Chapter 48: Chapter Forty Eight

*Enzo*

I sit there in silence as he ignores me while he’s looking through some documents on his table. Uncle Big Tone just casually stands off to the side, leaning against the burning fireplace smoking one of his expensive cigars. I knew what they were trying to do. They were trying to intimidate me. But they forget that I lived this way my entire life with them.

By this point, I was immune to their antics.

It didn’t stop the anxiety of the unpredictable aspects of my father though. He was drawing this out as long as he possibly could, and he knew this was a way to irritate me and get under my skin. I just wanted him to hurry the hell up and get this shit over with so I can leave.

I couldn’t help shifting in the chair getting highly impatient.

“Is there somewhere else more important to be than sitting here with your old man?” He starts out, not even looking up from the documents he was looking over.

I wasn’t playing these games. “In a manner of speaking. I’m highly busy right now.”

That got his attention as his eyes snap up to give me a cold stare. “You seem to forget your place, boy. And this disrespectful act has gone on long enough.” He snaps angrily.

Shoving the papers aside, he leans back in his chair and continues to stare at me coldly. “We have many things to discuss you and I, and one of them is taking over the legacy from me.”

I begin to roll my eyes, getting irritated even more. If this was what he called me in for-

“Enough of that bullshit, Enzo.” His hand slaps the table hard causing both me and Big Tone to job in surprise. “You will take over and you will subject to the ways of the Giordano’s. I gave you plenty of rooming time to do whatever the hell you wanted, giving you freedom to roam around the world, and settle your wild oats, its time to step up and be a damn man you were always meant to be.” He growls.

I stare at him with disbelief. “Settle my wild oats? Freedom? You forced me to run away from you. I went to college because Nano made you accept. I wasn’t just out there playing make believe. I was out there doing what I needed to do to get away from you and this god damn sinkhole you’re trying so hard to push me into. I never wanted to be in your spot, father. I wanted to make something of myself, to do things on my own and grow as an induvial without constantly looking over my shoulder wondering who was following me. I don’t want your life. I want my own.”

“You don’t just get to have your own life, Enzo. You think I had a choice growing up? You think my father is this almighty savior to help you crawl out of the name he created for us; well he isn’t. The side of my old man that you see isn’t the real him. I had to live my life in constant control from that man and the name we were born with. I didn’t get the pleasure to have dreams like you do. We were born into this life, born with the Giordano stamped on our backs and we have to deal with the next generations to come to protect it.”

He stands up and comes around the desk and leans against it, his lips thinned, and his eyebrows furrowed in that forever scowl he wore. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile.

“We don’t get to live like the rest of the world. We all have an obligation. A purpose. And yours is to follow in mine like mine was to follow in my father’s. That’s the hand we were dealt with Enzo, you might as well accept it already.”

“That’s such bullshit and you know it. I don’t want this life and you can’t force me to have it!” I start getting angry, tired of him trying to control me and what I can and can’t do.

“Those shenanigans the last couple of days are over. Did you honestly think I would believe any of that crap that you tried to display against Marvin?”

I scoff incredulously. “You put a spy on me and expect me to just sit back and give you the information of my true objectives just like that? I’m your son, whose twenty-six years old! I don’t need to be babysat by some kid younger than me just to appease your damn curiosity!”

“He was sent out to keep you safe. Not to spy on your misgivings and foolery.” He snaps with such anger the vein in his neck was popping out.

“What the hell are you talking about? Since when did you have a heart on what happens to me? No one’s after me the way they are after you, dad.” I sneer.

“That’s the kind of idiotic bullshit I expect from you Enzo. You think because you’re pulling away from this lifestyle that your life is immune to those enemies around us. You’re my son. You’re Giovanni’s grandson. You have the name Giordano plastered in your DNA. Of course, your life isn’t safe, no matter how hard you try to pull away. And now with this sticky situation your cousin got himself into the two of you are far more in danger than your puny brains believe to be in.”

“I have that under control.” I seethe, hating that he was right on that front.

“Oh really? Because as I see it you’re both making a mess of it. I know where you’re both located at. I wasn’t born yesterday. I know who you really have, and I also know that you’re too stupid to allow a female, who we know nothing about, in your mist along with the other one who just so happens to be a gold digging bloodsucker blindfolding your cousin into believing he’s the only one for her.”

He leans right into my face. “I know everything, Enzo. And you keeping me out of the loop pisses me off more than anything you have ever done since you were born.”

He pulls away and heads back on the other side of the desk and sits back down. Clasping his hands together the next words out of his mouth made my blood run cold.

“I’m taking over the entire situation. From here on out I’ll be dealing with Russo and clean up the mess the two of you created on your own. You should have come to me, Enzo. Not your grandfather. He left the life behind like it never existed to him. You should have known better.”

“We have it under control. We don’t need for you to-” I start to argue but he cuts me off immediately.

“It’s apparent that neither of you know what the hell your doing. This isn’t a playground that you can just getting muddy in and wash off later. This is a serious position Domenico put us all through and him being under your guidance, leaving him astray, is only proving to me that you aren’t fit to do this on your own.”

He snatches the papers he discarded before. “I’ll be taking over. I received a phone call from that dipshit Dario Moretti trying to fucking threaten me. Me of all people. When he started spouting about some damn fiancé I felt like he had the wrong person until Dom’s name was mentioned.”

He tosses the papers in my direction forcing me to pick them up. Looking at them I sigh heavily seeing they were the emails that Dom sent to Russo blackmailing him for his daughter’s hand in marriage. I don’t bother reading any of it since I was well aware of what was written.

“First thing I want to know is what exactly it is that Domenico has on Russo. Second is whether his kid is worth all the gold that’s shining on this new opportunity we have in our grasp.”

The first part wasn’t anything I wasn’t expecting, but when he mentioned Gabby my head snaps up and I stare at him, my entire body filling with lead of dread.

“What do you mean by that?” I ask carefully.

“This gives us the upper hand on things. Assets, companies, stocks. Blackmailing is one thing because Russo can find a way to counteract it. Like killing off your cousin to keep his mouth shut, which we won’t let happen.”

For the first time through this entire conversation my uncle Big Tone makes a grunting noise of agreement, reminding me he was still in this room with us.

“But we have his flesh and blood, and it makes me wonder just how far will he go to keep her safe.”

I lean up in my chair giving my old man the death stare. “Nothing you do will cause any harm to Gabby.” I grit my teeth.

He gives me a mean look right back. “Lacking my abilities as a negotiator? Or are you threatening me right now, boy?”

“She’s an innocent in all this. And this isn’t a debate where she’s concerned, father. She will not get a single scratch on her head, nor will her body be harmed in any way, shape or form.” I was beginning to breath a little harder now, my instincts kicking in to protect her from everything.

Even my old man.

His demeanor suddenly changes. “Whatever it is you have going on with that girl will end now. She’s a Russo and we don’t fraternize with anyone with the filthy blood of that kind. And I’ll be damned if I allow my own flesh and blood be contaminated by the likes of that family.”