Chapter 12
Romero watched his wife enjoy the simple breakfast his chef prepared. As the morning drew on, his many staff rolled in.
His most important men always came first, usually lounging in his office while they waited for him to come down. The tell tale scent of his consigliere’s favorite cigar wafting through the house was a giveaway. The under boss’ cane thudding through the doorway was also an indicator.
Then his chef followed shortly after. He usually offered his men the freshest bread hot from the oven, but he also periodically fed the rest of his staff throughout the day.
The gardeners, maids, and landscapers came and went as well, depending on when their work was complete. His butler was trusted to see to the daily operations of Romero”s home, and was usually the last man to leave at night.
This left his security, who worked on rotation morning and night.
The system ran like a well-oiled machine, just as Romero ran his enterprise.
He dreaded needing to break the news to Lucrezia that he would be held up in meetings with his second-in-command and counselor for the rest of the morning.
Knowing full well it would be reminiscent of her former husband”s flighty behavior, Romero expected to be dodging their breakfast dishes as, surely, it would incur Lucrezia”s wrath.
Once their meal was over, and his newspaper was thoroughly read, Romero leaned in close to his new bride.
”Perla, I hate to do this. But I have to meet with two very important people. They help me keep all of this running, and we usually meet once a week to discuss things in depth here. Unfortunately, that day falls on today.”
Lucrezia”s smile immediately fell from her sweet face, and her shoulders sank. In that moment, Romero felt no better than Carlo; abandoning his wife to engage in something she could have no part in.
He considered telling his underboss and consigliere to accept his wife being in the room while they talked.
But Romero couldn”t allow that, either. He promised himself that Lucrezia would not be heavily involved in his dealings.
Disappearing not even twenty-four hours into the marriage just like Carlo wasn”t exactly helping the situation, either.
He inwardly growled. Sometimes, he hated this life.
”Oh...I understand.” Lucrezia”s smile returned.
It was tight, forced, and barely enough to keep her true feelings pushed to the side.
She didn”t have a good poker face.
”Lucrezia, if you”re upset about this, then I want you to tell me.”
”I”m not.”
Romero raised a brow. ”No lying to Daddy, perla.”
Lucrezia downcast her eyes. If Romero looked close enough, he could see liquid form along her lower lids.
He felt his chest crack, the pain even worse than every single time combined that he had been shot in his line of work.
He”d take that over the agony of seeing his wife cry every day of the week.
”Lucrezia, look at me.” Romero palmed her cheek.
She sniffed and blinked back the tears.
”I”m not Carlo Russo. Whatever thoughts are circling your mind right now are tricking you. I won”t repeat what he did to you. Wherever I go, you”ll go, too. I”m not leaving this house. We”re meeting in my office.” He pointed in that direction.
Her eyes followed his finger.
”I”m sorry,” his wife murmured once she was convinced that he wouldn”t be leaving.
”You have nothing to be sorry for. I understand. It”ll take me an hour or two, then I”m all yours. All right?”
Lucrezia brought her hand up to his, leaning into his palm.
The simple act satisfied his fear that she would despise him, but he was still loath to part with her.
Romero cursed himself for not having prepared leisure activities for her in times like this where he would be unable to be physically with her.
”Tell you what, you can come to the office with me for a few minutes and say hello. Then, I think there”s an abhorrent amount of wedding presents in one of the spare rooms upstairs that could definitely use some sorting through.”
He watched his wife”s face brighten up.
”There were a lot of gifts.”
”Why don”t you ask one of the house keepers to find Tony and bring Maria over. I think she”s off on Wednesdays.”
A look of worry passed over her features when one of his maids happened to walk by and collect their plates.
The older woman slowed her movements as she anticipated an order.
”Um...I don”t want to be rude,” Lucrezia leaned in close with a whisper, clearly uncomfortable with her newfound position.
Romero nodded and held her hand.
”Louisa, will you please have Tony call his daughter and ask if she”d like to come by?”
”Right away, sir. Ma”am,” she addressed them both before hurrying away to complete her task.
”You”re the lady of the house now, perla. I”d like for you to be comfortable in your place here, but I know you may not be comfortable giving directions.”
Lucrezia slowly nodded, hugging herself.
”I do better receiving orders.”
”I see what I do for you more as guidance than ordering you around. But I know this isn”t what you”re used to. We”ll take it slow.”
Romero then took her by the hand and brought her to the study. Charlie, his consigliere, and Johnny, his underboss, immediately stood when they entered. When they realized Lucrezia was on his arm, they quickly smoothed their coats and removed their hats.
”Ma”am.” They both said in unison.
”Charlie, Johnny.” Romero jerked his head as he addressed them both. ”This is Lucrezia, my wife.”
”A pleasure to meet you Mrs. Mancini.” Johnny bowed his head, wisely not reaching out his hand to shake.
The older man relied heavily on his cane and was old enough to be Romero’s grandfather. He looked somewhat like him, too, with nearly all white hair beneath his hat and a tanned, wrinkled face. Johnny was a kindly, but at times, a very cold man.
”Hello. I”m sorry, I don”t believe I saw you at the reception last night,” Lucrezia spoke to his men with elegant poise, but she still squeezed his hand.
”We were in attendance, but we also have a sort of unspoken rule; we don”t mix our business with pleasure. Besides, Romero would have probably shot us if we diverted his attention away from his lovely bride.” Charlie winked, prompting Lucrezia to shyly shrink away while still maintaining her soft smile.
Charlie was a man around Romero’s age. His hair was neatly slicked back with a prominent widow”s peak. The darkness of his eyes were a stark contrast to his smile, but Romero knew full well that Charlie could be just as ruthless as he could.
Romero lifted a brow at Charlie, a silent warning not to make her uncomfortable again.
He looked down at Lucrezia, rubbing her tense shoulder.
”Maria will be here soon to help you upstairs, sweetheart. I”ll be up in a little while.”
Lucrezia nodded, side-eyeing Charlie and Johnny before accepting his chaste kiss.
Romero watched her scurry away with a growl. As much as he would”ve liked to stake his claim for any and all to see, he wouldn”t make her a spectacle.
He turned back to his men with a clap of his hands.
”Let”s begin.”
◆◆◆
Johnny tossed the mornings folded up newspaper on Romero”s desk.
”I”m surprised you didn”t make the front page. You both looked wonderful. It would”ve made a pretty picture.”
He made a square with his fingers.
”I had men surrounding the church making sure no photographers could sneak up on us. I don”t want her image out there anymore than I want my own. We keep our heads down around here, boys. No extra attention.”
Romero swirled his icy glass and took a swig.
”I know, I know. Your uncle got the family in some pretty hot water. I get it.”
”Hot water is an understatement. Because of what he did, this whole empire almost crumbled. I won”t let what nearly happened to my mother happen to Lucrezia.”
Romero rubbed his temple that throbbed at the memory of armed soldiers from the family his uncle screwed over barging into their home, demanding what their boss was owed. Romero was young then and wholly unprepared for the dangers of mob life, even though uncle Tomasso was supposed to be grooming him to take his place when the time came.
He”d never forget the sound of his mother being beaten and her clothing torn, the soldiers preparing to do the worst. Some of his own teeth were knocked out of his skull as he was held back by one man and beaten to a pulp by another.
By the grace of God, the last remaining loyal men to the Mancini family came crashing in, succeeding at aiding Romero in bringing order.
In response to the attack, Romero sent the men back to their boss in pieces, just as he and his mother surely would have been had they not won the power struggle.
That day, Romero was no longer a boy, but a man whose hands had touched blood.
”It was the Esposito”s, wasn”t it?”
Romero cocked his head, not completely hearing what Charlie said.
”The Esposito”s. That”s who your uncle betrayed.”
Betrayed was also an understatement.
”Salvatore Esposito. Once upon a time, the Mancini”s and the Esposito”s were going to share their resources. Tomasso promised Mother’s hand to Salvatore in exchange for a share in the speakeasies. Of course, Mother was never actually informed of this. Then Salvatore invested for Tomasso to double the rum runners and even open up another establishment where they would be co-owners. Problem was that Tomasso never intended on paying him back and strung Sal along. He went into hiding with the money. Probably used it to pay off his other bad debts. I honestly don”t even know. After that, Sal”s soldiers burst in on me and my mother. She was almost...”
Romero let his eyes close, no longer interested in reliving the memory. His two best men got the idea and hung their heads.
“Tomasso reappeared months later, but he was in bad shape. He went to Sal and paid him back, and that was the end of it. Probably was the only decent thing that man ever did. After that, he died a miserable death, and that’s more than he deserved.”
”Jesus.” Johnny took a drag off his cigarette.
”Well, let me be the first to say that we”ve had a very peaceful eighteen years with you at the helm, Romero.”
”I”ll cheer to that.” Charlie raised his glass.
The men continued about their meeting while Romero kept his image of Lucrezia at the forefront of his mind. This business, this enterprise; it wasn”t just for him anymore. This would secure her future and their childrens’.