AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yes.” He nods. “I told him that the engagement is off.”
“Off?” I blink. “I don’t understand.”
“Angelo is a good kid, but he’s too young to be a don, Isi. The rest of the Family would never stand by him.”
I draw my brows together, confused. “Who am I marrying then?”
“The only man who can take over all the shit I’m going to throw at him and not crumble under the weight of it.”
My breathing becomes shallow, and my heart starts thumping so hard I’m afraid it's going to burst out of my chest.
“You’re marrying Luca Rossi,” my grandfather says the words I’ve been longing to hear for more than a decade, and I can only stare at him.
“But . . . he’s already married,” I say, dumbfounded.
“He and Simona are divorcing. It should be done in a matter of days. I know you’re only nineteen, and he is so much older than you...”
I shake my head and bend down to wrap my arms around his frail form. “I will gladly marry Luca, Nonno.”
I knock on the door of Don Agostini’s study.
“Come in,” a faint voice calls from the inside.
The Family has known for quite some time that Giuseppe hasn’t been well. I’ve been meeting with him at least once a week to update him on the real estate business, so I’ve witnessed the deterioration firsthand. Still, the sight that greets me makes me falter. He looks as if he’s aged twenty years since the last time I saw him.
“Luca.” He nods toward the chair on the other side of the desk. “Please sit.”
“How are you feeling, Boss?” I ask as I take a seat.
“Awful, as you can see.” He smiles. “I’ll be short because Lorenzo and the other capos are coming in less than an hour.”
I’ve been wondering what he wants to talk about since I got his call yesterday. At first, I assumed it would be business, as usual. But if that’s the case, it could be discussed after the meeting with the capos.
“I had a heart attack two days ago,” he says. “It was a minor thing, but as the doctor so nicely put it to me, I need to start getting my things in order. Fast.”
“All right. How can I help?”
“By taking over.”
“Okay.” I nod.
Giuseppe has been giving me more responsibilities over the last two years. He’s also transferred the real estate dealings to me completely, saying he couldn’t handle everything. I guess he plans to delegate another part of the business. “What do you need me to take over?”
“The Chicago Family of Cosa Nostra, Luca.”
I stare at him. Saying that he caught me by surprise would be an understatement. Everyone expected the next don to be Lorenzo Barbini.
“What about Lorenzo?” I ask.
“Lorenzo is a good underboss. He’s been organizing and overseeing the operations well so far,” Giuseppe says. “However, he’s not capable of making decisions that have the Family’s best interests in mind instead of his own. I always planned for it to be you.”
“Well, some warning in advance would have been appreciated.”
“Consider yourself warned.”
“Is that why you called all the capos today?” I ask.
“Yes, one of the reasons.”
