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Holding open the door, I let her go first. She waited for me just inside before heading towards the counter to order her latte and my Americano. When she tried to pay, I waved her away. “My treat, mama. I’m just happy you invited me out this morning.”
“How are things going?” she asked, sounding worried. “I know this wasn’t the ideal for you or Sienna, but I’m hoping that maybe….” She gave me a pointed look.
“Maybe what?” I asked, moving to the other end of the counter.
“That maybe you and Sienna would actually be good for each other.”
Sighing, I took the Americano from the barista before handing my mother her latte. “Sienna is fine. I’m fine.”
“But do you love each other?” she prodded.
“Mom, this wasn’t a love marriage, and you know it.”
She snorted. “That doesn’t mean anything. When I first married your father, we didn’t love each other. That came much, much later.”
We took a seat at a small table near the back. My mother set her purse on the chair beside her before turning back to me. “I just want you to be happy.”
“Well, I’d be a lot happier if we could deal with…you know.” I glanced around, making sure no one else was within earshot. “This thing is weighing on both of us at the moment.”
“I can imagine. I keep trying to talk to your father about it, about actually helping you two. Still, he believes that this is only Sienna’s problem.” She shook her head. “I don’t know how to convince him otherwise. He thinks that if the Snake really does take down the Rosania, then you’d have a clear path to take over. And if they don’t, you still could through Sienna. For Sal, it’s a win-win. But he doesn’t worry about you like I do.”
I sat back, unable to contain my surprise. “Father actually talked to you about all of this?”
“No,” she said, smirking. “But that doesn’t mean I know nothing. I’m your mother, and it’s a mother’s job to know what’s going on in the family. Your father has tried to keep me out of it, and I can understand why. But I’m not as weak as he believes I am.”
Studying her, I knew it was true. My mother ran a tight house, and she took care of most things in our daily lives. I couldn’t imagine anyone thinking she was weak or incapable.
“He keeps you out of the business to protect you,” I said finally. “Something I wish I could do with Sienna, but….”
“But she won’t let you. As she shouldn’t,” my mother cut in, snorting. “Sienna is a strong, intelligent woman, Dante. And she’s grown up in this life just as you have. She’s been just as involved from the rumors I’ve heard. People have known that Giovanni had a woman working for him—they just never realized it was his own daughter.”
“And that, my son, is exactly why you should not do what your father has done. She’s your equal in every way. And you need to keep it that way.” She reached across the table, taking my hand. “That is the only way the both of you will get through this. Together.”
“She doesn’t even trust me,” I pointed out. “I’m pretty sure father and I are at the top of her suspect list.”
“Then you need to show her,” my mother insisted. “Show her that you’re on her side. She probably believes that you’re following in your father’s footsteps and planning to take over someday. Is that true?”
I didn’t even hesitate. “No. I already have one family to inherit someday. I don’t need two. And Sienna is more than capable of handling her own business.”
“But does she know you believe that?”
I leaned back, letting out a long breath. “Not really. Up until now, I didn’t really know what I was doing. I mean, I know that I don’t agree with father. That I don’t want to take down Sienna. But I also know that her family will never fully accept a woman as Don. They’d be turning to me anyway, and she would see that as a threat.”
“Then you need to make the decision, Dante. Either you step back completely and never give her a reason to doubt you, or you work behind the scenes and lose her trust forever.” Her lips thinned. “There is no in-between.”
“I know that. I really do. I just…I don’t know which one is right and which one will end up with her in a body bag.”
“You have to trust yourself, Dante. Your father has trained you well, but you also have your own heart. Your own mind. If something doesn’t feel right, then you know it’s the wrong choice,” she replied. “I know you’ll do the right thing.”
Her words wrapped around me like a blanket of warmth and love. My shoulders relaxed as I reached for my coffee. “Thank you.”
She winked. “No need to thank me. This is why we have mothers.”
She didn’t bring up my relationship for the rest of the hour. We talked about the home and how she was thinking of renovating the library but wanted my input. My mother knew how much I loved it there and how relaxing it was. She even laughed about the fact that she’d keep my secret stash of alcohol in the cupboards for me.
“And Killian?” I asked. “How has he been?”
My mother’s smile dipped. “He’s been…different. I don’t know what you’ve been having him do, but it feels like he’s had more purpose now. More focus. There have been fewer nights where he’s come home absolutely plastered.” Her eyes flicked up, meeting mine. “Thank you. For looking out for your brother.”
