LUCA
"You need to let that woman go. Your plan failed. She's no use to you anymore."
"Veda is none of your concern, padre."
"How many times do I need to tell you. Luca? Eh? She's a distraction-"
We'd been going round and round with this same conversation for the past hour. "She will be DEAD if she leaves my house! Or worse! I'm not throwing her out to the wolves who are constantly prowling around just waiting for their chance to take me down!" What I'd told Veda earlier was true. My family had enemies, and they were constantly looking for a weak link. Some way to break us apart. And I was quite certain, by now, word about Veda had gotten out. If anyone managed to get their hands on her… I couldn't even think it.
At my outburst, Luigi Morelli leaned back in the dark leather throne he used for a desk chair and leveled his steady gaze at me, but I refused to squirm beneath it like I did when I was a child. As a matter of fact, it'd been many years since I'd felt so intimidated by my father.
"She's a weakness, Luca," he repeated. "Just like Maria was. And look what happened then. Your relationship with her lost us thousands of dollars because you made the mistake of trusting her and her brother. At least Mario had the intelligence to see it for what it was and try to do something about it."
I laughed, long and hard. "Are you trying to make me believe that his killing Maria was his way of trying to help me? To help the family? Is that the bullshit reason he gave you?" My amusement faded fast. "What Mario did was the act of a rat. Family or not, he should've been taken care of years ago."
"He saved us from more bad business dealings with that family."
"He went to the Feds. He went into witness protection. God only knows how much he told them about us. How was that saving this family?"
"That was just an act to throw the Mexicans off. So they would continue to trust us. Continue to trust you."
An uneasy feeling wrapped itself around me. "What exactly are you saying?
"I'm saying that woman you claim loved you so much was taking more than her share of the deal and she was distracting you with her tits and her cunt while her men shorted us in product and still took their full share of the money."
It was suddenly too hot in the room and my lungs couldn't take in enough air, but I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing my reaction. "You're lying. Maria wouldn't have done that. This was all Mario telling you this shit as an excuse to do what he did because he knew you'd fucking believe it. Just like you always believe his bullshit."
My father put his elbows on his desk, lacing his fingers together as his face took on an expression of fatherly concern. One I knew for a fact was nothing but a facade to get information. "Why do you hate your brother so much, Luca? Huh?"
"What the fuck kind of question is that? He murdered the woman I was going to marry."
"Ah…" He waved his hand in the air, his expression sour like something stank. "All dealings aside, that marriage would've never worked, and you know it. The only thing those spicks are good for is fattening my gut with their spicy food and cutting my grass."
My blood boiled at the derogatory term, but I knew better than to try to correct him. The last time I'd tried, he'd backhanded me so hard my teeth had ached for a week, and, more importantly, he'd cut me out of the next deal. I'd lost a lot of money because of it. The bastard. Besides, it wasn't true. I've never had a bad dealing with the cartel. People who didn't know me from Adam had more honor and loyalty than my own fucking family, as long as you followed the rules. And the main reason for that was this man sitting directly across from me. So it wasn't worth my time to argue with him.
And yet…something deep down inside of me had to ask, "Why do you still prefer him?"
"Luca, you know that isn't true…"
"I've been here," I told him. "I'm the one who's here running our business, doing our deals, protecting our family, while that fucker is off taking a fucking vacation with the Feds. And you"-I pointed my finger at him -"you protect him. Every fucking time. Why, padre?"
"Mario is my oldest son. My firstborn. Nothing he's done will change that." He sighed at my expression of disbelief. "Luca, you've known your entire life what that meant for you. Your position in the family right now is only temporary."
"So you can replace me with that rat of a brother?"
He slammed his hands down on his desk. "Enough! Mario is not a rat! Your fratello has made sacrifices for this family. Many sacrifices! Things you don't understand."
This was the first time in a long time we'd spoken so openly. "And I haven't made sacrifices?" I asked him in disbelief. "I haven't been here for the family? I haven't taken hits? All in the name of saving the face of this family?"
"Your brother has what it takes to run this business when I'm gone-"
Fury brought me to my feet. "My brother is a fucking COWARD!" I put my hands on the edge of his desk and met his eyes, so similar to my own. "He goes after women instead of coming for me himself. And you know why, padre? Because he's weak. Because he doesn't have the balls to take me out. Not since we were teenagers, when I began to realize who he really was, and I started working independently to find my place in this family instead of just being Mario's baby brother." I pushed off the desk and straightened my suit jacket, preparing to leave. "I don't know why I bother. You don't hear a fucking word I say."
He was unaffected by my sudden temper. "Luca, you're being overdramatic. You act like your brother has some kind of special target on you. Like he's jealous of you or something." He laughed like that was the most hilarious fucking thing he'd ever heard. When I didn't share his humor, he sobered and gave me a long look before he sighed. "All right, all right. Keep the woman if you want. Use her if it helps keep that damn temper of yours in check. Fuck her until her pussy is worn out and then find a new pet. But don't let that cunt get under your skin. That's your problem, Luca. Under that tough exterior of yours, you're just a romantic at heart. Just like your mother." I half expected him to pat me on the head like a child, and maybe he would have if I was closer.
I realized then that talking to him like this was a waste of my time. My father would always view me as the younger son, a good errand boy, but not worthy of anything important. The second in line for the throne. One who will never have the chance to wear the crown and so is only tolerated, just in case, but never expected to really do anything of importance.
But I knew things that even my father didn't. I wasn't as stupid as he thought. "What Mario told you about Maria was a lie. She never stole from us, and neither did any of her men. But you'll never believe that. You'll never believe me. Believe in me. So I think we can stop pretending that I matter to you at all. I was a fool to ever think otherwise." Taking the cash from my pocket that was his cut of the money I'd laundered through my clubs, I slammed it down on his desk, turned, and walked out, shutting the door behind me.
He didn't try to call me back.