Undressed By The Mafia God

He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "I don’t know anything about it either. All Don gave me was an address."

"God help us."

Soon, some of the men began to approach. One lieutenant offered a respectful bow of his head.

"Donna," he said. "Congratulations on the baby."

Veronica smiled. "Thank you."

Another man followed. Then another. Their faces softened when they spoke of the child. Veronica handled it beautifully.

She thanked them, asked after their wives, their children. She remembered names Luca had mentioned only once.

Luca watched her with pride. This was what they did not understand. Veronica did not need a throne to rule a room. She did not need to be cruel or hardened. She entered people gently, found their human parts.

That was power too.

One of the older lieutenants stepped forward. His name was Aldo.

"You will make an amazing Don, Luciano," Aldo said. "We have always been proud of you."

Luca inclined his head slightly. "Careful, Aldo. Sentiment ages a man."

A few nervous laughs moved through the group.

Aldo smiled, then turned to Veronica. His tone warmed with respect. "And we cannot wait to have you as Donna here."

She smiled. "Do not let Don hear you say that."

"Don Massimo is retiring soon," the man said, as casually as if he had announced the weather. "I thought you knew."

Both Veronica and Luca turned towards Massimo so fast they might have given themselves matching neck injuries.

Across the courtyard, Massimo stood among his men, looking entirely too relaxed. He was speaking to one of the men, posture easy, expression calm.

The old bastard did not even have the courtesy to give him a heads up.

"What the fuck," Luca muttered under his breath.

Veronica stared at him. "You didn’t know?"

"No."

Her brows lifted. "Your father announced his retirement to the famiglia and forgot to mention it to you?"

"He ambushed me."

Veronica looked from Luca to Massimo again, her smile fading as the meaning of the announcement sank deeper. "What does that even translate to?" she asked quietly.

"I don’t know yet," Luca said. His eyes never left his father. "But I intend to find out."

And he did. He behaved until the guests left, which, frankly, was a remarkable display of restraint and should have earned him applause.

By the time the courtyard emptied, David’s body had been taken away, the men dispersed, and the house settled back into its quiet. The family retreated into the living area.

Massimo poured himself a drink. Veronica lowered herself carefully onto a sofa, watching father and son and choosing not to get involved in this particular conversation.

"Were you ever going to tell me you had already announced your retirement?" Luca demanded.

Massimo glanced at him over the rim of his glass. "It was going to come up at some point." he shrugged.

"I thought we talked about this," Luca snapped. "I am not leaving New York."

"I did not ask you to."

"Then why would you announce your retirement?"

"Because I am retiring."

"Father."

"You may keep New York."

"You do not retire without naming a successor," Luca said. "And you cannot name me successor here while I remain in New York." Luca stepped closer to his father. "What have you done?"

Massimo set his glass down. "I have done what I should have done years ago...I have decided it is time for me to have some peace. I will be leaving to be with your mother in Singapore."

"Of course," Luca said, his voice hardening again. "This is about her."

"You’re damn straight this is about her. I have sacrificed everything for the famiglia," Massimo said. "Everything. Your mother. Our life. Years I cannot recover. Peace I never had. Sons I raised inside violence because that was what the name demanded. I gave this family my blood, my hands, my youth, my love."

Massimo’s mouth twisted. "I might as well spend what is left of my life with her."

Luca looked away for a second. He understood wanting to choose the woman you loved.

"I am getting too old," Massimo said. "My reflexes are not what they were. Would you wait until someone ended it with a bullet to my brain?"

"So... what does this mean?" Luca demanded.

"If you do not want the famiglia, your cousin gets it."

Luca stared at him. Then his eyes widened. "Elio?!"

"Yes, Elio."

"Father, he knows nothing about the famiglia. Dude was raised like a prince in a castle."

Massimo’s patience snapped. "Luca, what would you have me do?" he yelled. "What? Tell me. Haven’t I given enough?"

Luca had no response to that. Massimo had indeed given enough. Too much, perhaps. His son. His own soul, piece by piece, and the woman he had lost.

Don.

Such a small word for something that ate so much.

"It should have always been you. It was always supposed to be you," Massimo said. "Between you and Julian, there was no comparison. None. The famiglia knew it. I knew it. Every man with eyes knew it. The famiglia decided long ago that it would be you. Not because you are my son. Because you were built for it."

Massimo looked briefly pained, but pressed on. "And to top it all, you found yourself a woman who has earned her place as Donna." He gestured towards Veronica. "Do you think they do not see her? Do you think these men are blind? She survived what would have broken others. She has earned their respect."

"Of course they are excited for you to take over," Massimo said. "You already have what I did not. I did not have a Donna."

"Father..." Luca sighed.

"I’m happy for you, Luca," Massimo said quietly. "Truly, I am. I admit, I had my reservations in the beginning." Massimo’s gaze flicked towards Veronica. "I thought history would repeat itself. I thought Regina would tuck her tail in like your mother and run."

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