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‘I’ll need your help and support.’
‘I will do what I can.’ I nodded gently at him.
‘And with the oath you made, you will swear that this information won’t leave this room until I decide it can.’
‘You’ve… you’ve told no one?’ I sat forward suddenly and took hold of the arms of the chair. We both heard the hesitancy and disbelief in my tone, and I felt myself instinctively frown at the man in front of me. As he raised his eyebrows at my disrespect, I immediately corrected my expression.
‘No one knows. My death will instantly make the family fragile for a short time. There are ongoing problems that I want concluded. Other things that need to be laid to rest before I fall off this mortal coil and I’m determined to leave my family in a stronger position than when I took over as head…. And others knowing in advance, will give them more time to conjure up plans. I will not give the other families any idea that I’m weaker.’
‘I think I understand.’ What I actually understood was, that although the man in front of me was ill, he could never be accused of being weaker. Not until perhaps he took his final rasping breath, and yet anyone who had ever witnessed another dying, could never accuse someone of being weak in death. A person was never stronger than when they drew in and released that final lungful of air, knowing they were letting go of their tentative hold on life.
‘You see, Serafina… that would give our enemies time to gain a possible foothold against us… and I will not put my family under any more pressure.’
‘That’s ridiculous,’ I scolded, before I thought over what I’d said. ‘Your family need to know, so they can help you.’
‘That’s as maybe!’ Salvatore Snr raised his voice at my recrimination, moved quickly and guillotined the cigar in his hand. The action caused me to take a gasp as I watched the tip of the cigar shoot across the desk and onto the floor. ‘Butthatis not up for negotiation. You are my family, andyouare the only one I need to help me, until I decide otherwise.’
‘I’m not sure what you need me to do.’ I could hear the bad humour in my voice, but if he heard it, he chose to ignore it.
‘I want you to discreetly employ staff for my palliative care.’
‘That I can do,’ I agreed, although I wasn’t sure how I was going to do that without Salvatore knowing.
‘And there’s a couple of other things.’
‘There are?’
‘The first thing I need from you is your promise to stand by and at times, when asked, offer my successor a steadying hand.’
Bile rose into the back of my throat. Instinctively, I placed both hands onto the arms of the chair and gripped tightly to steady myself. Was he really going to get me to swear my allegiance to Gianni, knowing how he’d treated his own son, my husband?
‘I’m not sure…’ I started, beginning to shake my head. Inside my head, I could see all sorts of complications of being here with Gianni as Boss.
‘I’m not asking you to be sure. I’m asking for your promise.’
‘Iwillmake no promises that go against my husband.’
‘After all he’s done to you, Serafina?’ The wily old devil twisted his head to watch me after posing the question.
I stared harder across the desk with my heart now racing against my ribcage and could have sworn I saw the start of a smile crease the corners of the old man’s mouth.
What the hell is his game?
‘I will stand by my husband. I can’t and won’t go against him. I will make no promises, even to you.’
‘Not if his life depended on it?’
‘His life?’
‘His life,’ he repeated.
‘I could, when the time comes of course and not before, talk to my Uncle Keith. Maybe it would be a good idea for us both to leave for England?’
‘Salvatore is a traditional man. His roots are here in Calabria.’
I knew what he was saying was correct. Salvatore would never leave here. Tears found the back of my eyes as anger and fear took hold of me. Would life really be that cruel to us? We had just found each other and in a few short months our lives were destined to be torn apart again.
Suddenly, I was standing. Anger swept through me. Then I was shouting, directing my rage and hurt at the dying man sitting behind the desk.
