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Romeo hummed. “That sounds like a good idea. Is he okay with all of us coming?” What Romeo was really asking was if it was okay forhimto come over. Romeo and Enzo had had their differences in the past, after all, and they hadn’t been in the same room in a long time except for last week, and that had been a dire situation.
“I think so,” I said confidently.
“You’re taking over for him, I heard,” Romeo said, and I blinked, surprised it had gotten through the grapevine so quickly.
“I am,” I agreed proudly. It had taken some time to get used to, but eventually I’d accepted that I’d becapoof the Gallo family. Besides, I needed to talk to Enzo about other things, given the situation. I said what I needed to say, and surprisingly Romeo agreed. I was nervous as hell, but hopefully things would turn out all right.
It seemed to take forever to get to dinnertime. Allegra, Matteo and I drove in one car while Romeo drove in another to get there. Enzo met us at the door after we were buzzed into the gate. He smiled warmly. “Romeo,” he said. “It’s been a while since you were here on good terms and in good circumstances.”
“It has,” Romeo agreed, walking up to the other man and shaking his hand firmly. Allegra looked at the two figureheads like they were aliens, not used to seeing them meet as friends instead of rivals.
“Allegra,” Enzo said, kissing her hand. “You’re more beautiful each time I see you.” Allegra blushed and I smiled at the two of them. “And who’s the little man?”
“I’m Matteo,” he piped up, not shy at all. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“I’m Enzo, and it’s nice to meet you too, young man. You’ve got quite the personality.” He looked at Matteo with fond eyes.
“Papa says I never meet a stranger,” Matteo chirped, and I couldn’t help but grin. I loved that Enzo liked Matteo instantly.
Enzo chuckled. “That’s a good skill to have,” he said, and reached down to shake Matteo’s hand. Matteo shook it firmly, just like I’d taught him.
“Dinner smells delicious,” I said, sniffing the air. The scent of lamb hung heavy in the air and it was divine. Allegra and Matteo followed Enzo and me into the kitchen, and we all sat down at the table. I wasn’t exactly hungry, anxiety taking my appetite. I had a big announcement to make, and I wasn’t sure how it would go over.
“Do you remember the last time we went to Los Angeles?” Enzo asked.
Romeo snorted. “How could I forget? We came home so hungover I could barely move.”
Enzo laughed. “We got a lot of work done,” he said with a grin. It didn’t sound like they got any work done at all, but I didn’t argue with them. They were clearly reconnecting, and I didn’t want to get in the way of that. I looked over at Allegra, who was eating quietly. I frowned, thinking that she seemed somewhat annoyed. That wasn’t a good sign, given what I planned to do today.
“Rocco, you wanted to talk to me about something?” Enzo asked after we finished the first course.
I cleared my throat, feeling nervous. “I wanted to speak to you about uniting the Rossi and Gallo families.” I looked over at Romeo. “Romeo and I have already talked about it, and we think it’s a good idea.” Allegra’s eyes shot to mine. Shedefinitelynow looked annoyed.
Enzo’s eyebrows shot up and it was clear that I’d caught him off-guard. He glanced over at Romeo. “Uniting the Rossi and Gallo families? And Romeo agreed with this?”
Romeo nodded. “I did. It’s been years since our last rivalry, Enzo, and we’re both old-school wiseguys. We don’t dabble in the things some of the other families do. We’re not interested in expanding when it compromises our morals.” Romeo was talking about things like sex trafficking and heroin, activities Ricardo had wanted to get into. He’d talked about it incessantly, and gone against Enzo’s wishes left and right when it came to prostitutes and hard drugs.
“We’ve had our differences,” Enzo said, seeming on the fence. “But you’re right, we’ve always had similar moral codes.” He looked over at Matteo, smiling slightly. “And besides, now we have something in common—a grandson.” Romeo raised an eyebrow and Enzo continued, “Rocco has always been like a son to me, and it’s even more clear that leaving him my business is the right idea. Romeo, now you and I have family together, and I think Rocco’s right. It’s time to bury the hatchet.”
Romeo smiled. “I think you’re right, Enzo. Now that we’re family, we need to act like it. I won’t interfere in your business anymore, and maybe we’ll do some things together.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Enzo said, and stood up to shake Romeo’s hand.
Allegra suddenly stood up. “Excuse me,” she muttered, and walked out of the kitchen and out on the terrace. I looked after her, confused.
Romeo put a hand on my shoulder. “You should probably go after her,” he said quietly. “Enzo and I have plenty to talk about, and we’ll keep an eye on the little one.”
I went outside to check on Allegra. She was standing at the terrace railing, looking out into the moonlight. Her eyes glinted and she looked beautiful but also angry. “What’s going on?” I asked her.
She whirled around to face me. “You and my father going behind my back is what’s wrong,” she snapped. “I wasn’t a part of this conversation.”
I gaped at her, taken aback. “We thought you knew that—”
“I didn’t know anything!” she said, her voice raising. “I’m supposed to be taking over my father’s business, and neither of you thought to let me in on a conversation about merging with another family?”
“Listen,stellina, it wasn’t like that,” I said, sighing in exasperation. I took a couple steps closer to her, trying to keep my words careful. Allegra could be like a wounded animal when she was mad, lashing out at anything around her. “It’s not that we didn’t want you in on the conversation.”
“Then what was it? It feels like you’re trying to take over,” Allegra complained. “As soon as a man comes into the house, Papa listens to everything he has to say.”
