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“Dad, did you call me here to talk about my age or what?” I snapped at him, and I knew I shouldn’t have. I might have been his son, but he was still my Don.
“Now what did I just tell you? Watch it, son.”
“Yes, sir.” Ever since Ludmila came into my life I was on edge more than usual. The frustrations born from not being able to do something about her were pushing me to be angrier all the time.
“I called you here to tell you that I do, indeed, see you as a man. As my right hand.”
“By telling me to spend more time with my mom?”
“Enzo, you have to understand something, son. For Muse, you’ll always be her little boy. It doesn’t matter if you’re twenty-two or fifty, or how many people have died at the end of your gun. She’s your mother. And listen to me very carefully – you will never let her know how much you grew up.” Yeah, he told me that before, after my first time. I was nineteen and too reckless, I had a job to handle, and I got cocky. I got into a fight with an enforcer from New Jersey. Things got heated, and before I knew what I was doing, I pulled my gun out to make my problem disappear. Dad and Hugo cleaned up my mess back then, and he made me swear to never tell my mother. Ever.
My mother wasn’t stupid. After all, she had been the wife of a Don for many years, but to believe and to know something were two different things, and I would never break her heart like that.
“Dad, I know the rules.”
“Our wedding anniversary is coming next week, and I want to take your mother away.” He leaned back and smiled at me. “It’s a bad time since I have this Popov business on my hand. The man wants to be groomed and tickled, and I want to spend some time with my wife. Do you see my problem?” Alexei Popov was a small man fighting to feel important. It was people like him that always died being nobodies.
“Why do you care so much about that guy? He’s a good for nothing prick. How have you not broken his face already? Have you seen the way he treats his wife?” One of his eyebrows crooked. “…and daughter?” I added to save my ass.
“Don’t remind me. I’m at the end of my rope with watching him act like a pig, but he has some good leads. His contacts in Russia have cargo that would bring us significant cash flow once he keeps his end of the bargain and makes the partnership happen.”
“Yeah, I know. The guns. We want the guns, I get it. But is Popov providing or what?” I wanted him out of the family business because once that was over, I didn’t have to handle him with kid gloves anymore. His association with my family was the only shield he had.
“My guess is that he’s dragging things out because he likes the attention. The Bratva is not particularly known for their servitude, so I would guess he rarely gets the spotlight on him back home.”
“Why are you letting that flea take advantage of your time?”
“Enzo, you know me better than that. I need something from him, but Popov knows not to push me. I would like to have that partnership, but the Nucci family doesn’t depend on it. I talked to him after he got shitfaced at the bar that night and made it very clear that he needs to watch his mouth around the women. Whatever happens between him and that stone-cold blonde behind closed doors is their business, but he upsets your mother. You know I would never let that happen.” I bit my tongue to keep from telling my father not to call Ludmila stone cold. At least now Popov wouldn’t make me want to punch him every time he was around anymore. Hopefully. “So?”
He caught me off guard.
“So what?”
“Can you handle Popov?”
Happily. I wanted to introduce him to the basement of my safe house, and a particular set of teeth-pulling pliers.
“In what sense?”
“You said it yourself, son. You are a man. Sooner or later, I have to step back and let you be the Don I know you can be.” Motherfucker! This was turning really serious, really fast. “I’m giving you this job, son.”
“Because it’s important, but it’s not vital?” I repeated his words.
“No. There is no one I trust more than I trust you. I know you’re capable of handling the family, I’ve always known. I just preferred to be the one to take the heat, but you have to go up the ranks. I want to move you up to Capo Regime.”
“Thank you, Don Nucci.” I was not surprised – this was my destiny. My Legacy. Though, I would be lying if I said I never felt like my father was holding me back by not letting me step in and take control. I had the skill, I had the respect of my people, and I had the will to lead the famiglia to greatness. “When are you leaving?”
“Two days.”
“That soon? Maybe you should have told me earlier.”
“I was on the fence about it. You have to put yourself in my shoes, Enzo. You’re the one I want to see lead the Nucci family, but you’re also my son. Being a Don – you know what it means.”
Marked for death. The Don has power, but also has responsibility and a shit ton of enemies.
“It’s our life, Father. Our family.”
“True.”
