Chapter 4 #2
“My mother was Portuguese like her; she was the most beautiful woman in the world to me until I met my late wife. If Lucille can spare an extra server… I’ll take her.” Di Lucas swirled his cognac for a beat before taking another sip.
Luca smiled for the first time in years then took a seat.
Nothing changed with Di Lucas. Luca wouldn’t be surprised if his grandfather was still having sex.
He was a natural flirt, very smooth and player with his words when it came to women.
Besides his grandmother, he had a cold line up of women at his beck and call.
When Di Lucas retired from the mob, he relocated with his women to Thailand. The country had whispered to him decades ago when he vacationed there with his wife a little bit before she died. He moved because Thailand asked nothing of him except that he exist and live the rest of his days in peace.
There were no old vendettas in the background out there for Di Lucas to watch for.
It felt good to take a walk by his house without having to look over his shoulder.
Out there, his name didn’t ring bells, but his wealth did.
Whenever the Grand Reaper came to collect, he was prepared to exit with a smile on his face.
Fully satisfied. Life was easy, his house was surrounded by beautiful greenery and staff that loved and adored him.
Di Lucas turned slightly, studying his grandson. A half smirk graced the old man’s face, taking note of the clean cut and attire attached to Luca. He was proud of him without Luca having to prove anything to him in actions.
“Good to see you, Pops,” Luca’s voice scraped out harshly.
Luca picked and chose who to bless with his voice.
His grandfather knew sign language fluently, but Luca didn’t want him to sign to him.
When he was six, a blade was sliced through muscle and nerve, grazing his voice box and stealing the strength of his sound.
Doctors saved his life but not his voice.
When he spoke it burned, and tea became his aid.
The warmth of it soothed the damage and the lemon cut through the tightness.
Ginger calmed the ache, it also smoothed his raspy whisper into something that let him be heard without suffering.
Together the men quietly waited to speak until the server returned.
She placed the cup gently into Luca’s hands.
He signed thank you before she walked away.
He blew at the top then took a slow sip.
Relief spread instantly. Di Lucas watched him over the rim of his cognac glass.
He tossed back the remnants of what was left in the cup then finally spoke.
“I stayed for you… Lucille placed some men to watch over me until it’s time for me to go back overseas.” He chuckled dryly.
Luca knew that what his grandfather said was partially true. Di Lucas was a great observer like himself. Leave it up to Di Lucas, he had all the answers about who killed his son.
“I’m not here to tell you how to run shit. This…” He gestured his hands outwards. “Is all rightfully yours.” Di Lucas winked.
“Everything is frozen until I get answers,” Luca said evenly.
The breeze shifted as the men embraced a silent stare off.
“I talk to my son that day,” Di Lucas stated simply.
Luca’s chest tightened, his nerves eased. Finally, someone spoke about the day his father was murdered. He was disappointed in Lucille for not giving him any kind of closure. It made him distance himself from her, and she became a suspect and Luca hated that because he loved her just as dearly.
“He spent the morning alone, even ate brunch by himself. After that, he sent the staff off. You know how he liked to meditate without interruptions. By nightfall, he was in his penthouse suite downtown…the one about six miles from yours.” Di Lucas licked his lips and frowned.
He picked up a small golden bell and shook it. He needed another drink, talking about his son and the day he died twisted up his insides.
“That’s where they found my boy. One shot to the head, the other to the chest.” Di Lucas spat out bitterly.
Luca closed his eyes for half a breath as his grandfather continued to talk.
“Footage of the building?” Luca whispered.
“Scraped, every camera on that floor and on the outside malfunctioned for exactly forty-two minutes. Which is long enough for a person to handle their fucking business,” Di Lucas gritted out.
Luca’s jaw flexed, anger soared to an all-time high inside of him.
His teeth grinded against each other as the server came out with a polite smile.
She handed Di Lucas another crystal filled glass of cognac.
He nodded his appreciation and told her to bring another in ten minutes.
Once she disappeared and shut the door behind her, he continued.
“His capo was out of town. He had business over in Chicago. Every blooded man who worked for him, or next to him, had an alibi. Wherever they claimed to be checked out, backed by witnesses that I personally tracked. His death was too neat and final for a Don like my son.” Di Lucas’ voice cracked with emotion.
The old man clutched his chest like it was too painful to breathe.
“Any women?” Luca asked, opening his eyes.
Di Lucas shook his head.
“That’s the hole. Nobody knows who he was with.
No escort booked under his name from House of Angels, which I knew…
he’d never go that low on Lucille. None of his mistresses claimed to be with him either, but if there was one of them…
they weren’t new. I looked every whore in the eyes that came to the funeral.
Lucille killed one that claimed to have bastard sons by him. ”
Luca’s gaze drifted across the estate grounds, his thoughts moved swiftly in his head.
His father had other kids that he was never introduced to because of Lucille.
He knew how they looked and their names but never was allowed a relationship with his half siblings.
He knew that his father was a part of all of their lives and took care of his kids and women both financially and emotionally.
His grandfather took back his cognac then slammed the glass down so hard it chipped a little at the bottom. It took him some time to lean forward slowly. He wiped the remnants of the liquor from his salt and pepper beard and spoke harshly above a whisper.
“Start with those whores of his…every woman whoever laid in his bed.” He bowed his head in sadness.
“It hurts me to say this, son.” He stared into Luca’s eyes unblinking.
“Include Lucille as well. I’ll understand if you can’t bring yourself to murder her if it checks out…
however you and I both need closure. I won’t be able to rest properly without knowing who made me bury my son before he could bury me. ”
Luca’s eyes widened just a bit, emotion breaking through on his stone set face.
Since his meeting with his mother, he tried his hardest to shut down those accusations.
Her not wanting to talk about his father’s death left a bitter taste in his mouth.
He also knew that if his grandfather been out here doing foot work then some shit smelled funny to him.
Di Lucas was showing respect in recognizing who the new Don was, but made it clear to Luca that he expected answers.
It was a bad look for a Don not to have proper answers to what happen. People made up stories, some even claimed to take the Don out themselves for the credit that followed with it.
“Betrayal don’t always come from enemies…
sometimes it be the person that sleep next to you.
Eat with you…and call you family. I’ve learned the hard way over the years.
I’m not saying that your mother had anything to do with it…
but she knows something. Something has been keeping that woman busy and away from here…
Maybe it’s me being in her space.” He shrugged and chuckled dryly.
“There’s been bloodshed from her hands, I’ve seen raw emotions as well. Your uncle came from my ball sack and crossed me in many ways.” Di Lucas shook his head, face frowned in utter disgust for his first born.
Silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken names. Di Lucas didn’t hold back, he didn’t candy coat nothing. Luca appreciated the old man and his raw bluntness. Luca took another sip of tea, letting the warmth settle his throat.
“I’m not keeping the same table.” He cleared his throat. “I’m bringing in new blooded men, no blood ties to my father’s generation. I served time with two of them, they proved themselves. The other’s, Roy and I have vetted and known since we were young,” Luca’s whisper was clearer and steadier.
“I know you well, my son.” Di Lucas smiled.
“I sat with the table against Lucille’s wishes.
The table is now empty, pockets were greased and those men families inherited generational wealth.
There will be no problems nor push backs from any of them.
Handle things from here how you see fit.
Everything will be fine being on pause for a couple of weeks while you take care of what’s important.
” Di Lucas’ mouth curved, but it didn’t form into a smile, more like a sneer.
“Your father cleared out the old table when I left. That is how you bring in a new proper era—” Di Lucas paused his words to take a new glass from the server filled with more cognac.
He licked his lips before taking a sip, eyes glued to her backside as she sashayed away.
“I got to negotiate her with Lucille, her beauty speaks to my old soul,” Di Lucas said in a hushed tone.
“You don’t inherit power, Luca. You remake it,” he continued, sitting the glass down.
Luca met his gaze. Approval flickered across Di Lucas’ face without any reservation.
“So let me rephrase my first statement from earlier… I stayed to have some answers for you that I knew nobody would tell you. I also stayed to see if you had your father’s heart…or his mind…Turns out, you got both.” He nodded his head with a genuine smile.
The wind moved through the trees again, steady and cool.
Di Lucas thought about his other grandson and frowned.
Kentrell reminded him of his son Lennox.
It hurt him to his soul how things turned out to be with both men.
He regretted not killing Lennox when he had the perfect opportunity.
He looked Luca in the eyes and saw that his grandson would be able to put an end to the disloyalty that tainted the Bonetti legacy.
There were sins committed that couldn’t be forgiven.
Di Lucas had the answers he needed but wanted his grandson to figure out while learning a painful lesson and new reality.
He knew that Luca had the ability to lead and would hold court for all the wrongdoing of his bloodline without having to intervene.
“Kentrell brings dishonor to the Bonetti legacy as well. He’s got a whore out in the ghetto by the name of Tracy.
She’s over on the Southside of L.A. He got twin young boys by her, by the name of Cain and Abel.
He does not acknowledge them…to busy stuffing his nose with poison and sticking his dick in any available hole.
Look into those boys; they have our last name. ”
“Kentrell and I don’t speak… I have no words for him, as long as he keeps his distance.” Luca’s words came out slow but his point was made.
He took another sip of tea, cleared his throat and continued.
“Once I have a visit with my new fiancé, I will pay a visit to Cain and Abel.”
Di Lucas nodded his head.
“I had one of my men bring them to me… They are eight years old, looks like Kentrell and their behavior matches their dad. Their mother Tracy was busy on her back and didn’t even notice they were snatched. I sent them back before midnight with money, toys, and guns.” Di Lucas smiled sinisterly.
“Guns?” Luca raised a thick brow.
Di Lucas shrugged casually like it was normal.
“They curse, walk with their underwear showing. Cain told me he was a Y.N.A or a W.Y.N… I don’t know what that means but it sounds horrible.
I almost whooped Abel’s clumsy ass for stepping on my big toe purposely.
They threatened to beat me and my men asses if we didn’t take them back home to their whore of a mother. ” Di Lucas laughed.
“Whoop their asses for me and get them in line. Their living conditions are beneath them when they are young royalty. Kentrell don’t need to raise them, they need a better example.” Di Lucas’ words were clipped short followed by a stiff yawn.
“I’ll set them up.” Luca smiled.
“Good, now our meeting is over… Make sure you come see me in five days before I leave.”
The wind moved through the trees and whipped across Luca’s face.
He simply nodded his head, sipped his tea as vengeance carved deeper into his chest. The hunt had officially begun.
Both men sat with heavy thoughts, each carrying different paths and plans.
The first person he emotionally detached himself from was Lucille.
He couldn’t allow his love for his mother to cloud his judgment while trying to figure out who killed Dontrell Bonetti.
Anybody that had a hand in his father’s death was as good as gone.