3. Chapter 2 #3
Uncle Atlas shifted in his seat and I knew he was uncomfortable.
We all were, thinking about the things I’d have to do.
And not only would I have to do those things, I’d have to act unaffected by it.
“Is there any legitimacy to the rumor that the Vitale’s have gotten heavily into the sex trade and opened a brothel? ”
Apollo nodded. “Yes. The brothel isn’t officially up and running, but will be by the end of the summer. Lucian is very heavily involved in the sex trade, though. His involvement has really ramped up in the last year.”
My dad cleared his throat. “Do we think he’ll expect Tucker to try to break in new girls?”
My head whipped to him, then back to Uncle Apollo. “What?! Like, he’d expect me to rape those women?”
Apollo’s jaw tensed. “I expect that he’ll require Alessandro to partake in breaking in the women.
He’ll want his men to see that his heir is capable of handling that part of the business.
I don’t expect him to require Tucker to do this as he’s promised to his daughter, and we’ve made our stance on extra marital affairs very well known.
However, I do think he’ll make you watch while it’s going on.
Possibly restrain the women before it begins.
Something to show his men that you are also capable of handling this part of the family business. ”
My head was shaking, my mouth opening and closing, but words wouldn’t come out.
“Your soul is going to change after this summer.” Apollo’s eyes held a sadness to them I’d never seen before.
“I’m so very sorry that you have to go through this, Tuck.
I wish there was another way around it. But know that I’m here for you, we all are, but I’ve been through some of the things you’re going to go through.
I’m more than happy to talk about it whenever you need.
I think Silver may be able to help you figure out how to manage the demons that will inhabit your soul after this as well. ”
My dad let out a sigh. “You just have to survive. Any time you think that it’s too much or you think that you can’t possibly go through with it, remember what’s at stake. You’re not doing this because you’re a monster. You’re doing it to save your family from the actual monster.”
A lot of things started to click into place. “This is why you said that you don’t condone killing for no reason, but that statement has taken on a new meaning over the last twenty years.”
He nodded. “Yes. I feel certain you’ll have to kill at least one person. There’s a good chance that person will be innocent. But so are all the people you’re protecting by carrying out that order.”
“You have to keep your emotions locked away any time you’re not behind your locked bedroom door, or mine.
” Apollo handed me a little black plastic box.
“This will turn off security cameras in a thirty foot vicinity. Make sure that it’s planted in your room and on, but don’t use it in common spaces in the house. ”
“Why?”
Atlas was the one to respond. “Lucian could see its use as a reason to not trust you. You’re trying to avoid his eyes, so you must be up to something sneaky.”
It made sense. “But won’t he feel that way if I use it in my room?”
Dad shook his head. “No. In theory, the rooms he sets up you, Apollo, and security in are considered Givenchy territory. Invading that space's privacy would be an insult to our family. Now, we don’t put it past him to try, which is why all of those rooms will have one of those boxes. If he brings it up, that means he’s breaking the honor code that the mafia families have all agreed upon. ”
“So you’re saying that him having cameras and listening devices in our rooms is an act of war?” Dad and Apollo nodded. “And why does that matter? I thought we couldn’t take him on.”
Atlas leaned forward with a smirk. “Because if he violates this with us, someone that he has an alliance with through this upcoming marriage, it means that no one can trust him. And if the other four families of the syndicate think they can’t trust him to hold to their truce, then they’ll strike first. If he’s fighting those four families, he likely won’t survive, but also won't have the forces to fight us.”
“Okay. Anything else?”
My dad stood and came around the desk to stand in front of me, motioning for me to stand up.
I noticed all of my uncles stood and came towards me as well.
With a hand on my shoulder and eyes locked on mine, my dad spoke.
“Know that no matter what you have to do there, we will always love you and respect you. Nothing you do will change that or will make us look at you in a different light. Everyone in this room respects the hell out of you because you are saving our family from unimaginable pain and certain death.”
All four guys leaned in for a hug, arms around each other, me in the center.
It was a little suffocating, but having my family here for me like this, knowing I had their love and support, with such a display of affection that would be considered weak in our world, I found the strength I knew I was going to need to survive these next two months.