Chapter 20
Twenty
NICO
This is all I need. Life has a habit of throwing a curveball exactly when you don’t want it, and I received a message to meet my father in my office at two pm.
That he’s even in the city is enough to alarm me, and even the fact he is demanding a meeting sends shivers down my spine. This is not good.
Luckily, I can send Regina to my apartment where she will be occupied for the entire afternoon. It gives me time to grab a quick bite to eat while searching for any possible reason why my father is in town.
I head to the office immediately and instruct my assistant to grab lunch from the deli for both me and Trent, and as I wait for him I catch up on my emails and texts.
I find no clues in them; if anything, business is good, and the gala inflated our accounts even more than they were already. The contracts have been signed, and in the new year, we will be the proud owners of three more multi-million dollar companies.
Trent returns from his mission and takes the seat opposite me, and I nod toward the food I ordered.
“Thanks.”
I lean back and sigh. “I can’t find any reason why my father has called this meeting. Did you have any luck with his consigliere?”
Trent is close to Anton, my fathers long suffering consigliere, which has helped juggle expectations over the years.
Trent shrugs as he devours the club sandwich.
After he finishes, he wipes his mouth and says in his deep husky voice, “Anton tells me the don is reorganizing the structure.”
“As in?”
“He is assigning different roles to his guards, calling in old debts and dealing with lingering problems.”
“I see.”
My mind is racing, and Trent adds, “Anton believes he is tidying up his desk, which can mean only one thing.”
“Retirement.” I finish, and Trent nods.
“It appears that he wasn’t messing around when he told you that when you turned thirty, he was handing it all to you. This could change things.”
He’s not wrong, because this will change everything.
Up until now, I have been the respectable face of the business.
The CEO in charge of our corporation, overseeing the legitimate side of our business.
I’m aware that my father isn’t getting any younger, unlike our enemies.
They believe he is a soft touch now, perhaps because most of his allies are either dead or retired themselves.
The new order is taking over, and I’m guessing that involves me.
“It makes sense.”
I lean back in my chair as Trent adds, “Your role will change. Have you any idea who will replace you in the business?”
“Joseph.”
One word that causes Trent to raise his eyes.
“He’s the best one for the job; it has to be him.”
Joseph is my younger brother. He’s young but hungry and is currently working in London overseeing our office there. He majored in business at Oxford and is mentally older than his years.
“Not Simeon?”
I think about my middle brother, who is more of a playboy, preferring to run the darker side of our business that involves the entertainment business. Then there is Julius, who oversees the import and export business.
“It must be Joseph; he is perfect for the role.”
I sigh as the claws of destiny sharpen, and Trent smiles sadly. “Thirty sucks.”
For a moment we let our shields slip, and the despairing look that passes between us reminds me how we hoped this day would never come. With position comes power and great responsibility, and Trent will also step up in his position within the Ravera organization.
I glance at my wristwatch and sigh.
“Ten minutes until the bell tolls.”
His sympathetic smile causes me to groan. “We will deal with it.”
He nods, standing as he prepares to greet my father and his entourage, who will be making their way inside the building as we speak.
That alone will cause ripples of gossip to spread through the building.
He rarely comes here and is spoken about with reverence.
His reputation is as vicious as he is and is the only man on earth who can cause unease inside me.
He hasn’t survived this long in a dark world without being ruthless and the top dog.
His legacy is a cruel one, and I’m the lucky recipient of that.
My thoughts turn to my engagement, and I hope I have done enough because the last thing I want is an arranged marriage as his parting gift.
I’m well aware of the chosen one in that department, and I would rather gouge my own eyes out than rest them on her vicious face every morning.
So, with a sigh, I stand and head to the boardroom, where the meeting is scheduled to begin.
I am waiting when the door opens and the man himself sweeps into the room like a wrecking ball.
He fills it with a dark presence, his calculating eyes finding mine and boring deep into my soul.
I do not flinch. I have learned not to over the years.
Reveal no emotion and disguise your thoughts.
Never let your enemy understand your thought process, and my father is a formidable enemy, more than the rest of them forming an alliance against me.
“Nico.”
He approaches and hugs me hard, thumping me on the back as if he is performing first aid. He pulls back and kisses me three times on my cheek before staring deeply into my eyes, his flashing with dark power.
“I am very pleased.”
His words give me a moment’s relaxation, and as he takes his seat, the one at the head of the table, Trent and Anton take their seats on either side of him. I take the one opposite him, and silence prevails as we wait for the great man to speak.
“I understand that last night was a huge success.”
He references the business concluded at the gala and I nod, taking time to fill him in on what was achieved, his nod of approval telling me he is happy about that.
When I finish, he leans forward, his fingers steepling under his chin, and his eyes flash as he says in his deep husky whisper, “You know why I am here.”
“You’re retiring.”
I take a stab in the dark, and his lips twist into his usual sinister smile.
“It was expected.”
“It was.”
He leans back in his seat, a thoughtful expression on his face, and says out of the blue, “I hear you are engaged.”
I say nothing because I’m not surprised that he knows.
His spies are everywhere, and like me, he feeds off knowledge.
As soon as a name is spoken to us, we insist on our consiglieres discovering everything about them.
It’s how I knew about Simon Pettigrew and Regina’s business.
What she doesn’t know is I have a file on her family and friends and every year of her life since she was born.
It’s what we do, firefight any surprises that may spark up around us, and I learned it all from the great man currently studying me from across the table.
“Regina Stone.”
Now that I’ve said it, I wonder how I’m hoping to get this approved. My father believes a marriage is merely a strengthening of power, and Regina comes with none of the above.
“An ordinary girl leading an ordinary life.”
I detect the heaviness of disappointment in the air.
“Not the pedigree I expected from my successor, Nico.”
“And Desiree Bendetti is I’m guessing.”
He nods. “Vito is my friend. It makes perfect sense. Desiree is of our world; she understands it. Her life has been groomed for this occasion. She is the perfect choice as your queen.”
I shiver with revulsion, but he doesn’t need to see that, and I fix him with a dark glare of my own.
The silence is tense. This could go either way, and both Anton and Trent are all too aware of that.
“Which is exactly why she was never a contender.”
This time I lean forward and fix him with a dark glare of my own. I will use his tactics against him; it’s the only way, and my voice deepens and cuts like razors through the air.
“I do not intend on fighting my battles all day to return home to a war at night, father.”
If anything, his lips twitch, but his eyes remain cold and callous.
“Desiree is a loose cannon. You informed me of that fact when you stated she knows how this world works and she will use it to her advantage rather than for the family. Do you really believe she will be happy with bearing the next generation and fronting up charity events? She is a conniving bitch, and I wouldn’t put it past her to be in bed with my enemies, acting as a double agent just for the thrill of it. ”
My father nods, resignation heavy in his eyes. “I admit she is wild spirited. You are right in your judgment. She requires a firm hand, and Vito was hoping that would be yours.”
“Vito is well aware I’m not interested. I am my own man, father and will not bow to pressure. I need a wife beside me who will bend to my will. Who I will mold into the perfect companion, unaware of the perils of this life.”
“You will destroy her in seconds.”
His voice hardens. “You have always been selfish, Nico. You want it all on your terms, and only a fool doesn’t utilize the tools of his trade.
The ones that have served well over the years and were crafted in tradition.
You prefer the latest modern gadgets with no life span.
Wake up and face facts, Nico. The best woman for the job is Desiree Bendetti, and you know it. ”
He sighs heavily. “Take her as a wife and set this new woman up as your mistress. It’s the perfect solution.”
“For you, maybe.”
We are all aware of my father’s circumstances, and my mother has been a token one brought in to bear his children while his affection rests with Gigi Constantine, my father’s mistress of thirty years.
“It is the perfect solution for any man in our position.”
“Times change, father. If you don’t like it, perhaps you should look further down the production line for another man to run your empire.”
I am taking a huge gamble here because stepping aside against my birthright is a powerful statement to make, and I wonder if he will guess the double bluff I am making here.
Life has always been a game of chess within our family. Everyone is attempting to outmaneuver the other, and I hold my breath inwardly, while outwardly I have the appearance of a man who will not take no for an answer.
The seconds tick by on a wave of tension, and then he nods, his eyes closing as he sighs heavily.
“I will make my decision after Christmas. Bring her home, and if I like her, she stays. If I believe Desiree is more suitable, then you will have no choice. If you do not comply, you must step aside, and Julius will take your place.”
I’m surprised at his choice because Julius is no businessman, and my father chuckles darkly.
“Julius is ruthless, a difficult man to read and not afraid to make hard decisions. You will remain in your role heading up the business, and Julius will step into my shoes as the head of the family.”
He shrugs. “Unless you prove to me that you are able to make the right decisions. What’s good for the family rather than your cock.”
His eyes flash.
“There is a reason why we do things, Nico. You are not old enough to understand the implications of your choice, but I am. So bring this woman home to meet the family, and I will decide if she is good enough to be your queen.”
He stands, and then his cruel sneer makes my heart sink as he hisses, “I have invited the Bendettis to join us. It will be an interesting Christmas, wouldn’t you agree?”
I say nothing and merely stand, approaching him for our usual embrace, and as they file out of the room, it’s as if the storm has moved on and left devastation in its wake.