Page 119 of Forced Vows

"Bullshit. You were raised by the same father as I was. You were tutored in the same political and battle tactics as I was."

"But Sev, I'm not you." That's one truth he cannot refute.

In some ways he's harsher, in other ways I am. Would those differences really be good for our mafia?

"Right after papà died, Aunt Ilaria took me aside. I think she knew I was having doubts."

I'd seen those doubts too, but then one day they disappeared and Sev stepped up like I knew he would. I stepped with him, my gun pointed at anyone who wanted to come for my brother.

"What did she say to you?"

"What I'm about to say to you. You were born to be my underboss, my god of war, but that isn't all you were born for." Sev's expression reminds me more of our father right now than it ever has.

"She told me I couldn't take hold of the future without taking hold of the present. You can't either."

"But my future was being underboss."

"No, your future was to become the next Genovese don. You will have your own sons to train, both to be don and underboss."

"I might have daughters." Which doesn't mean one can't follow in my footsteps, but unlike a son, she would have more options from infancy.

"You know sex is determined by the chromosomes passed down by the father. The men in our family have fathered exactly two women in the past five generations. And one of them was born over a hundred years ago."

Papa was so shocked when Giulia was born, he had a DNA test done on her. Mamma never knew, but Sev and I found the medical report confirming paternity when we went through the files in the document safe room after he died.

Of course, we never told either of them.

I wonder if Catalina has found the test results? If she has, she hasn't said a word either.

"Our father planned for this. He expected me to be the next godfather and he counseled me to pass the mantle of Don of the Genovese onto you."

"He never said anything to me." Neither did Sev.

"He would have."

But he died and any chance to advise his younger son on a different path than the one I was on disappeared.

"You'll be an excellent don, Miceli, but you're two years younger than me."

"Three years older than when you became don."

"And you remember the unrest with the older capos. My marriage to Catalina was necessary. You need to marry Róise before you wear the ring."

"A family connection to the Shaughnessy mob is something none of the other dons who will challenge to be godfather can bring to the table."

Sev nods. "It is an alliance that is good for the entire Cosa Nostra, not only the Genovese."

That explains my brother's insistence on the blood alliance. He gave me a choice about being the groom, but I know my duty.

Does Róise know hers?

~ ~ ~

"Róise said she's busy and won't be able to make dinner on Friday." Catalina grimaces at the asparagus on her plate and shoves it to the edge with her fork.

Weird. It's one of her favorite vegetables, which is why we have it at least twice a week. The cooks adore her.

Mamma dabs at her mouth with her napkin and then smooths it over her lap again. "That's for the best, isn't it? It's a family dinner after all."

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