Layla turned to Victor and smiled, “Yes. I want to marry Gio. Very much.”
“But do you love him?”
She looked down at her hands and then slowly turned to face me. Saying nothing, she got up and walked over to me. Sitting in my lap, she wrapped her arms around my neck, looked into my eyes, and softly replied, “Yes. I love him very much.”
Kissing her tenderly, I added, “I love you too,mia Amore.”
“Dario,” Victor said.
Layla and I watched as Dario Capribella came to stand before us, holding a small box in his hands. When he kneeled before us, Layla stiffened as Dario spoke. “Welcome home, cousin. As is the custom, I present you with the Capribella Family crest. A token of the family’s allegiance and fealty to protect and guide you at all times.”
Layla opened the box and gasped.
Looking inside, I spotted the Capribella signet ring. Looking up, I stared at Victor, who lightly nodded. He was giving her the family. This was unheard of. Generally, the family was passed on to the successor after the head of the family died. Never when the head was alive.
“Don Victor?”
“I am an old man now. I do not have the strength for what is to come. You and my great-granddaughter must be the ones to lead both families into the future. With power comes great responsibility. All I ask is that the marriage take place here, in the land of her ancestors and yours. I want to walk my great-granddaughter down the aisle, and I want grandbabies before I die. If one of them happens to be a boy,” the man smiled then added. “Think of me before you give him the name Giovanni.”
I nodded as Dario took the ring out of the box and placed it on Layla’s right index finger. It was a magnificent ring. Solid gold, with rubies surrounding the Capribella lion. A symbol of their family’s strength.
Before Dario stood, he looked up at me and grinned. “I hear you have a sister. Is she single?”
Sal growled, and I laughed. “Dario, my sister Illyria is a handful. I fear no man will be able to handle her, but I give you my blessing to speak with her and good luck.”
Dario grinned widely as he rose to his feet. He went to stand with his cousins with a puffed-out chest as Sal never took his eyes off him. Sal had always been protective of Illyria. We all had, but there was a special bond between Sal and Illyria. I feared that no man would ever be good enough for her if Salvatore was around.
“Please come to the villa in the morning,Bambina. I would love to show you your new home. Giovanni, I am leaving Mattia Lucchesi, Tommaso Berlusconi, Renato Capribella, and Dario for my great-granddaughter’s protection. Dario will also be the liaison between the families.”
“I thank you for that, Don Victor.”
“Who will represent your family?”
“I will,” Sal said stepping forward, as I shook my head.
“No, Salvatore. It can’t be you. I’m sorry. It has to be me,” I stated clearly as everyone in the room looked shocked. I know it wasn’t technically done. That a representative of the family was supposed to be nominated to ensure that my family’s needs were met, but this was something I couldn’t just pass off. I needed to be there for the negotiations. I needed to make changes as they happened. I had my family’s best interest at heart, and only I could decide what was suitable for the family. Plus, there were things that I had kept hidden, things I needed to tell them before we could move forward.
“Gio, I will volunteer to represent the family if you choose,” Antonio said, stepping forward. I looked at my brother and grinned. Antonio was a lawyer. He had taken an oath when he passed the bar. A damn good one too, but this wasn’t something I could allow. Knowing what was going to be discussed, I refused to put Antonio in a position to question his oath of law. No. it had to be me.
Looking at Victor, I could see the knowledge in his eyes. He knew what went on behind my family's back, and instead of outing me in front of my brothers, he said nothing as he simply nodded.
Standing, Victor got to his feet and said, “You carry a burden, Giovanni. Bring myBambinato the house tomorrow. We will talk more then.”
Shaking his hand, I nodded and said nothing more as Don Victor kissed Layla and hugged her good night.
Sal, Antonio, and Dwayne never took their eyes off me as the room emptied. I knew I would have to tell them about the deal with Bianchi, and I didn’t want to, but for this alliance with the Capribella’s to work, I needed to have my family on the same page.
The time had come.
It was time to let my family know our father’s greatest shame.
Sitting back down, no one said a word.
“You better sit down. You are not going to like what I am about to say. Layla, would you please?”
She nodded and left the room, leaving me alone with my brothers and cousin. When the door closed behind her, Sal shouted, “What the hell, Giovanni! You know you can’t be the representative. It must be another family member. What is going on?”
“Sit down, Sal,” Antonio carefully said as he looked at me. “I think Gio is finally going to tell us about the deal between Bianchi and father.”