Chapter 36 Luciano
Luciano
Today’s been a disaster, there’s no sugarcoating it. After Charlie took off with Mattia and Rocco, the brothers decided to let me stay at their place for the night, even though they had no choice. They weren’t just pissed, they were straight-up furious with me.
Stefano, loyal to a fault, didn’t hold back.
Told me I’d fucked up worse than Charlie ever could and asked what the hell was going to happen now.
Carlo looked like he wanted to tear me apart for betraying the family.
And maybe he was right. But what was I supposed to do?
I’ve been loyal to Caterina for over twenty years.
When she gives an order, you follow it. No questions asked.
How the fuck was I supposed to know I’d fall for her daughter?
There was something about Charlie I just couldn’t resist. Something that pulled me in.
Now I’m sitting alone on the back patio of the brothers’ house, nursing a drink, staring at the path that connects our homes. My mind’s been a mess, wondering what Charlie’s up to. Then, like the ghost that he is, Mattia appears out of nowhere. Sending my head flying.
“Fuck, Mattia,” I grumble.
“You’re lucky you’re my brother, otherwise you’d already be dead,” he growls. “How the hell could you do that to Charlie?”
“Do what? Follow Caterina’s orders? Our Donna’s orders?” I snap back, now hovering in front of him.
“You should have told her the truth when you started fucking her,” he fires back, loud enough to draw the others out. They watch us tensely, unsure whether to step in or let us hash it out.
“I wanted to,” I say quietly.
“She cried the whole way home. Not just tears—ugly, hysterical cries,” Mattia says.
“Where is she now?”
Mattia steps up closer to me, invading my space. “Asleep with Izzy. You’re not going near her.” He shoves my chest, making me stumble slightly.
“Watch it, Mattia. I’m still the Don,” I remind him.
“Not for long.”
“Where are you going?” I growl.
“Back to my girl,” he snarls.
I get in his face again.
“She’s mine. Keep your hands off.”
“I’ll give Charlie whatever the fuck she wants, Luciano.
Sing to her? I’ll sing. Cook her dinner?
I’ll cook. Cuddle her? I’ll cuddle. Fuck her to erase the pain you caused?
I’ll fucking do it,” he yells, stepping inches away from my face, not backing down.
“Charlie deserves the world, and you’re messing with her feelings. She’ll never forgive you for this.”
I shove him back and ask, “You love her?”
He nods, clear as day. “Of course. We all do,” he says, pointing to the others.
“The difference is we love her like a sister. She’s part of our family.
But you’re tearing this family apart, Luciano.
” He taps the side of his head. “Use your fucking head. Why would Caterina bring Charlie here after all these years apart? She knew we needed her, and she needed us. But if I have to choose, I choose her.” With a huff, he storms off down the path.
I bury my head in my hands.
Gabriele’s voice cuts through. “He’s right, Luciano. Soon she’ll have access to everything, as long as we keep Vince away.”
Shit. If things were bad before, they’re about to get worse. “She needs our protection,” I say.
“She knows none of us had anything to do with the lie you and Caterina spun,” Stefano says. “I get keeping it from her, but how could you not tell us she was alive? She wasn’t just our Donna, she was family too.”
I’ve been summoned to the office. All morning I’ve been feeling like something is about to happen. You know, that gut feeling you get sometimes.
When I walk in, Joseph and Caterina are huddled over the desk. “Donna,” I say, letting Caterina know I’ve arrived. I shut the door behind me and take a seat across from her at the desk.
Since she found out two weeks ago that James, her daughter’s father, died in a car accident, she’s been a wreck—not sleeping, barely eating.
Everyone’s worried, but they don’t know what’s wrong.
I keep telling them she’s just caught something and to stay away so they don’t catch it.
Anything to keep them from finding out the truth.
Over the last two weeks, I’ve stepped up and taken over the duties she would normally perform.
“I need you to sign this,” Joseph says to me, pushing a stack of paper in front of me.
“What is it?”
“It’s Caterina’s will and authority to act on her behalf,” Joseph says, unphased.
My head jumps back. “Caterina, what’s going on?”
She sits in her chair across from me, staring behind me at the couch. I quickly gaze behind, but no one’s there. “Caterina,” I say louder, trying to draw her attention to me.
But instead, she talks to the couch. “Shhh, yes James.” She waves her hand like she’s scolding someone. “We will leave shortly. I just need to finish the paperwork with Luciano.”
I’m out of my chair and in Joseph’s face. “Start fucking talking, Joseph. Why is Caterina talking to an empty couch?”
Joseph fidgets under my gaze, hesitating over his next words. I’m trying hard to keep the demon inside me contained. “Caterina is suffering from a broken heart. She’s been hallucinating that James is with her.”
“I can fucking see that. How do we fix it? Get the fucking doctor here now.” I grab my phone out of my pocket to speed dial our doctor, but Joseph grabs it out of my hand, ending the call.
I grab him by the throat, lifting him off the ground and squeeze hard.
How dare he stop me? I am Caterina’s underboss, not one of the soldiers.
“Luciano,” Caterina’s soft voice calls to me. I drop my hands instantly and rush over to her, crouching at the side of her chair. She looks down at me, but I don’t recognize this person. This is not the Caterina I know; her eyes are voids, almost soulless.
“Caterina. Talk to me. How can I help you?” I half beg her. I’ve lived with her for over twenty years. She is my family, and it breaks my cold heart to see her like this.
She gently strokes my cheek. “You’ve always been a son to me. I’ll always be grateful that you came into my life when you did.” I grab her hand and hold it reassuringly.
“I’m sorry for abusing your anger over the years. There were just some things that I could not do and I knew you would, if I told you to,” she starts to cry to me.
“You don’t need to apologize. Just tell me how to help you, Caterina. You’re my family and I will do anything for you,” I plead with her. I need the old Caterina back.
“What I’m going to ask you will be hard, and you will want to tell your brothers, but you can’t, Luciano. You must keep this a secret for me.”
I look between her and Joseph. What the fuck is going on? Joseph doesn’t give anything away, letting Caterina do the talking. He stands by her side, his loyalty unwavering.
“Luciano, can you do that for me?” she asks me.
“Yes, Caterina.”
She nods her head to Joseph.
“I will need you to take the oath first,” Joseph says. I stand in front of Caterina and recite our oath to both her and Joseph. I grab my pocketknife out and slice it over my hand, letting them know that I bleed for this family and will continue to bleed for this family until it is my time to die.
Caterina stands and surprises me by pulling me into a hug.
I wrap my arms around her petite body, and she folds into me like it’s the most normal thing.
But in all the time I’ve been with her, she has never hugged me.
It sends chills down my back. She starts to cry into my chest, and I hold her tighter. I hate seeing her like this.
“You must follow Joseph’s instructions. Luciano, you will not agree with them, but please respect my wishes. I need to do this.”
“I will always do what is best for you and the family,” I say, holding her a bit longer.
She lifts her head and looks over to the couch. “It is time, James,” she says before removing herself from my grip and walking out the door.
I walk to the bar and pour myself a whiskey. The uneasy feeling in my stomach is close to exploding, and I go to sit back in front of the desk. I watch as Joseph opens the bottom drawer of the desk and pulls out multiple files.
“First, sign these papers. This is Caterina’s will and authority form to control all Cosa Nostra and Carlisi accounts.”
I scribble my signature on the paperwork with no hesitation.
“You are now interim Don for the Cosa Nostra,” Joesph declares.
The pen in my hand clatters on the desk. What the fuck? I can’t be Don if Caterina is still alive. But I’m unable to move. Frozen to my chair. I am not Carlisi blood. I can’t rule.
As if Joseph knows what I’m thinking, he adds, “This folder contains information on Charlotte O'Reilly, Caterina’s daughter. Caterina wants you to find her and bring her here. Teach her about the Cosa Nostra and make her the new Donna.”
I’m speechless, so he takes this as his cue to continue.
“As of today, Caterina will be presumed dead. It is set up that there will be a car accident in about two hours. The car will be blown up so no traces can be found—or not found, should I say. You must continue this facade,” Joseph tells me.
“Where will she go? Does she have protection?” I question him. This all seems unreal. How long have they been planning this for?
“She will check in every month from a burner phone. She needs time away to grieve.”
“To grieve? She hasn’t seen James for over twenty-five fucking years, Joseph.
What is there to grieve? He kicked her out when she told him the truth.
She was better off without him,” I say, my anger now unleashed as I start destroying the room.
Flipping the desk, throwing the chairs. Nothing is safe right now.
“She never stopped loving them, Luciano. He was her soulmate and how much time apart doesn’t matter—the grief will always be hard.
” He places the last folders on the bar.
“I will be back tomorrow morning to make it look like we are putting everything in place after Caterina’s death.
” With that, he walks out the door, leaving me alone amongst the mess I’ve just created in the office.
What just happened? She can’t leave us. I won’t let her.
I storm out of the office and up to Caterina’s suite.
I knock on the door, but no answer. “Caterina?” I open the door and yell out, “Caterina?” Still no response.
I have never dared to enter her room before, but today I need to find her. But she isn’t here.
I’m running down the stairs and nearly collide with Rosa. “Slow down, Luciano,” she calmly says to me.
“Where is Caterina?” I demand.
She gently pats my chest, reassuringly. “She just left. She needs some time alone.” How is she okay with this?
I push past her and run out the front door. Yelling at the soldiers stationed at the door, “Get me a fucking car, right now.”
But I’m too late. She’s already disappeared.