The Next Don
Max
They’re all against me. Every single one of them is plotting for my woman to date my cousin.
This isn’t right.
I want to shout at them that Fiona’s mine. That they need to get on board with the two of us being together for the rest of our lives. Well, more like the five of us.
My family could go from two to five in just a few weeks. I lean my head back against the couch and stare up at the ceiling.
“There you are.” My father walks into the library. “Everyone is finally gone.”
Before I got to have a real conversation with Fiona.
Dad walks into the room towards the little bar cart in the corner and stops. “What’s wrong with you? Are you worrying about Everett?”
He’s some of the worry. “We need to get that chip out of him or a name…a location, something to help us find these guys to take them out.”
“Everett needs to learn to trust us first. Really trust us. He only just found Maddox’s group. Now, all of a sudden, he’s brought into a family that he can’t even start to understand.” Dad continues towards the cart. “Want another?”
I didn’t notice that I finished my drink. “Nah. I’m good, thanks.” We let an unknown boy move into our house. How much more can we show him that we trust him, and that he can trust us? “I’m not big on patience right now.”
“With you on that. Your mother had a sister who she never got to know. It makes me angry and sad.”
And slightly murderous, I’d bet. “Life stinks sometimes.”
Dad nods and sits down next to me on the couch. “We just protect our family the best we can through all the world throws at us.”
What happens when the best isn’t good enough?
“Then you stand up and fight some more. That’s all we can do.”
Did Dad read my mind, or did I say that out loud? Either one is possible.
“Fiona and her sister are good people.”
Yeah, I know. Well, I don’t know much about Daria, but Fiona’s sister has to be a wonderful person.
“She’s great with Hope and all the other kids on Willow Street.
” One of the best parts of my day is watching her with the kids.
Her endless patience and kindness might be what attracts me to her the most.
“That baby…” Dad shakes his head.
“I don’t know how she can give him back.”
“Maybe she thinks she has to.”
Huh?
“Fiona doesn’t have a family. It’s just her and her sister. She might want that baby to have everything she didn’t get a chance to have. By not adopting him, she’s giving him a chance at a family.”
A family.
“How long has it been since we’ve had a baby in this house?”
Milia hasn’t been one for over fourteen years. “Too long.”
“Your mother wouldn’t mind having another one around.”
WHAT? “Then why did you send her home with Gabe?”
My father grins. “I knew you were interested in her.”
“Dad?”
“Because Gabe isn’t. He told me that you two are going to be the cutest couple when you stop dancing around each other.”
What? “Then why did the idiot flirt with her all night?” I almost punched him so many times.
“Because Mom told him to.” Dad grins.
“Nonna and I are going to have a chat.”
Dad laughs.
“This isn’t funny. This is my life we’re talking about.”
“Are you sure it’s that serious?”
That’s the question. “I think so.”
“But?”
“I always thought there was just one. You waited forever for Mom to come back. What if I do this and in a few years find out that what I feel for her is nothing like I did for Ivy?”
Dad chuckles. “Close your eyes. Think about your future. Not tomorrow, but ten years from now. What do you see?”
“Fiona with a baby in her arms and a few playing around on the ground with Daria and Hope while Dash climbs on the monkey bars.”
“Exactly. You don’t need to worry about not loving her enough. You need to worry about convincing that woman to marry you.”
“Then why did you send her off with Gabe?” It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t want to fall for her. Fiona is too sweet and beautiful for any man to ignore for long.
“Because we need to talk before that woman and all the family drama takes all your attention.”
Talk. That sounds ominous. “About what?”
“I convinced your mother to retire or semi-retire.”
“And?” What does this have to do with me?
Dad lifts his glass to his lips and stares at the fire for a long moment. “I need to do the same for her.”
What? “What does that even mean?” Dad works, but most of his income now is based on family business or is passive.
“I could keep an eye on your business investments if you want.”
“That’s not what I need. Though, thank you for the offer. I need to semi-retire.”
The only other — “Dons don’t retire. They die. Are you sick?”
“No. But there’s a lot of work that goes into running this family. Your great-uncle trained me for years before his death. I was able to take some of the burden off of him when he needed it.”
Dad works more than a full-time job, taking care of everyone. “Dad, I want to help, but—”
“You don’t have time.” He turns to face me.
“I thought about that. You have a brilliant business mind and would be the perfect choice, but I don’t think you have the time or energy to do it.
Especially since you’re about to add a family into the mix.
You can’t run a multinational corporation and take care of the family. ”
But that doesn’t make sense. Why is he — “You’re checking to see if it would hurt me if you asked someone else.”
“More than that. I’d want you to be there for him—their consigliere, if you want to use the proper term—to help him. You’re an amazing strategist with a broad knowledge base. Would you be willing to support the man I choose and help him care for this family?”
“Absolutely.” That would be the best of both worlds. “You know I’ll always do what’s best for the family.”
“Good. When he retires, I’m going to ask Gabe to start preparing for the job.”
What?
“Don’t look so shocked.”
“But Gabe is a football player.”
“That doesn’t make him a meathead. He actually got two degrees while playing football.”
I know that. Gabe isn’t stupid. But it’s hard to picture him as the head of the Vincenti Family. Maybe that’s just my brain rejecting the thought because him taking power means my dad is dead. “You’re right. I think he would make a fine choice.”
Dad nods. “Your great-uncle would approve.”
He would done way more than approve. Great-Uncle Antonio would love that.