Mafia Legacy

Chapter Two-Charlotte

Our trip to Maine went by in a blur. I knew Luca wasn't thrilled about going to my reunion, but we ended up having a good time, and then we spent the rest of our getaway relaxing. And by relaxing I mean barely leaving the bedroom, and bit of sightseeing mixed in. It was fun to be there again after all these years, and I got to show Luca some of my old stomping grounds. We even went by the house my mom and Josh lived in, where he first came to visit and we caught crabs in the back with Noah. It was crazy to think about how long ago that was now. Before we left, we even drove by the cemetery and I took a bouquet to Josh's grave. It wasn't up to our usual vacation standards, but it was still nice for just the two of us to get away.

Things had been busy the last few years now that the kids were growing up. It felt like we were all moving in a million directions, but Luca was always adamant about craving out time just for us. He was starting to pull back more and more from the mafia and I would be lying if I said that didn't excite me a little. He had devoted so much of himself to the family over the years, and I knew we were both looking forward to the day he could step away for good. The fate of the family was still up in the air, but I think Luca was still holding out hope Leo would be interested in taking it over. Our children knew what Luca did, but we shielded them from the darker sides of it all as best we could, especially after Lucy had been taken. It was a shock to both of our systems and, somehow, Luca agreed not to involve any of the kids until they were at least eighteen. We agreed that at that point, they would be free to make their own decisions about their involvement, but that they couldn't be around it until that point came.

Leo would be eighteen next year and I could tell Luca was chomping at the bit to introduce him to it. It pained me to admit, but I could already tell Leo would be an incredible leader—just like his father. He was strong and had such a commanding but endearing personality. I knew Luca saw the potential too, but he didn't voice it because he didn't want to upset me. It wouldn't be my first choice, but if any of our children wanted to continue on their father's legacy, I would respect that. I had years to come to terms with the fact that at least the boys probably would, and deep down, I knew how proud it made Luca. It terrified me to think of my boys in that position, just like it always had with Luca, but I also understood the appeal of it. I had much different feelings about the mafia than I did when I first met him, and couldn't have imagined my life without it. My relationship with the mafia would always be very bittersweet.

Luca pulled the car into the driveway and reached over, setting his hand on my thigh. "You seem like you're a million miles away right now." He gave me a curious look.

I smiled wanly. "I'm just thinking."

"Care to elaborate?" Luca arched his eyebrow at me.

"Nothing important." I shook my head.

Twenty years together had made Luca an absolute expert in reading me, but he didn't press me on the issue.

"Do you want me to go pick up something for dinner?" He asked, getting out of the car and grabbing our bags.

"That's okay. We'll be going out Tuesday with Layla, so I'll cook something tonight." I said, opening up the door and walking into the kitchen.

Luca frowned, setting our stuff down on the counter. "We're going out? I thought she was coming here."

I shrugged. "She changed her mind. I told her we'd meet her halfway, so they didn't have to drive a far."

Luca groaned, rolling his eyes. "How the fuck and I supposed to intimate the kid if we're in a public setting?"

"Uh, babe..." I giggled. "I think that's her reasoning. And just so we're clear, you're not bringing a gun to the restaurant either."

Luca threw his arms in the air. "What good is it to have guns if I can't have them out when I meet my daughter's boyfriend for the first time?"