Esteban gave his boss’s daughter a warm, almost brotherly smile. “Hello to you, too, miss. Your brother already masters that skill like a pro; he has the precision of a sniper. To answer your earlier question, no, the boss left early this morning and didn’t tell me where. Mason is driving.”
“Oh, I see…” The frown that creased Allegra’s forehead for a few seconds gave way to a playful grin. “Well, then, since there’s only the three of us here, how about some gossip? What’s new and hot around here? Does Chadwick have another girlfriend?” She ruffled her younger brother’s hair. “Or do you have a new boyfriend?”
Esteban cleared his throat. “Um…I think I have something more interesting than that,” he said, noticing the kid’s embarrassment at his sister’s words. “Ottavio Sforza legally adopted and acknowledged his older son, and added the name Galeazzo to his new birth certificate.”
“I don’t understand,” Allegra tapped her chin with her index finger. “Why would he adopt the boy if he already acknowledged him? It doesn’t make any sense. The guy did the same thing twice.”
“With all due respect, Miss, it’s not,” Esteban said politely. “You see, under the Old-World Mafia Laws, a father’sacknowledgment doesn’t remove the stigma of illegitimacy, while adopted children have the same rights as those born of a legitimate union.”
Allegra’s eyes widened in shock as she realized what was happening. “Are you implying that Ottavio intends to appoint the boy as his successor in a few years?”
Esteban nodded. “I’m not insinuating; I know it for sure. Also, it won’t happen in a few years; it’ll happen much sooner. From what I’ve heard, Ottavio plans to make an act of succession and bring it to The Council’s attention in a few weeks, once they all return from vacation.”
“An act of succession? Like a will or something?” Allegra made no effort to hide her interest in the subject. “Does the guy have any serious health problems? If not, what’s the point of making a will at his relatively young age?”
Richard, who by then hadn’t intervened in the discussion, discreetly cleared his throat. “An act of succession is a bit different from a will. It’s essentially a list that outlines the order in which his children would step up as the next head of the family should something happen to him and the firstborn.” The kid blushed. “Esteban taught me.”
Allegra smiled softly. “Of course he did. Who else knows so much about the Old-World Mafia’s rules and cares enough to share them with us?” She turned to the bodyguard, her smile still in place. “By the way, where do you get all this valuable information? Do you have friends in high places we don’t know about?”
Esteban didn’t answer right away. For a moment, he fell silent, his lips pressed together, then swallowed hard a few times. “Five years ago, I started looking for a second, part-time job.” He inhaled sharply. “I’m not getting any younger, and I have to think about the day I won’t be able to work anymore, at least not as much and not as a guard.”
“I… I’m sorry,” Allegra stuttered, offering the man a sympathetic look. “If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know. For example, I can help you find a suitable part-time job if you're still interested.”
“No, thank you, but I found the perfect one five years ago,” Esteban said, offering the woman a grateful smile. “I work the night shift at this library outside the city limits, and on my day off I take a double shift there. It’s a nice, quiet place, and the librarian, Brian Knight, is a walking, talking encyclopedia on all things Mafia.”
“Very interesting…” The frown deepened on Allegra’s forehead. “A library in the middle of nowhere? What’s the point? Who would go all the way outside the city to borrow or read a book, with so many of these places nearby? What’s so special about it?”
“The place itself, the books you can’t find anywhere else, the people who come there in search of answers to all kinds of questions…” Esteban answered in a distant voice, his face dreamy. “And, above all, the librarian, a guy a bit older than me who seems to possess all the wisdom in the universe.”
“So, from what I understand, this mysterious library is an Old-World Mafia hub of sorts, a place where The Council members meet openly to discuss important matters without caring who might overhear them.” Allegra slowly shook her head. “Please excuse my sarcasm, but…”
“It’s all right,” Esteban cut the woman short in a polite, respectful voice. “I’m not very good with words, which is probably why I got the job there.” He swallowed hard a few times. “The head librarian, Brian, also takes night shifts once in a while, and on those nights, his friend Leon comes to keep him company, and together they comment on The Council’s most recent decisions.”
“Leon used to be the right hand of a notable Old-World Mafia boss, Cesare-Eugene Brentano-Fenelli, who led the Fenelli family in Detroit. Rumors have it that he is also the protector of Nicola Della Rovere, the last descendant of one of the ten Grand Families and a member of The Council of The Ten,” Richard felt the need to add.
This time, Allegra didn’t comment; she just filed the information away in a corner of her mind, confident it would soon come in handy.
CHAPTER 18
Ottavio opened his eyes, a smile forming on his lips at the sight of Ivy’s sleeping figure. Last evening and night had been intense in more than one way, and he needed all the rest he could get, he told himself, placing a gentle kiss on his life partner’s temple. Carefully avoiding waking the other, he left the bed and headed to the adjoining bathroom for his morning routine.
Under the shower, Ottavio summarized the last twelve hours. First, Gianluca, Martino’s and Luca’s firstborn, and Miss Eugenie, Baldassare’s and Elyan’s oldest child, decided that a pajama party at Palazzo Sforza with Galen would be a great idea. Of course, Ottavio was happy to give them his blessing, especially when five of the Wisdom Keeper’s children joined.
Then their first tooth arrived, making the triplets restless and whiny for several hours, so neither he nor Ives could go to bed until past midnight. During long conversations with his younger brother and Brian, Ottavio was warned that getting the first teeth wouldn't be easy for him, Ives, or the little ones, but he appreciated that it was all happening at the same time.
When they finally managed to crawl under the covers, Ives was exhausted, but Ivy took charge and was in the mood for sex, and Ottavio couldn’t say no. The quickie quickly turned into a long, slow, tender, and very emotional lovemaking session, exactly what they needed but didn’t realize.
With a weak smile still flickering on his lips, the man dried himself and then put on the clothes he had chosen the night before, just as he had since he was very young, only five or six. Ivy shifted in his sleep, and Ottavio paused, watching him with a worried look. That concern quickly faded, replaced by the earlier smile, as the man on the bed opened his eyes and grinned.
“Mmm, you look so... edible,” Ivy stretched beneath the blanket with feline grace, arms raised above his head. “And you smell good, too.”
“Buon giorno, amore,” Ottavio said with a playful grin. “You’re as hungry as I am, so get up, shower, get dressed, and let’s go downstairs for breakfast on the terrace.”
The man’s words made Ivy pout. “Are you kidding me? With all those kids around, we can’t do anything fun,” he whined.
“Fun?” Ottavio shook his head, still smiling. “What’s funnier than listening to the banter between Gianluca and Miss Eugenie or watching Rosanna act mature in Jeremy’s presence, claiming she’s not a toddler?”
“Of course she’s not a toddler,” Ivy replied, his expression serious, as he left the bed and stepped in front of the other man. "She’s a four- to almost five-year-old little lady who wants to impress the object of her affection.”
