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“I’ll be okay,mia cara. Eventually.” He sighs.
He lost both of his friends at the same time. Ricardo’s death and Vincent’s betrayal must have hit him hard. But my dad is the strongest person I know. My mom left and he didn’t break. I know he’ll push through this, too.
CHAPTER6
Roman
Imet the Legans when I was fourteen. The family of four moved to New York from Detroit. Salvador’s a lawyer. I’m not sure how he and my father met, but soon after they did, dad hired him to be our family’s consigliere. He’s been great at keeping most of us out of jail and our illegal activities under the radar. Salvador’s the negotiator, adept at getting us out of sticky situations. And it helps that he isn’t opposed to getting his hand dirty on occasion. He and my father grew especially close over the years.
Tony and I clicked almost immediately. He and I are the same age, which helped a lot in us becoming fast friends. When I met him, he was pretty normal. I remember he liked to talk a lot. It annoyed me, but it was also pretty endearing. Then his mother left and he changed. He became a brash, quick-to-temper kid who refused to take shit from anyone.
Their mother doesn’t exist to me. She left a year after I met the Legans. Then, there’s Elena. If I’m being honest, I barely noticed her in the beginning. She was Tony’s little sister, and apart from that, I didn’t really care.
Like her brother, she also underwent a drastic change when her mother left. Suddenly, the cute little twelve-year-old with a sunny personality became a cold person who was intent on pushing everyone away. I understand she was hurting and deserved to be affected by her mother’s abandonment. But I hated the way she treated Tony in those early years. He tried to help her, and at every turn, she would push back. Their relationship may be better now, but a part of me will always see Elena as that spoiled teenager who wanted to do whatever the hell she wanted without a care about anyone else in her life.
“Roman?” Someone snaps a finger in front of my face and I look up with a glare. “Are you listening to me, son?”
I’m in my father’s office, seated behind his oak desk, while Salvador informs me about my new duties and what’s expected of me. There are several files in front of us. It’s mostly boring paperwork.
“Yes,” I grit out. “You were talking about me signing off on the transfer of the heroin field to the D’Angelos.”
He nods, leaning down to grab a piece of paper. He places it in front of me.
“The contract was sent in this morning. I looked it over and it’s good enough. But did you really agree to back their candidate as the new congressman?”
“We needed their help.”
“But Coleman should have—”
I cut him off. “Salvador, I’m grateful for all the help, I really am. But do not undermine my decisions. I made the deal. It’s done.”
He chuckles. “You sounded like your father just now. Alright, Rome, I’ll back off. I’m sure we’ll find other uses for Coleman. Now, on to our next issue. We need to officially announce that you’ve taken over your father’s position.”
“No.”
He frowns. “Roman…”
“We’re not officially announcing anything. I’m sure anyone who isn’t aware already will find out soon enough. We don’t need to put it on a bulletin that my father’s dead and I’m the new Don.”
“But Rome, our foreign partners need to be made aware. It’s about the principle.”
“No, some of our men were ready to jump ship and abandon us. They betrayed my dad because they weren’t satisfied with the way things were run. I need to quiet the whispers first. There are several of them who believe that I’m not fit for this position. Our house is on fire, Salvador. We need to put it out.”
He stares at me for a couple of seconds. Then his eyes gleam and he nods once. “That’s a solid way of looking at the situation. It’s a good strategy. Your father would have been proud.”
I nod, trying to ignore the lump in my throat at the mention of my father. He’s been dead for two weeks and life has moved on. I need to move on as well.
There’s a knock at the door and Tony walks in without waiting for a reply. Typical. His father lets out a low sigh beside me. At least he knocked. Usually he just barges in, but considering this is the Don’s office, I guess he’s according me more respect.
“Hey, Maria’s calling for you both to get your asses to the dining room.”
I arch an eyebrow. “My mother?”
She hasn’t stepped out of her room since my dad’s funeral. I checked on her this morning and she was still distraught, a shell of her former self. Seeing her like that hurt. A lot more than I’ll admit.
“Yeah. She and Rosa prepared dinner. She said we’re all eating together.”
I look at Salvador, who simply shrugs. When we step outside of the office, we find Elena leaning against the wall. The dress she’s wearing stops at her mid-thigh, offering a view of her long, toned legs. It’s white and hugs every single one of her curves. I grit my teeth and look away. Her gaze shifts from her phone as soon as we step outside.
