“Mostly, yes. But you’re not even working on the most important part.”
“Which is what exactly?”
“Well, for starters, you need to settle down.”
“We’re on this shit again, Dad? Not happening. Next.” I groan again. “It’s not like I’m old. I still have plenty of time to start a family.”
“Enzo, you need to get married and produce an heir. But most importantly, your mother wants grandbabies. Luckily for you, tonight at the party, you’ll be introduced to some potential matches,” he tells me nonchalantly. He’s calm, but I explode. I can’t believe he’d want to force that shit on me, as though I already have one foot in the grave. Then again, in my line of work, that may actually be true. The grave is a possibility at any given moment. But still, I’m not letting this go.
“I’m only thirty for fuck’s sake! I can find a wife and have a kid later in life. Not now!”
“You will do as you’re told and be nice tonight when you talk to your potential lady, or so help me God, I will chain you up in the fucking basement and beat you myself, until you catch some sense!” he yells at me, finally losing his patience.
Ugh! I know the man would do it too. My father has never ill-treated me. He’s always shown me respect and love. Well, heloves me as much as a Mafia Don could love anything without showing weakness.
I have the same respect for him, so we’ve always had an easy sort of relationship. Though he wouldn’t hesitate to fuck me up if I ever earned it, and I’d do nothing but take it. That doesn’t mean I haven’t thought of shooting his ass a time or two.
“Get those damn kill lights out of your eyes,” he tells me, smirking like he knows exactly what I’m thinking about.
“Fine, Father, you win! I’ll entertain the hussies at your damn party tonight,” I grumble.
“Hey, just because your ma is set on having some grandkids around doesn’t mean I don’t want them too. But just so you know, it was your lovely mother who came up with the idea for you to mingle at the party.” He laughs. When my mother gets one of her hair-brained ideas, nothing will stop her from seeing it through.
“Tell that betrayer I don’t love her anymore,” I grumble.
“I’m not breaking my wife’s heart. You tell her yourself and face the consequences of that.”
“You guys’ suck!” I mumble, and he chuckles.
“Well, I’ll see you later at the party,” he says before getting up and walking out of my office. “Oh, and your mother left a tux in your old room, so make sure you get there a little early.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.”
I love my parents and all, but what the fuck would I even do with a wife and child? I haven’t even found a woman that I can see myself spending the rest of my life with.
“Are you okay?” Nadia asks when she walks back into my office. I thought she had left already.
“Something came up. I’m going to have to take a rain check.”
“Uh, are you sure?” she questions, disappointedly, pouting because she didn’t get her way.
“Yes,” I tell her, not budging. She eventually takes the hint and leaves.
CHAPTER 3
ENZO
Once Nadia’s gone, I turn my chair around and stare out at the view once more. Some days really are more exhausting than others. There’s absolutely no way I can skip tonight’s party since Ma sent my dad over to remind me. I’m going to have to search—well, pretend to search—for a wife, and I’m not happy about it one bit!
I can’t believe my parents have resorted to underhanded tactics. Using this party as a way of setting me up with someone, in the hopes that we’ll hit it off and then ride into the sunset to produce an heir for them, is such a ludicrous idea. I shudder just thinking about kids.
I wish the two of them would stay out of my shit and stop meddling in my life, especially when it comes to things like this. With the way they're acting, you’d think that I was out of my prime. I want to wait, do it on my own time.I don’t know what is so wrong with that.
Just thinking about this shit gives me a headache and kind of makes me want to murder my father for meddling in my life. He’s lucky I really do love his stupid ass. Plus, if I wasn’t afraid my mother would skin me alive for killing her husband, I’d have done it already.
Ma is as sweet as a pie on any given day, but lord, that lady has a temper when she’s pissed off. I don’t want to end up on the wrong side of that temper if I kill my father. Or maybe I should just do it and say it was an accident. I mean, she can’t kill me because of an accident, right? She’d most likely never let me hear the end of it, though. She’ll badger me to death about my mistake until I want to kill myself, too, just so I won’t have to listen to her. So, for the sake of my peace, my father gets to live another day.
I let out a sigh and turn back around to my computer to finish what I can while I’m still here. I only manage to get about two hours of work done when I’m interrupted again, this time by my mother flouncing her way into my office unannounced.Huh? I didn’t get the memo that today is a “visit your son at work” day.
