AllFreeNovel
Share Us
One time, they put a bullet in a boy who was in the bathroom too long. They blew his foot off and he had to rest in the hospital for two weeks.
But I don't want to act like a spoilsport in front of Benedetto's Dad so I urge myself to agree.
"I hope so." I stare at the gun in his hands. "I've never fired a weapon before. I hope I don't screw up.”
Benedetto's father cuffs my shoulder. "You won't, boy. We’ll do it first and then you’ll follow suit. Capeesh?"
I nod. "Will do."
Daddy slinks his arm around my waist. "Hey." He tilts my chin up. "Did those mint chocolate chip Blizzards not quell your nerves?"
I stare into Daddy's eyes and force out a breath. Goodness me, he looks wonderful this morning. In fact, in his light blue T-shirt and shorts, which is so different from his regular formal attire, he looks like a Calvin Klein model. Lord knows I couldn’t keep my eyes off him if I wanted to.
"They helped." I stare at the guns. "But not totally. I guess there are a few anxious birds bumping around my belly."
Benedetto rubs my waist. "My Dad will go first. That way, you can watch a master in action."
Nana walks over to us. "Do you know what learning style you have, dear?"
I furrow my brow. "No."
"There are kinesthetic learners, visual learners, auditory learners, and reading/writing learners. Kinesthetic learners learn by interacting with their environment. Visual learners need to see information to process it. Auditory learners need to hear it. And reading/writing learners need to read or take notes to retain information.”
Gianluca crosses his arms over his chest. "As a medical professional, I have an obligation to tell you that was debunked years ago. It's junk science."
Constantine steps into the argument. "It's not junk science. When I'm trading, I rely on technical analysis to find arbitrage opportunities. I watchedvideosto help me learn how to do it. Simply reading explanations in books doesn't work for me."
Benedetto's father glares at Constantine. "So that's why you lose us so much money?" His voice borders on snappish, but I don't say anything.
"I don't lose anyone money." Constantine glares at his Dad. "Okay, so I make a few mistakes. But it's part of the learning process."
"It's been a long learning process," Benedetto drawls. "A very expensive financial education. How many years have you been blowing money away on out-of-the-money stock options that are worthless at expiration?"
“I'm learning a new skill.” Constantine isn’t amused. “I never said I'd master it on the first try."
"Honey." Benedetto's mother approaches Constantine and massages his shoulder. "You have a gambling addiction thinly disguised as a trading habit. We’re giving you an intervention."
Constantine slams his fist on his forehead. "Oh my God. I don't need an intervention."
"Yes, you do." His mother is nothing if not blunt. "You’ve blown away a third of your fortune trading stocks. You should leave that to your bankers at Goldman Sachs."
"My bankers are the ones who give me hot trading tips," Constantine growls. He can't believe his mother's audacity, clearly. "I wouldn’t enter half the trades I do if not for them. They’re teaching me."
"They’re getting you to send their sons to Harvard, that's what they're doing," Benedetto's father observes, loading his pistol. "Seriously, son. You need to think critically about this. They’d prefer you to blow lots of money on option trades to make them commissions. Also, your addiction caused you to get involved with a Diavolo associate, who was found dead next to Benedetto's boy." He shakes his head. "God, we send you to the best schools and you still don't use your brain."
"Constantine doesn't have a brain." Gianluca winks at Benedetto. "He spends all his time playing with alien stuffies with Arlo."
"Knock it off." Constantine shoots a fierce glare at Gianluca. "My playtime with Arlo only occupies half of my day. The rest is spent on work."
"And gambling on stock options," Benedetto observes pointedly. "Don't leave that out of the equation."
"Trading only takes five minutes per day. I put my trades on in the morning, check them at lunch, and close them out at dinner."
"And adjust them ten thousand times in the morning and afternoon, as well." Benedetto's grandfather decides this is a great time to leap into the conversation. "Listen to your mother and father, boy. They’re experienced with these things."
"I donothave a gambling addiction." Constantine sounds like every person who's had a gambling addiction ever. "I'm in the learning phase. It takes time."
"Your time would be better spent working on the family business." Benedetto’s father has a booming voice when he turns it on. "You're wasting your life staring at tickers on a screen. You know the game is rigged."
