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“Oh no. Ma always wanted Leoluca to be a priest. She prayed feverishly for it. Until the day Papà had to break the news to her that Leoluca liked bedding women far too much for him to be suitable for the priesthood. So Leoluca was a bitter disappointment to our parents: to Ma because he didn’t want to be a priest, and to Papà because he didn’t want to be a killer.”
I knew my wife hailed from a family of lunatics, but this was a new level of crazy.
“He works in the business but he’s a reluctant participant, and Papà is always on his case because of that.”
Clemente ran around our table, thoroughly enjoying himself. Although I still refused to wear a goddamn sombrero, the children happily joined Anni and the rest of the clubhouse in donning the supplied hats.
A variety of appetizers were served, and although Clemente enjoyed a number of the dishes, Clara was much more cautious. She was pleased, however, when Ma Veneti took her and Clemente over to play with a pinata shaped as a donkey.
For the main course was a dish with slow-cooked chicken, brown rice, and avocado, as well as spicy empanadas.
After dessert was served, Ma Veneti asked Leoluca to take down a row of the papel picado and she showed them to Clara. She was fascinated with the jewel-like colors and intricate design of the decorations. “It’s pretty paper,” she said softly, looking up at Ma Veneti.
“Yes, it’s so pretty, just like you,” Ma Veneti replied.
Another girl, whom I’d remembered as being one of Anni’s bridesmaids, was also playing with Clara. “Who’s that girl?” I asked Anni.
“That’s Nicki. She’s another one of my cousins, although she’s more like a younger sister to us.”
“I thought you were the youngest?”
“I am, technically. But Nicki’s mom died when she was young, and then her dad and brother were killed by the Cartel, so Nicki’s lived with us since then.”
“That was good of your parents to take her in, especially as your papà could have ordered any of his men to take her into their family.”
“He could have, but he saw it as a debt of honor—her dad and brother died protecting Papà when the Cartel tried to assassinate him.”
“She seems nice, and Clara appears to like her.”
“Yeah, she is nice,” she said with a smile. “And it’s nice to be able to catch up with everyone.” After that, Anni went to greet various relatives around the room while I stayed at the table and kept a close eye on the kids and attempted to engage in as little polite conversation as possible.
Checking my watch a while later, I realized that Anni had been gone for a while. I scanned the room for her and saw her talking in a corner with Christian. They were deep in conversation, and when I finally managed to catch Anni’s eye, she looked back at me with a guilty edge in her gaze.
I tapped my watch to signal that it was time we returned to our hotel for the night. The children were tired after the trip today and all the excitement of the evening. We would be returning tomorrow to spend the day with the Venetis before jetting back to Chicago in the evening.
Anni returned to the table, and after bidding goodnight to everyone, I drove us to the hotel.
“What were you talking to Christian about?”
“Um, nothing, really.”
“You were talking to him about ‘nothing’ for a long time.”
She sighed. “He was just asking how my marriage with you was going, and I was just filling him in.”
Something about Christian niggled at me.
Although we had an alliance with the Fratellanza now, we’d made that with Napoleone. Christian, as the oldest son, would take over from him one day. Christian was a devious bastard, however, and I didn’t know if I would ever fully trust him.
***
The following Friday, I finished work early and arrived home about an hour before dinner. I said hi to Anni and the kids and then went up to take a shower.
Coming back downstairs afterward, I walked into the den where Anni was relaxing with the children.
It had been a long week, especially with dealing with the fallout from the issue with the bakeries and the treachery from Alberto. After Aloysius and I had tortured details of his accomplices out of him, Alberto and his two accomplices came to a grisly end at the old meat-packing plant we’d bought to use for such purposes.
I picked up Clemente and swung him around, eliciting a giggle from him.
