Page 74 of Forbidden Pregnancy
“I’m getting old, Mikey.”
Acknowledging his age brings more tears to Leandro’s eyes than acknowledging my father’s murder. I don’t bother affirming Leandro’s old age, especially since I’m hoping to get married today rather than pissing him off.
“I respect your wisdom, uncle.”
“Good,” he says. “And you trust that I would never make inappropriate demands?”
I nod, but mostly because I don’t have a fucking idea what he means.
“I’ve had a long time to think,” he says. “I want to step down from my role but… I worry. About you and Luigi. About the rest of them.”
“I can assure you, uncle… I won’t have cause to step out of line today. If you accept my humblest–”
Leandro raises a flattened palm to stop me from talking. I suspend my sentence.
“You were vicious,” he says. “Calloused. Cruel. You took your father’s life, Michael. Do you understand what that means?”
Our eyes meet and this time, I don’t know what Leandro’s thinking at all. This meeting doesn’t feel like it’s a punishment, but that in itself strikes me as suspicious. This murder has made me far too paranoid.
“I’m willing to accept the consequences of my actions to keep my family safe.”
“And how far does that family extend in your books?” Leandro asks. “Would you kill me to protect that woman?”
I can’t bury my frustrations, even if keeping silent might be in my best interests.
“She’s not ‘that woman’,” I respond. “She’s the mother of my child and the most important woman in my life. I have loved Myra for over a decade. I never stopped loving her. If my father killed her…”
Leandro’s hand rests on my shoulder and it worries me that his touch is strangely comforting. Am I that comfortable with my fate? If I die, Luigi swears he will carry out my wishes for Myra and our daughter. She will always be safe.Always…
“Myra will be safe,” he says. “It’s my life I worry about, Michael.”
What does he mean?
“I want you to work as my underboss.”
“Do you have another point, uncle?”
“No,” he says. “You make hard choices better than my son. I want you loyal… and that comes by extending you a taste of my power. Direct ownership over your fathers shares in our joint company, control over protection costs for five neighborhoods in South Buffalo, and an apartment complex downtown with its own project management.”
I quickly crunch the numbers.
“That would increase my net worth by millions.”
“Yes.”
“Why wouldn’t you keep that wealth in the family?”
“You are family, Michael. I loved your father. I will always love him. But my boys are dark little cocoa beans.”
I can’t tell if the comment is racist or not, but I certainly would never call somebody mixed race a little cocoa bean. Uncle’s heart is in the right place and he’s offering me a life that I never dared to dream of. I always assumed he would choose his son as his right hand. Leandro puts his arm over my shoulder, drawing me close to him.
“I can’t have a man who would kill them sharing wine and bread with me. I would have preferred Luigi to respect my wishes, but now that the babies are here… it’s different.”
“I understand.”
“Make sure that you do,” he says. “Luigi may need your guidance one day. It’s important to protect your family and to let the world know your protection will be ruthless.”
It hits me – why the offer is so good. I’m right to have some suspicions.
