The Reluctant Mafia Boss

Chapter 15

Luca's POV

For months now, I had been secretly hoping that when Nicolo got shot that night, that somehow that would've been the last time a threat was placed on my family or anyone associated with me. I had even hoped that what occurred that night, was a hit gone wrong. That we were just coincidentally caught in the middle of a gunfire that had nothing to do with us. Anything not to accept the fact that whether or not I wanted to admit it, or like it, I was a part of a dangerous life. 

Throughout the years I have resented what my father did. Him being the leader of a mafia group and grooming me to become the future leader, put a strain on our father-son relationship. My father and I never had the typical father and son bonding moments, where the father would play soccer, ball and catch with their son, take their son fishing, or even play a few rounds of video games together. Instead, our bonding sessions usually involved us hanging out at a shooting range, him teaching me how to load and fire a gun. Back when my older brother was alive, Padre would also have us at the gym, us getting boxing lessons, anything that had to do with us learning how to fight, or what he called self-defense.

I wasn't ungrateful for those self-defense lessons he thought, it meant that I never had to worry about bullies. My friends at school thought it was cool that I had a father to teach me awesome fighting skills. Well, I learned to believe that too, until my mother and brother got killed and the training sessions got more rigorous, and I found out the truth behind all those shooting and boxing lessons.

After my mother and brother's death, it was as if Padre got more closed off when it came to me. The only thing he seemed interested in was me becoming good at everything he's taught. As a result, I grew up resenting him. I thought that he saw me as a burden since my mother was gone. It took me years to finally see that he really cared for me, and everything that he has done was to ensure that the same thing that happened to my mother and brother, didn't happen to me.

The other night when I went to the club to try to get things off my mind, I had no idea that I would have run into Nicolo's doctor. It was somewhat strange seeing her at a club all dolled up, in that cute flirty dress instead of at the hospital in her doctor's uniform or shrubs. Even though the majority of our conversation involved joking around and drinking, I remember telling her that my father expects me to take over 'a family business' but that it wasn't exactly my type of thing. I remember her advice to have a quality sit down and hear my father out.

I decided to take her advice, and it is what lead me to agree to go with Marco and my father to meet with an ally of his. It was my father's idea that since I would be taking over as the new leader soon, it was best if we started meeting with all the allies so that I'd be more acquainted. I didn't exactly promise him that I was going to take over, but I didn't straight turn him down like I usually did. I realized that my father was never going to let it go, and the fact that he had Marco being in agreement with him, makes things worst. The only way I was ever going to get my father off my back, is by following in his footsteps and taking the reins from him. Even though I was an adult- thirty years old- it was like my father still doesn't see me as a man. The only time he'll ever see me as a man, is going to be the time I finally decide to take over and lead his Mafia group.

My father has a way of persuading people to do whatever it is that he wants. His methods of persuasion are usually ignored by me, however, it is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore him anymore. Father made sure to go all the way to find out the person responsible for Adriana's death, then when Nicolo got shot, he called in thousands of favors just to catch two of the men who were responsible. Twice, he knew that if he caught the men responsible, and made it known to me that he did, my hands could be forced. I never visualize myself as a murderer, but when it came to my family and those who I love, whoever hurt them, evoked my wrath.

I have always tried to tell myself that I was nothing like my father, that I believed in legal justice, that I had morals, but upon a thorough self-evaluation, I came to realize that I may not be so different. I could be just as ruthless as I want to be. When my father caught those men who murdered my fiancee, I felt immense joy, power, and satisfaction, when I had the chance to get back at them. I felt gratified, watching them get tortured, joining in and inflicting torture, and I felt no remorse when I was the one who aided in them breathing their last breath. As much as I wanted to feel guilty about what I had done, there was none. I lost someone I loved, someone I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, someone who meant the world to me. If I was so different from my father... If I had some much moral, why didn't I call the police? Why didn't I allow the law to deal with them in a legal way? I didn't want to risk them getting away. I didn't think that prison time would have given me the closure I needed. They didn't deserve to live after what they had done, they deserved payback for their crimes, the justice system just wasn't going to administer the rightful justice that I felt they deserved. They deserved the death sentence, and that was what I gave them.

"So you boys finally decided to follow in the footsteps of your old man." The middle-aged man who Padre introduced to us as  Salvatore said to Marco and me.

"I haven't made the decision..."

"You should." Salvatore cut me off before I could finish my statement.
"This is an opportunity that can open doors for you. And it's the best way to protect your family and what is yours."

"You see..." My phone started ringing which cut me off. "Sorry I have to take this."

"Jemma?" I answered the phone concerned.

Jemma was Nicolo's babysitter, and if she's calling me that meant something must be wrong.

"Mr. Romano, something's wrong with Nicolo." She responded

"What?! What's wrong?" I asked immediately standing up from the table.

"I'm not sure but he's come down with a horrible fever. He's burning up."