asks the same of you, you're resistant."

"That's personal," he snaps.

"So is this. Very personal," I retort.

The two of us glare at each other. Then Massimo takes a step forward until his chest brushes mine. "You have something else to say, fratello ?"

I hold his gaze. Take in his flushed face, the pulse beating at his temple. Then I raise a shoulder. "Nah, I think I'm done here."

I brush past him, making sure to slam into his shoulder as I pass him. A growl rumbles up his throat. He turns, but doesn't follow me as I walk to the door.

"It's been intense, and unexpected, and not wholly pleasant. I need to figure things out. Meanwhile, I'll be spending time getting to know my new bride better."

I reach the door when… "Luca," Michael calls out. "One more thing."

I pause, then glance at him over my shoulder. "Haven't we said everything already?"

His features soften. "Congratulations. I know it couldn't have been easy for you, but I'm glad you respected Nonna's wishes by getting married."

"I didn't marry out of respect for Nonna, but because I wanted to, and unlike the rest of you married folk, I don't plan to be pussy-whipped anytime soon." Whoa, didn't expect for that to come out like that. That first part is a lie, but somehow, it doesn't feel that way, which is strange. Time to figure this out later.

As I turn to leave, I hear Seb snicker. "Poor man, he has no idea, does he?"