“The guards were doing their rounds, so I could move a little easier. How are you holding up?” She shrugs. I nod. We don’t really talk about our feelings. Being in an Italian family is one thing, but being in a mafia you learn to keep everything close to the vest. The five of us are close, and tell each other everything, but sometimes feelings are just too hard. My dad would tell me that crying and true love are weaknesses. His grief over my mother proved that repeatedly. The others come in one by one. “So, what’s up with the secret meeting?” I line up shots of whiskey for everyone.
“With our dads gone, it’s time for us to step up.” Aurora speaks up. “I just got off the plane from New York. I had a meeting with Giulia. She called a meeting with the DeSantis family heads after the killings.” I sigh. “We’re stepping up. So I brought in our wonderful tattoo artist to get us branded because some of us are not DeSantis bloodline but with our insignia we are swearing our allegiance to the DeSantis family. Now if you agree with taking over for your dads, step right up for the branding.” I knew this was coming, but I didn’t want it to be true.
“Fuck yeah. Let’s raise our glasses to the oath!” I cheer. We all grab our shot glasses staring at each other.
“Family above ALL else and DESTROY ALL WHO COME FOR US!” The five of us say together as we take a shot whooping it up as we down our shots of whiskey. We line up to get the cattle brand of the DeSantis Family on us. It’s the only way to describe it. We call him our tattoo artist but he’s more from the cattle rang. He’s firing up the blowtorch to get ready to leave his mark on us. The insignia is something beautiful as it is the DeSantis Family name entwined together in a script that makes it all flow so perfectly together then adding the two guns underneath the cursive writing of Family while connecting the DeSantis name. It’s truly a privilege to wear this but the pain of the branding is something I’ll never forget as you smell the burning flesh.
“Are you sure about all of this?” Viviana speaks up first. Aurora nods as her dad was the boss of Miami, so she’s running things now while Giulia runs all of us.
“What do you want us to do? I don’t have a fucking clue what my dad did for your dad. I’m going to have to break into his office and find out.” Dad always kept private what he did for Salvatore. I’m not dumb when it comes to mafia and what all they control, but to know what he did day to day is something entirely new.
“We learn together, I guess.” Caterina says after pouring another shot. I nod because I don’t know what to say.
“After the funeral, we should inform everyone. I bet they think their right-hands are going to take over instead of the weak women.” I bat my eyelashes, making us laugh. “We’ll spend the next week going over everything, then get a game plan together. One thing I do know is that we need to be a united front, or they’ll run against us. We’re mafia royalty, and this is our place.” I slam the shot glass down on the table.
“I agree. This is going to be tough, but never let them see you cry or falter. They will eat us alive if we don’t.” We all agree, and promise to keep talking every day about what we find out. We adjourn the meeting and head home.
I sneak back in, and no one is the wiser. Climbing into bed that night, I wonder if life will ever be the same for me.
THREE
BENVOLIO ROSSI
SeeingMirabella today at the funeral and then in the limo just confirmed that I love her just as much today as I did the day I met her in college. There was something in her eyes that I couldn’t quite place, and it bothers me. I can’t put my finger on it. I drive my Honda Civic back to her place, where the wake is happening. I know she doesn’t want to see me, but I have reinforcements with me in my passenger seat: my mother. The one woman Mirabella can’t resist.
“This isn’t right, and you know it. I won’t be a pawn in your game,” my mother tsks while staring out the window.
“Mama, she won’t see me without you. I need some time with her.” I’ve never lied to Mama because she can see right through me. Even as a kid, I would get beaten up by my siblings because I’d rat them out. She knows what to say to me to get me to fold like a house of cards.
“This isn’t the way to do it, but today is a day she needs her family. We are still her family, even if she left you.” I sigh. I don’t want to talk about that day with her again. The one who can give me the answers is sitting in the house I just pulled up to. There are many people coming and going, so I should be able to get in.
As I step closer to the house, a familiar voice stops me. “She won’t see you.”. I spin around to see Aurora DeSantis, one of Mirabella’s best friends, standing there.
“She might not, but I’m here to pay my respects to a man who was to be my father-in-law. Nothing more, nothing less. If she talks to me, then great.”
“You never were a good liar, Lio.” I smirk at the nickname the fab four gave me. “She’s in her dad’s office. There’s no one there but her. I’ll give you ten minutes before I come in there.”
“Thanks. I’m sorry for your loss as well. Mama and I sent a fruit basket. She said fruit is better than flowers because we need it to survive. Besides, it pisses people off to carry something so heavy. I think she like it because your fathers hated fruit.” Aurora laughs at me. She motions for me to go. She walks with me so no one bothers me when I stalk into the office.
“I asked not to be disturbed,” Mirabella snaps from the chair with her head on the desk. So vulnerable.
“I remember standing right here, my hands so fucking sweaty as my body trembled, staring at your dad, about to ask him if I could marry you. He was having his signature two fingers of scotch and smoking that horrible-smelling cigar.” I laugh at the image. “I walked over to him like this and stood and said, ‘I want to marry you’. Mirabella’s head pokes up with unshed tears in her eyes. “He laughed at me and told me he thought I was pretty and all, but I didn’t have the right equipment for him. I swallowed hard, so I did the Lamaze breathing I learned while Emma was pregnant and started again. I said, ‘I would like your permission to marry Mirabella. I know I’m not a rich man, but I can provide a good life, one filled with love, trust, faith, and an understanding that she has my balls in her purse’, which he chuckled at because he knows it was true.” I sigh.
“What did he say to that?” Mirabella whispers.
“He goes,” I walk around the desk and crouch down to her, “‘She will eat you alive, but she loves you. You’ve been like a son to me since the day she brought you home, and I knew you were it for her. I couldn’t be happier for my daughter.’ I showed him my grandmother’s ring, and he asked me if I could propose with your mama’s ring instead.”
“He loved you, and was so mad when I called off the wedding.” I wipe the tears flowing from her eyes. “What are you doing here?”
“Just because you didn’t marry me doesn’t mean I don’t still love and care about you. I needed to check on you.” I kiss her cheek. “I don’t know why you did it, and at some point I’d like to talk about that, but right now I’m here for you. Please lean on me.”
“My heart is breaking, and you have all the means to destroy me.” Her honesty has always been refreshing, except for at our wedding.
“I don’t plan on destroying it. I’m here to mend it. Remember, I’m an art teacher and can Papier-mâché better than anyone I know.” She laughs through the tears and hugs me. I lift her up and sit on the chair with her in my lap. I hold her here while I let her cry. Behind these walls is where she can only be the daughter and not the mafia princess. I kiss her temple a few times and she doesn’t pull away from me. I know once we leave the room it will be different, but I’ll take what I can get right now. “Can I be by your side throughout the day, to help you navigate everyone?”
“I can handle them.”
“I know you can, but I want to offer my support. You’re not alone. You and the fab four have me. Remember that.” She nods. There’s a knock on the door and it opens. Faro is standing there with a scowl on his face.