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That time, I managed to get the lock open five seconds quicker. We went round and round until I halved my time, then we moved onto the knives like Dante said we would. I learned all about the weights of a blade, the style of cuts that hurt worse during torture, and Dante even let me borrow one to practice with when I couldn't have time with him. His father usually pulled him away for a few hours a day to show him the business, so during those times, I'd further dig into the points we'd gone over.
"Mr. Dante. Mr. Lloyd. Mr. Romano would like to see you both in his study right away." The butler, Bernard, stood at the entry to the room as he spoke to us.
Dante and I shared a look before turning to follow. It was rare for both of us to be summoned. In fact, I could only think of one other time, and that was when all this started. The day we moved in, Dante's father brought us into the office and told me to look out for his son. He told me I would be his heir's protector and that no one should ever lay a hand on him again.
Since I'd already made the promise to Dante, it was easy for me to agree at the time. Now here we were all these years later, about to meet with him again. I could only imagine what this time would be about.
"Come in," Mr. Romano called when Bernard knocked on the door.
Dante and I stepped inside. We bowed to his father briefly before moving to sit in the chairs he waved us to.
"Do you boys have any idea why I've called you here?" he asked. We shook our heads since we absolutely had no idea. "I figured you wouldn't. I also figured you didn't know that I knew about the secret training you were doing."
"Sir, I —" I jumped to defend Dante before things turned ugly.
His father raised his hand. "I'm not mad, boys. If anything, I'm intrigued. Loyalty like you've shown means a lot in this line of business. It's the difference between growing and withering away, between life and death. I want to see you boys live, to see you grow. Do you want that?"
"Yes, sir."
"Yes, Father."
"Excellent. Then from now on, Lloyd will be joining our lessons. Anything that he needs before then must be handled this week while I'm away on business. When I return after the weekend, you'll begin your training to be capos of the Cosa Nostra, the most powerful group in the city." He ended his speech with a fist to his desk.
My skin felt hot all over, like I was being burned alive or something. I was too excited to think straight, and I had to fight to hold back my building smile. Being respectful was one thing, but showing pure joy over this was another. Mr. Romano wouldn't take well to my eagerness.
"Thank you, sir, for taking me into the fold. I won't let you down," I said, careful to use all the words Dante had told me his father loved to hear.
This life was about what you let others see and hear. Dante gave me the lines, and I provided him with the protection he needed. He'd grown some more over the years, his body gained some muscle and his speed improved. Still, he had nothing on me. I was a fucking giant, an immovable boulder compared to him. It's why we worked so well together.
"Continue with your training for today. I'll have Bernard bring you dinner later so you're not interrupted. Lloyd, I'll speak with your mother, so she is aware. I don't think she'll enjoy the choice, so when she comes to you, make sure she knows you wanted this. I never forced you into it."
He was right. She would object. "Of course, sir. I'll be sure to let her know."
"Very well. Leave me." He waved his hand, effectively dismissing us from the room.
We both returned to the training room we were using and let out matching breaths of relief. Dante looked around the room, his eyes searching for something. When he stopped to look at a figurine on the table in the corner that I hadn't noticed, his shoulders dropped.
"Camera," he said as he pointed to where his eyes were. "That's how he knew. I should have known this space was still under surveillance when we started."
I shook my head at him. "It wouldn't have mattered. We'd have found another place to do it. This is what I want. What we want. This way, they can't ever separate us. It's you and me, Dante."
"Till the end," he said as he stuck his hand out for our secret handshake. We'd watched a slew of movies one night when we were nine that all had one thing in common: secret handshakes. We hadn't known it when we picked them all, but each time it came up, we would laugh and talk about how cool it was to know someone well enough to have something like that. By the end of the night, we'd come up with our own and anytime we needed to solidify something, we did the shake.
Some people had blood oaths or pinky promises. We had this. It was all ours.
* * *
Danteand I practiced until I could barely keep my eyes open. With it being summer, neither of us were on a strict sleep schedule. The only commitment we had was to Dante's father, and he wouldn't come too early to fetch us.
I remembered too late what Mr. Romano said about my mother as I entered our chambers for the night. "Where have you been?!" she shrieked.
"I was with Dante. It's where I always am when I'm not with you."
"Is it true then? Did Mr. Romano tell me the truth when he said my son was going to become a capo? A fucking criminal?"
Shit. We were in a bad place when Mom let loose cuss words. They were her one weakness that only came out when she felt helpless. I hated that I was the person to make her feel like that.
"It is true. I will be a capo." I kept my voice even to let her know this wasn't something I'd done out of fear. This was a choice; one I'd made with my future in mind.
