Chapter 24
Does anyone else know?
MARCO
The crowd went wild when number twenty-three made a slam dunk, earning them two points and putting the team over one hundred points. Those five seconds were representative of the way the arena was the whole night. The game was a great one, and the crowd knew it.
“I’m glad you could come,” Dominic said, turning to me as the buzzer sounded signaling the end of the third quarter.
It had been a while since we hung out together.
He was living a life that was far removed from the one I knew with a wife and young kids, spending most of his time on Long Island.
When he wasn’t with his family, he was traveling.
He was a model, so his job kept him busy, calling him to different cities for shoots.
“I’m glad you invited me.” I picked up my beer and took a sip before setting it down at my feet again.
He brushed his hands over his thighs and leaned forward in his courtside seat on what everyone called celebrity row, which was basically the VIP section.
Tonight, we were sitting next to a famous French actor and his girlfriend who was a business mogul with her makeup brand.
“Listen, I may have invited you for a reason.” He sounded like he was hesitant to elaborate, which could only mean one thing.
I feigned a gasp. “You mean you have a hidden agenda?” Wouldn’t be anything new in our family.
Dom chuckled. “I’m serious.” He shifted and accidentally nudged his empty hot dog boat. Bending down, he picked it up and folded it in half before setting it aside again.
“And the fact that you obviously feel bad for that reminds me just how much of a Deluca you’re not.
” I scrubbed a hand over my face. Lately, I was more Deluca than ever.
Where had I gone wrong? I had always looked up to Dom when I was growing up.
He was paving his own path, making his own way. He had morals and—
“Just because I don’t subscribe to Dad’s bullshit doesn’t mean I’m not a Deluca.” Dom sounded defensive, but also a little like he didn’t care, just wanted it known.
I shook my head. “You’re a good guy. Give yourself some credit, okay? You’re nothing like the rest of us,” I explained. I looked up as the game clock signaled the start of the final quarter, and the ball went to our team since they won the initial opening tip-off.
“Wait ’til you hear what I have to say.” He pressed the tips of his fingers together and looked thoughtful for a moment. Then cleared his throat and angled his head closer in my direction because the volume around us was kicking up again. “I heard about your move to become CEO.”
How? “Damn big mouths.” Could anyone be trusted any longer?
“Come on, Marco. You want out of this arranged marriage, so it’s not all that surprising. You get power, you call the shots.” Okay, so my brother wasn’t a dumbass. Not that I ever thought he was.
My eyes were on the court as the other team made a defensive foul.
“So, you’re not trying to talk me out of it?
” Not that it’d do him any good. I think I’d already talked myself out of it.
At first, it was a way for the pawn to get out of the arranged marriage, but I didn’t exactly want that anymore.
Brooklyn and I were giving it a real shot, and that was what mattered.
He raised a brow. “I don’t care what kind of in-fighting you all do. Just watch your back.”
“Not a problem,” I said instinctively, ducking as the ball got loose and flew over my head.
We both turned around to follow its direction, and I spotted someone from the staff efficiently returning the ball to play. “And I was hoping to convince you to consider another acquisition,” he said, carrying on with the conversation.
Jesus. What was Deluca Industries, a shark taking everything for itself?
Since when was keeping the status quo a problem?
“What kind?” I asked cautiously. I wasn’t about to make any promises, especially since I wouldn’t have any real power, at least not any more than I currently had if I gave up my bid for CEO.
“Bellissima is experiencing some financial struggles. Traditional ad revenues have been falling for some time as the state of magazine publishing shifts. Then there’s legacy print revenue, which has also been undergoing a massive shift with changes in publishing.
It’s on the downward slope, and there’s nothing Maria can do to save it.
All the girls are trying, even Angelo. But it seems Regina’s legacy might not outlast the year.
” His chest heaved, and I could tell he was deeply troubled by the news.
It made sense. That was his world. He was not only married to the editor-in-chief, but he had always been ridiculously close with the Morellis.
He had also occasionally graced the pages of the magazine and had the pleasure of being a cover model for them once.
“Okay,” I said, keeping my response measured.
Dom shook his head. “If you buy it out when you become CEO, then you can secure your place with something great.” Suddenly, he sounded so confident. “Prove to the board that you’re worth your salt.”
Or I could have bought it myself and generously brought it into the company’s portfolio, no strings attached. I murmured a noncommittal response as I tried to picture what it’d look like if I saved Bellissima.
“Marco, you may be a smartass, but you’re also smart. When you set your mind to something, you get it done. I know you can do this. I wouldn’t trust anyone else with this. It’s my wife’s whole world.”
“Either that, or you think I’m dumb enough to do it no questions asked.
” Although, I think we both knew I had no problem telling someone when to fuck off.
I’d done it many times in my life, and I’d continue to do it.
Save for with our father. He, as they said, had me by the balls, using my birthright against me.
“Not true. I’m just asking you to think about it. I think there’s an opportunity here. You can acquire it and change the game. You can revive it and maybe add another arm to it, publishing coffee table books featuring designers’ fashion collections, or—”
“Books in general,” I said, my mind suddenly whirling with possibilities as before me the other team, trailing by three points, was trying a late-game tactic of intentionally missing a free throw off the front of the rim.
It felt a little premature since there was still plenty of time left on the game clock, so I didn’t suspect it’d work, but it was always an interesting play to watch unfold.
He cleared his throat. “Sure, I guess anything’s possible, as long as we save the magazine.”
I grazed my jawline as I considered what I’d said.
It’d been off the cuff, but even though it was instinctual, it also felt like a solid idea.
We could merge with one of the big five publishers and start an imprint.
We could capitalize on the trust their readers had in them and give them more of the content they craved in a different format.
The magazine would have to go entirely digital with on-demand print options for those who still liked to smell the ink and feel the glossy pages. Affiliate revenue could help replace some of the traditional ads they’d been losing.
“I’m open to this,” I said earnestly. Then it dawned on me. “Does anyone else know about this?” Like Vito, was who I was thinking, but didn’t say. They were close, ridiculously close, and Vito was continuously scouring the waters for blood.
“In the family?” he questioned, scratching his jaw.
I nodded and waited, watching him closely. Not because I suspected Dom would lie to me, though.
“No.”
That one word was all I needed to hear. “Keep it that way,” I warned.
I really didn’t need it getting out. I turned my attention back to the game, my eyes following the player who was throwing the defender off balance in an attempt to shoot a layup from an open lane.
“I’ll see what I can do.” It might not be a slam dunk, but I’d step to the free-throw line.