Page 51 of Savage Ambition

Raphael took his first bite and closed his eyes in appreciation. “Wow, this is delicious.”

“Your agnolotti turned out perfectly,” I said. “You have natural talent.”

“I had an excellent teacher.” He savored another taste. “Do you think someday we could cook for Father?”

The question chilled the warmth out of the room. “Why would you want to do that?”

Raphael pushed pasta around his plate. “Maybe if he saw how I could be useful in other ways, he’d let me join the family business.”

Had Salvatore been hinting at Raphael’s future? Making hidden threats?

I kept my voice controlled, very conscious of the silent cameras above us. “Has he said something to you?”

“No, not exactly.” Raphael wouldn’t meet my eyes. “But he makes comments sometimes about how I’m getting older and I’ll need to contribute to the family soon.”

I set down my fork, not wanting to give away how badly my hands shook at the possibility. “There’s plenty of time for you to have a job later.”

“But why can’t I start small with an internship? It’d just be filing paperwork and answering phones, right? Then I can work my way up like you did.”

Like I did. The thought of Raphael anywhere near Gennaro Corporation made me ill.

“Father said I could shadow you,” he added, his voice rising with excitement. “That way, I can see what you do and learn the business from the ground up.”

I took a careful sip of water, buying time to compose my response. Salvatore was watching, so I couldn’t react too strongly.

“That’s interesting,” I commented in a neutral tone. “What brought this on?”

He shrugged. “I want to contribute. You’re always working for our family, Dante. I’m almost sixteen. I could help, even if only part-time after school.”

“Raphael.” I kept my tone gentle. “Your job right now is to be a student and enjoy being fifteen. Focus on hanging out with friends like Matteo and your debate team competitions. Worry about normal teenage things. You’ll have the rest of your adult life to work.”

“But I want to be useful,” he insisted. “Father says the Gennaro name means something in this city. That we have responsibilities.”

I could hear Salvatore’s manipulative words coming through my brother’s mouth. The bastard was already laying groundwork. I’d be damned if I’d let that happen. “You can be responsible later. Trust me when I say the family business is complicated. It’s not something you want to rush into.”

“But you started working for Father when you were sixteen,” Raphael countered. “That’s only one year older than I am now.”

Because I had no choice. Because it was either me or you. But those were truths I could never express.

“Which is why I can confidently say I wish I’d had more time to be a kid,” I said instead. “I took for granted how simple life was when I only had to focus on school without the pressures of work.”

“You don’t want me working with you, do you?”

I needed to tread carefully. If I pushed too hard against the idea, Salvatore might speed up his plans out of spite. If I seemed too accepting, Raphael would pursue it more actively.

“What I want is for you to have every opportunity I didn’t. To make choices based on what you want, not what’s expected of you.”

“But I want to work with you.” His eyes pleaded with me. “We hardly see each other as it is. If we worked together, maybe that would change.”

His innocent reasoning twisted the knife deeper. He had no idea what “working together” actually meant.

“What I do for Father isn’t suitable for someone your age. Or even someone my age, to be honest.”

My brother’s expression grew concerned. “Why? Is it dangerous?”

I hesitated. “It requires sacrifices I don’t want you to make. I handle the business so you can focus on school, Raphael. That’s the arrangement Father and I have.”

“But that’s not fair to you,” he protested.