AllFreeNovel
Share Us
NICOLO
School’s becoming continuous torture in which the only relief I find is taking my frustration out on Anya in class every day. And after classes are done for the day, I’ve made a new habit of going for a drive before heading back to my penthouse apartment.
But today, my father called me back to our family home in Forest Glen, so after class, I head straight there, racing across town in my new Maserati and ignoring traffic safety laws to floor it down the busy streets. I pull into our estate in record time, driving all the way up the gravel drive to the roundabout in the center of our courtyard. Parking my car at the foot of our pillared porch steps, I kill the motor and step out of my car.
“Welcome home, sir,” the family butler greets me, snatching my keys out of the air when I toss them to him.
“Thanks, Alfie.” Skipping lightly up the steps, I stride through the front doors, swinging them wide to make a grand entrance into the empty foyer.
They close with a heavy thud, and moments later, I hear the excited patter of soft feet. Moments later, my sister, Silvia, appears at the banister, looking down over the foyer from the second floor.
“Nico!” she sounds excitedly, a wide smile spreading across her face before she turns and dashes down the stairs.
“Hey, Scout,” I greet her, spinning her in a circle after she jumps into my arms. I’ve been calling her Scout for years now; my personal nickname I gave her because she’s always been such a girl scout.
“I missed you,” she says, squeezing my neck tightly.
I return the gesture, crushing her to my chest until I make her squeak. Then I set her gently back on her feet.
“Where’s Father?” I ask, glancing around as if I think he might appear.
“In the study,” she says more seriously. “He told me to send you straight there when you arrive, ‘And don’t disturb him for the rest of the night,’” she adds, planting her fists on her hips as she mimics his deep voice.
I chuckle and ruffle my kid sister’s hair. She may be sixteen now, but she’s still that same silly little girl that was always so fond of hassling me.
“But seriously, you should come home more often. It feels like I’ve hardly seen you since you moved out.” Her tone has a hint of sadness that makes me pause.
“I will,” I promise, giving her shoulder a squeeze.
“Good.” Rising up onto her tippy toes, Silvia plants a kiss on my cheek before releasing me.
I give her a winning smile before turning toward the hallway that leads to the study. I know Dad didn’t call me here for a simple get-together or family dinner. He’s been all about business lately and ensuring I’m ready to take over the responsibilities of running it once I graduate and can be a more active member of monopoly.
“Nicolo, good. You’re on time,” he says as soon as I knock and open the door to the study. Rising from his chair behind the prominent mahogany desk, my father walks around to grip my shoulder in a formal embrace.
Along with my father, two of his captains stand with their hands clasped behind their backs. I nod to each in turn before turning my attention back to my father.
“You’ve done a great deal of learning over the past few years about the day-to-day responsibilities of running this family,” he says. “But it’s time you learn how to make the hard calls. You’ll be taking command soon, and I want to make sure you’re ready and can stomach the decisions you will face.”
Looking into my father’s cold eyes, I nod, steeling myself for whatever it is he has in mind.
Scuffling, followed by the distressed sound of a man’s voice behind the door to the adjoining chamber, distracts me from my discomfort. Hot lead drops in my stomach as my body tenses in anticipation.
When the door bursts open a moment later, my father’s lieutenant, Mazza, and two more of my father’s captains enter, the captains dragging an older man between them. Looking to be in his mid-fifties, the man they haul forward onto his knees fights fiercely for his freedom despite the ropes tying his hands and the cloth that gags him, muffling his words. He looks quite shaken up, as though they kidnapped him right from his home in the middle of dinner or something.
The sinking feeling in my chest intensifies as it suddenly dawns on me that I recognize this man. Giuseppe Gatti, one of my father’s most trusted treasurers. He and his family have shared many dinners with us in this house over the years. His younger son is roughly my age. Swallowing my anxiety, I glance toward my father and see the distance clearly written on his face.
“Well, son. What do you think?” my father asks.
“From the looks of it, I would guess you’re displeased with something he’s done.” I can’t bring myself to say Giuseppe’s name.
“He was caught stealing from our family. Skimming off the top and spendingourmoney because he thought I wouldn’t notice. He thought he was untouchable, that he could get away with it,” my father says flatly.
My mouth goes dry as my eyes flick between my father’s unrelenting gaze and the pleading eyes of Giuseppe Gatti. He says something through his gag, but I can’t understand a word he’s trying to say.
“Well, Nicolo? What shall we do with this man who called himself our friend, who claimed he loved our family?” My father turns to look at me, his lips pressing into a thin line as his nostrils flare.
My palms are starting to sweat profusely, and I shove them into my pockets to hide them and dry them all at once. Then I pull them back out as I realize how inappropriate that seems. Licking my lips nervously, I glance back at Giuseppe.
