Chapter 2 #2
He crossed the room and lowered himself into the chair across from my desk. I sat back in my own chair and stared at the closed office door for a long moment.
"They'll make mistakes," I admitted. "They're supposed to."
I glanced at Matteo before looking back at Giovanni.
"But if they can't handle three days..."
A faint smirk crossed my face.
"...then we'll have a hell of a lot more work to do when we get back."
~***~
A.J. Pov~
The moment I stepped into my room, exhaustion hit me like a freight train. I felt like the weight of the world had been dropped onto my shoulders.
How the hell did Pops carry all of this every single day? I hadn't even started yet, and I already felt overwhelmed.
With a long sigh, I collapsed face-first onto my bed.
Knock. Knock.
I groaned. "Come in."
The door opened, and Damien walked in without waiting for another invitation. "Hey," he said, already rummaging through my room. "You got my backpack in here?"
I lifted my head just enough to glare at him. "No. Why the fuck would I have your backpack?" He shrugged as he searched through my closet. "I don't know. I lose it a lot."
He paused. "If Mom finds out I lost it again, she'll probably tie it to me permanently."
His face stayed completely serious. I snorted. The sad part was...
He probably wasn't joking.
"Hey," I called after a moment. "Dad talked to you about tomorrow?" Damien stopped searching and looked over at me. "Yeah." He nodded. "He told me he's leaving."
I sat up a little straighter.
"He made me one of your guards." A grin spread across his face. "Guess that means I'm one of your most trusted men now..." He bowed dramatically. "Your Highness."
I grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it at him. He caught it effortlessly before tossing it right back.
I rolled my eyes. Damien was only fourteen, but he was already built like a tank. The kid was ridiculously strong. Honestly...he could probably take on most grown men and win.
"You good?" he asked, his teasing expression fading. "You seem... off."
"I'm fine." The lie came out automatically.
Before Damien could call me out on it, another knock sounded at the door.
Mom smiled as she stepped inside. "Bedtime, boys."
Damien walked over and kissed her cheek. "Night, Mom." She kissed his forehead. "Goodnight, sweetheart."
As Damien reached the hallway, Mom called after him. "Your backpack's in your closet."
There was a brief silence."...Shit." His defeated voice echoed down the hallway.
Mom giggled. I couldn't help but laugh. She knew everything. There wasn't a single thing that escaped her. She quietly closed my bedroom door before walking over and sitting beside me on the bed.
Compared to the rest of us, Mom was tiny. She barely reached Pops' shoulder. But somehow...she had the biggest presence in the room. She studied me for a long moment before nudging my shoulder.
"What's going on in that head of yours?"
I sighed. "You already know."
She smiled. "I do." She slipped her arm through mine. "You're going to be just fine, A.J." I looked down at our hands. "What if I'm not?" The words came out quieter than I expected. "What if I screw everything up?"
I stared at the wall. "What if I let Dad down?"
Mom gently squeezed my arm. "You won't."
I shook my head. "You don't know that."
She turned so I had no choice but to look at her. "Yes, I do." Her voice was calm and certain. "You are going to be an incredible Boss. You have your father's strength..."
She smiled softly.
"...and your own heart. Trust yourself. Trust the training your father and uncle have spent your entire life giving you. And when you don't know what to do..."
She tapped my chest. "Listen to this."
I frowned. "My heart?"
She laughed. "No."
She tapped my forehead. "Your instincts." I smiled despite myself.
"I just..." I sighed again. "I don't want to disappoint him."
Mom's expression softened. "Oh, sweetheart." She reached up and rested a hand against my cheek. "You could never disappoint your father."
"Do you know what he sees every time he looks at you?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Himself." She chuckled. "You're practically his twin. The same blue eyes. The same stubbornness. The same temper. The same need to protect everyone you love."
She smiled. "He couldn't be prouder of the man you're becoming. Besides..." A mischievous grin spread across her face. "Your name is literally Adriano." She laughed. "I don't think you had much of a choice but to become one hell of a Boss."
I laughed too, the knot in my chest finally beginning to loosen. "Thanks, Ma." I pulled her into a hug. She hugged me tightly before kissing my forehead.
"You're going to be just fine."
With one reassuring wink, she stood and quietly left the room. The door clicked shut behind her. I lay back on my bed and stared at the ceiling.
Tomorrow...
Everything will change. I took a deep breath.
I can do this.
I'm Adriano fucking Basilio.
I was born for this.
~***~
Next Day~
I stepped out of my closet and looked myself over in the mirror. Jeans. A fitted T-shirt. Sneakers. I gave an approving nod.
Since I was going to school, there was no point dressing like Pops or my uncles. They practically lived in tailored suits.
Me?
I'd look ridiculous showing up to high school dressed like I was about to attend a Mafia summit. I ran a hand through my hair, styling it to the side before fastening my watch around my wrist.
Grabbing my backpack, I slung it over one shoulder. Today was Thursday. Meaning I'd be acting Boss through the rest of the school week, and straight into the weekend. The thought alone made my stomach tighten.
I stared at my reflection for another second, trying out the same serious expression Pops always wore.
...
Yeah.
I definitely needed more practice. With one last sigh, I walked out of my room.
"A.J.!" Before I even made it halfway down the hall, Caterina came barreling toward me. She launched herself into my arms without warning. I caught her effortlessly, laughing.
"Good morning, Cata." She wrapped her little arms around my neck. "Mommy said you have to take me downstairs for breakfast."
"Why?"
"Because she's trying to get Callie dressed."
I winced. "Good luck with that." Still carrying Caterina, I peeked into Callie's bedroom as I walked past. Mom and Michel were chasing Callie around the room while the tiny menace ran in circles wearing nothing but her underwear.
She squealed with laughter every time they got close. Apparently, today she'd decided clothes were optional. I laughed. Mom immediately looked over at me. The look she gave me made it very clear she wasn't amused.
I quickly raised one hand in surrender. "We're just heading downstairs." Then I wisely kept walking.
The last thing I wanted was to get volunteered into helping catch a nearly naked toddler. Just as we reached the end of the hallway, Kalani and Kaia stepped out of their rooms.
Both of them froze.
Both of them looked down at their shirts.
Then slowly looked at each other.
"You change," Kalani ordered.
"No. I wore mine first." Kaia crossed her arms. "You change." The two identical glares they exchanged would've been intimidating... If they weren't wearing matching shirts.
Definitely Aunt Yana's attitude.
As soon as they noticed me, both twins turned in perfect synchronization.
"A.J.," Kaia said, pointing at her sister. "Tell her to change."
"No," Kalani argued. "Tell her to change."
I blinked. "...Why are you dragging me into this? You two figure it out." I turned to leave.
"Dad said you're in charge now."
I stopped. Kalani folded her arms. "Yeah." Kaia nodded. "You're the Boss."
I slowly turned back around. Nobody mentioned that being Boss meant settling sibling arguments before breakfast.
I sighed dramatically. "Fine." I looked at both of them. "You." I pointed at Kalani. "And you." Then at Kaia. "Go change."
Caterina covered her mouth to hide a giggle. "Ooooo..."
The twins both opened their mouths. "But—"
"Nope." I pointed back toward their bedrooms. "Change." My voice came out a little deeper than usual. Apparently, I'd been spending too much time around Pops.
The twins exchanged one last stubborn glare before simultaneously rolling their eyes. "Fine." They disappeared back into their rooms.
I watched them go before looking down at Caterina. "What are we going to do with those two?"
Caterina smiled sweetly and shrugged. "No idea." I laughed, adjusting her on my hip as we headed downstairs.
It wasn't even breakfast yet... And I had already settled my first dispute as acting Boss.
Something told me this was going to be a very...
Very...
Long day.